Celebrate Independence with a Homemade Beauty!

Consider Bardwell Farm is just one of those farms I really want to visit. Located in beautiful Vermont (and partly in New York) it is a 300-acre farm which boasts the title of becoming the first cheese-making coop in Vermont back in 1864. The farm produces a range of cheeses with milk from goats and cows. The goats that live on the farm are called Oberhaslis goats. If goats could have opinions on how other goats look then most goats would be jealous of Oberhaslis goats. But that's a story for a different day. The cheese held up with the task of flying the flag for independence today is one made with cows milk. Specifically, Jersey cows.

Freshly cut Dorset!

Dorset is her name. She's a washed rind cheese and she's got such depth in flavor that if you close your eyes then you can realize yourself amongst the rolling hills and fresh air that is in such large supply in the first state to be formed in the USA that WASN'T an original colony. The washed rind gives the cheese a pink and almost crystallized aesthetic and when it is cut a pretty, yellow interior is revealed. It has a good degree of pungency too which is said to be seasonally influenced. Yesterday, I suggested a customer should try a piece as it would look great on a 'July 4th cheeseboard.' I handed her the piece and when she tried it she almost melted into the counter. It was quite a sight to see. Suffice to say she bought a large piece!

The wheels are small and only come in 2.5lb sizes which is kind of cute. It's size does not affect it's status in the cheese case; it is the winner of so many awards that it stares up at some of the larger local cheeses and they treat it equally! The personification of cheese!

Consider Bardwell Farm is committed to pesticide-free grazing on land that does not use fertilizer. It's great for vegetarians as only vegetarian rennet is added to the cheese and there is no antibiotic or hormone rubbish added at any point from farm to table. Dorset, VT is an historic town and Dorset cheese is well on it's way to become historic in it's own right! I'll support a flag with a piece of Dorset on it today for Independence!

Parmigiano Reggiano; Making husband's worried for nine centuries!

Remember when you were back in school and your peers used to invent a shortened version of
name in order to say it quicker? Mine was always pretty simple. Andrew Tyson only ever went as far as 'Andy', 'Tyson' or occasionally 'Stretch' due to my lanky appearance. However, nicknames/shortened names can sometimes be confusing to others. To name a few, I've had friends called The Train, Boozer, Maverick, Okra, The Blue Whale and Kooch! Shortened names are also often given to things that one holds dear such as sports teams, cars and places. It doesn't happen too much with cheese though. Maybe that's why lots of people get confused with Parmigiano Reggiano.

Rustic cut!

'Hello, got any Parm?' he said abruptly. I knew what he wanted immediately. He had been in the store with his wife the week before and she had taken a nice respectable chunk of Reggiano with a small rind from the display. 'Of course' I replied. I know the word 'Parm' is a general term and could mean any number of hard Italian grating cheeses but like I said, I knew what he wanted. I took the gentleman to the Reggiano display. 'Here you go' I said, motioning towards the oddly-shaped, jagged edges of Parmesan mountain. The man picked a piece up and inspected the label. 'No, this is wrong, I'm looking for Parm' he continued, 'this label says some Italian name, Reggy something.' I told the gentleman that I can assure him that Parmigiano Reggiano was the 'long name' for the cheese he was looking for. He looked at me with distrust and over the top of his glasses he said 'I hope you're right because if I go home with the wrong thing then my wife will not be happy!' On telling him that I had seen his wife ask me for the location of the Parmesan display just the other week his shoulders visibly relaxed and he popped the piece straight in his basket!

Parmigiano Reggiano is still made today as it was hundreds of years ago using honest and traditional methods. It is the absolute king of cheeses and it squashes everything in it's path with it's 90lb total wheel weight. Every wheel has it's own unique marking branded onto the cheese and during production and maturation the wheels are inspected EVERY day to ensure consistency. Approximately 550 liters of cow's milk is used in every wheel produced and according to figures there were over 3,300,000 wheels made in 2014!

Freshly sliced with a Parm knife

A cheese as historic as this absolutely has to have protected status of origin and as a result it is only produced in five provinces throughout Italy. As well being the ingredient in many dishes it is fantastic grated over pretty much anything and the rind can be added to soups and stews to increase the flavor! Just this week I cracked open a new wheel to be released upon the world and just started handing out samples to people walking by. I couldn't help myself! A freshly cut wheel of Parmesan is easily worth two in the bush. It literally melts in your mouth. There's no beating it, it's the king of cheese. King of Kings. Even if the name does make husbands worry!

