Tales from the Cheesemonger

February 2006

Goat’s Milk Cheeses: Hard to Find But Still Fabulous!

February isn’t necessarily the prime season for goat’s milk cheese in the Northwest, considering goats produce less milk in cold seasons than warm, but we’ve managed to keep that end of our cheese case well stocked by heading south.

Standing next to some of our old favorites, namely Aged Goat Tomme from Laura Chenel and various chèvres from Rollingstone, are newcomers from Mozzarella Company in Texas. Set in a trendy neighborhood called Deep Ellum just outside downtown Dallas is Paula Lambert’s cheese factory that she opened some 24 years ago. Having mastered the art of mozzarella, Lambert has started to produce a wider range of cheeses, all the while maintaining the same fresh milk and hands-on ideals with which she started.

We're already fans of her popular Hoja Santa Goat Cheese Bundles, a fresh cheese wrapped with large hoja santa leaves that flavor the cheese with a hint of sassafras and mint.

The new additions to our case include the Goat's Milk Herbed Log and two-month aged Goat's Milk Feta. With the Herbed Log, Lambert has taken her famous fresh goat's milk cheese and blended it with fresh basil, tarragon, and thyme. For an entirely different style of cheese, try her Goat's Milk Feta which blew us away with how creamy and rich it is while still being dry enough to crumble over any meal.

 
Staff Favorite: Aged Farmstead Gouda

Although Willamette Valley Cheese Company has always been a favorite among staff and customers alike, we may have found the paragon of their collection—the Aged Farmstead Gouda. A few elements have cohesively combined to make this cheese not only noteworthy but also distinctly delicious.

Gouda may be a more familiar type of cheese in America, but this rinded wheel is anything but run-of-the-mill. Leading up to its creation, cheesemaker Rod Volbeda spent time apprenticing with Dutch cheese masters in Holland learning the age-old methods for making Gouda - methods that do not always transcend into the cheesemaking of today. It seems that Rod’s experience combined with top-quality, high butterfat milk have made for a Gouda unlike the others. Whether you are slicing this cheese onto a sandwich, or using it as a fresh replacement for a Parmesan or Dry Jack in your favorite recipe, we have found that this cheese is fit for any culinary occasion.

 
Golden Glen Creamery: New Addition

Joining our assortment of fine artisan Cheddars is a new selection from Golden Glen Creamery. The Dill and Garlic Medium Cheddar adds herbs that are often looked for by cheese lovers, but, until now, have been missing from our collection. Golden Glen Creamery is located here in our lush Evergreen state in Bow, Washington. The creamery has been owned and operated by women in the Jensen family since its induction in 2004. The Jensen ladies, as they have come to be known, must have had Seattle’s famous smoked salmon in mind when creating this delicious blend, as it is a perfect accompaniment!