Roquefort Papillon - Ravishingly Pleasing!

Roquefort is one of the world's most well-known and well-loved cheeses. Produced for centuries and matured in the Combalou Cave systems of Southern France it's historic story of discovery is one of chance and coincidence. Way back in time, when Jack was just a lad, it is said that a shepherd sat down to rest in a cave with a bag of rye bread and sheep's cheese. However, it was not food that he had on his mind but instead the pursuit of a stunning shepherdess! In his haste he set off to track her down (and presumably start a family of mini shepherds) but as his mind was all a flutter he forgot to take his food with him. Sources say that only when he realized he was as hungry as a hippo on a hamster's diet did he return to the cave to find that his cheese had all this weird green and blue mold on it. Famished, he demolished the lot at once and was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted bloody fantastic!

Pretty Papillon

Roquefort has protected status of origin, it has been revered by kings and it has seen and survived many wars. In comparison with the Roquefort produced for centuries, Papillon is a toddler of a producer. First made in 1906 it is only just getting it's adult teeth. The are only 7 producers of Roquefort and Papillon is one of the largest.

It is pretty much the best sheep's milk blue cheese that there is. The milk comes from Lacaune Sheep and whatever it is that these ewe's eat, the milk they produce is so rich! The flavor is not for the faint-hearted. It's bold, it's intense, it's salty and it's powerful. In all honesty, it's a little strong for me but I can absolutely appreciate what an incredible cheese it really is! When the outer silver foil is pulled back the inside is like a picture of modern art; a bright white paste, interjected with blue and green mold. As a bonus, this particular one is organic!

If you want a piece of history eat it with rye bread.
If you want it warmed up put it on a burger.
If you wanna get sloshed, eat it with a stout!

Cheese-o-meter rating: 8/10

Fonterra Sharp Cheddar - Your dad's favourite cheese!

A lively customer walked straight for me this week, extremely eager to tell me something. He had a manic look in his otherwise friendly eyes and I waited with trepidation for what was coming next. 'I'm 42 and I never knew' he exclaimed. He waited impatiently, anticipating my reaction. On realizing that he wasn't going to kill me with the block of cheese that he was holding aloft I offered a reply. 'You're 42?' I said. The man was looking positively radiant and not a day over 30. This was not the answer he wanted and he brushed it aside immediately. 'I just never knew' he repeated, a bemused look on his face somewhere between concern and awe. I finally ventured with the response he was waiting for. 'Never knew what?' I said. 'I'm 42 and I never realized that cheddar could actually taste so good. I never believed the hype. I thought that ordinary cheddar, cheap cheddar that I usually buy was worth the price and that there was no difference. I've literally spent my whole life EATING BORING CHEDDAR' he said animatedly.

Cheddar Mountain; the highest peak in New Zealand

The piece of cheese that he was holding above his head like a caveman wielding a prehistoric tool was Fonterra, New Zealand Sharp Cheddar. If you put hundreds of cheddar's in a line, it is pretty good. Not the best, but nowhere near the bottom of the pile either. This gentleman with the secret aging cream was amazed at the price as well as the taste and on comparison he realized he was actually getting more 'better cheddar' per pound than his 'usual cheap cheddar.' Once he had made his point we exchanged pleasantries and off he went on his merry way. I never did find out what cheap cheddar he had been eating all those years!

As a company, Fonterra is pretty big. However, big doesn't necessarily mean bad. They are committed to responsible dairy farming and they have projects in place to promote sustainable farming, preserving wetlands and taking care of cattle. The cheese is made with milk from grass-fed cows. It pretty much melts in your mouth, it's incredibly flavorful and it leaves you thinking 'I'm just going to have to have another piece!'

Cheese-o-meter rating: 7/10

Saint Agur; the rindless, blue wonder!

I've been meaning to write about Saint Agur for some time. It's just one of those cheeses that sometimes seems to be overlooked until it is either sampled or accidentally on purpose thrown into someone's shopping basket when they are looking in the other direction. It doesn't take a genius to work out it's country of origin. It sounds French. It tastes French. In fact I'm sure I saw a wheel just yesterday complete with a tilted beret and baguette.

     Saint Agur is another BLUE and it is pretty damn delicious. It's a double-cream cheese which makes it spreadable and wonderful. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk which comes from a small village called Beauzac in the mountainous region of Auvergne (which is the also the name of another blue cheese). The producers of Saint Agur add vegetarian rennet instead of animal rennet during the cheese-making process so it's even suitable for vegetarians! Everyone's a winner...apart from the vegans...and the lactose intolerant.....okay, so most people are winners!

I cut this the little number today!

     This cheeky blue has no rind so in order to keep it together it is usually wrapped in a very presentable, octagonal foil cover. It is relatively salty and fairly tangy as you would expect from most blues but overall it is definitely more buttery and rich on the palate. Melt it on burgers. Spread it on bread. Eat it with figs or dates. Eat it with caramelized walnuts. Eat it whilst doing a handstand in the shower. It's a treat.
     Lastly there is a great commercial that can be found online for Saint Agur. It features a happy couple simply sitting outside about to start a picnic involving a piece of Saint Agur. The man secretly rings his wife's phone under the table and she runs inside to get it. Whilst she is gone he eats all the Saint Agur and she is left angry and defeated! It's worth a watch! You Tube!


Cheese-o-meter rating: 7.5/10

Valencay - Napoleon's Nemesis!

Today I'm going to France, the cheesiest country in the world. I'm not going physically, only mentally. But if I close my eyes and my imagination is strong enough I can pretty much visualize myself anywhere! France is built on cheese. The Arc de Triomphe is made of cheese. The Seine oozes cheese. It's literally everywhere. So I'm going a little over the top but when I conducted an imaginary survey in my head just now about the country that first springs to mind when someone says the word 'cheese', the answer was always France.
    Valencay is an AOC designated cheese. In French that stands for Appellation D'origine Controlee with a few added accents that I can't seem to add right now. For everyone in the English speaking world that translates to a 'controlled designation of origin.' This means that Valencay, like lots of other cheeses, has to be produced in a certain area in order to be labeled Valencay.
    Valencay has one of the best stories behind the construction of it's unique shape that I have ever heard. The cheese already stands out from a crowd due it's pyramid shaped structural design but unlike the pyramids in Egypt it has the peak removed and instead there is a flat summit. According to historical sources, Napoleon had a role to play in the way the cheese is shaped today. Napoleon was apparently fond of the way this cheese tasted but it's shape irritated him. According to some people, when he suffered a defeat in Cairo he was so angry that the cheese got it in the neck! The innocent pyramid cheese infuriated him so much that he apparently took out his sword and sliced the top off to create the truncated shape!
    This cheese not only has an amazing story it is also fantastic to eat. The outside of the cheese is covered in charcoal ashes which have a definite taste of salt. When it is cut, a bright white interior is found which is chalky, moist and mild. It's an incredibly fresh tasting goat's milk cheese aged at 5 weeks and even though it can be pricey it's worth every penny. It's a slice of history, culture and gastronomy with every mouthful. You can even use a gold-encrusted sword to cut it for guests if you want to be really authentic but it can kind of bump the cost up a little!

Cheese-o-meter rating: 9/10

Maggie's Round - Even Dog's can't Resist it!

I live in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is a state with two faces and a spindly beard named Cape Cod. Eastern Massachusetts is centered around the bustling, widening hub of Boston with it's forever increasing population and insane traffic jams. I live in the east. People say it's beautiful in summer. It's definitely fun. Western Massachusetts is beautiful. The rolling greenery, the state reservations, the tree-filled mountains, the wildlife. In the very top corner of MA you will find Williamstown, the prettiest town you ever did see. I was there in 2012 before I became interested in cheese. What I didn't know at the time was that some of the best cheese you could imagine was being produced just south of the town at a place called 'Cricket Creek Farm.'
   Cricket Creek Farm produces a variety of cheeses amongst other products and the milk that is used for cheese-making is taken from a mixture of Swiss and Jersey cows. Therefore the milk is robust with good amounts of fat and protein. In their own words, handmade cheese has been a priority for the farm since transitioning to grass-based farming in 2001. The cheese of the day today is a raw milk cheese which tries to encapsulate the alpine style of cheeses that come from the Alps in the Italian region of Europe. It is called 'Maggie's Round.' The rind is a hard, mottled structure which almost has the look of some ancient Egyptian design encompassing it. On cutting it open, a bright and smooth looking interior is revealed and the citrus notes almost fly straight up your nose! It tastes amazing. There are no other words for it.
   The story behind the naming of the cheese is also good. On meeting a girl from the farm she informed me that Maggie was a dog who lived on the farm and she was partial to the odd piece of cheese. One day Maggie managed to get hold of a whole wheel of cheese and devoured the whole lot, hence, Maggie's Round!

Cheese-o-meter Rating: 9.5/10

Valdéon - The Boss of the Blues.

If you could spy on Spain from above and zoom in on the grand 'Picos De Europa' you would find lots of cheeses being produced. One of these such cheeses is made by two brothers, Tomas and Javier. The Alonso brothers produce Valdéon. In my opinion (not that it counts for anything!), Valdéon is without a shadow of a doubt on the medal table when I am selecting blue cheese. The climate on the Leon side of the Picos De Europa is milder than that of Picón and the resulting effect on the creation of this cheese is fantastic. Due to the fact the climate is less humid the blue mold is less encompassing and so the flavour is less intense as other blues. This does not compromise flavour at all. Predominantly a cow's milk cheese, it has everything. It's spicy. It has the right amount of salt. It looks great on a cheese board. And until recently it was definitely the most aesthetic blue cheese. Unfortunately the rind is no longer wrapped in sycamore leaves which just takes a notch off its crown. Overall though, it's a taste sensation! For an added bonus it tastes awesome with cider.

Cheese-o-meter rating: 9/10

Petite Breakfast - The Little Brie with Big Qualities

I have swam through a sea of cheeses. The deep blue cheese sea was difficult for my oars but I made it. I weathered the storm, I'm brie-d and battered. The old man who cuts up meat calls me Mr Formaggio. That's a bit rich. As rich as St.Nuage. I know 5% of that which I wish to know. Alas, it's a start.

   The longest continually operating cheese company in America started making Brie and Camembert in 1865. They are called Marin and this year is their 150th anniversary. They make an array of cheeses which are in their own words 'artisan, approachable and authentic' but that which is on display today in my store is 'Petite Breakfast.' This year it is wearing a commemorative label to signify 150 years of cheese making. It wears nothing else. It's a naked Brie. There's no bloomy rind on this bad boy. It's a rindless wonder. And it's sweet. Sweet, fresh and tangy. Much like I imagine California to be. It's simply a circular button of a cheese with a spot of cream added in order to wake you up in the morning and get you ready for the day. No-one who sees it can deny that it is cute but it also tastes bloody fantastic which makes it even better! At my store it storms out of the case at 4oz for $3.99 so not only is it light in the bag but it's light on the wallet too. When I eat it I'm transformed from my dark 5am Boston kitchen to the Northern Californian Petaluma creamery where the cool breezes dart around. I'm probably romanticizing but so what. Eat it!

Cheese-o-meter rating: 8/10

The beginning of the Cheeseotopic era

Cheese. It simply does not matter what angle you view it from; historically, culturally, aesthetically or socially, it really is the best food. The variation in shape, size, colour, texture, taste, ingredients and aging is excellent to behold. As a result of these differentiations, the versatility of cheese has allowed for the concept of cheese making to become an art and a craft rather than a by-product of milk as it was seen for so long. Cheese is crafted in literally hundreds of countries. If one was to start on the west coast of the USA and travel east all the way to New Zealand in pursuit of cheese then the options would be endless. The word cheese obviously encompasses a huge range of products and one persons understanding of what cheese actually is will be the complete antithesis of another. There are cheeses producuced on a mass scale in huge factories that are distributed all over the world, there are cheeses made by the artisan hands of folk that own creameries and farms that are distributed all over the world. At the other end of the spectrum there are specialist cheeses which are unique to one particular farm and are produced on such a small scale that they are only sold to local vendors. To take this further, cheese is produced with milk from cows, sheep, goats, buffalo, reindeer, the milk can be raw, pasteurized, thermalized, cheese can be aged a few days to several years, it can be fresh, soft ripened, fresh aged, soft aged, semi soft, semi hard, hard, flavour added, it can be produced in tiny wheels that are a few ounces and wheels that weigh two hundred pounds, it can be cloth wrapped, cave aged, organic, lactose free, vegetarian etc etc. Despite the fact that the former sentence is terribly structured, the lack of punctuation simply tries to highlight the great variety involved in cheese production and I have only barely scraped the surface. The aim of this blog is not to be a cheese critic, I am hardly qualified enough to make such claims. It is simply an insight into some cheeses I eat! Now I'm off to sell (and eat) some cheese!