American Artisanal Raw-Milk Cheeses

Run Date: April 8, 2009

Title: The Cheese Course

By Stacey Adams-Zier

Not a day goes by that I don’t get asked a question about raw milk cheeses: are they safe to eat; can you buy them in the U.S.; or, are they made in the U.S.? The simple answer is yes, yes, and yes.

Two spectacular raw-milk cheeses

The world’s greatest cheeses have always been made from raw milk. It’s a subject of great debate in this country and as a cheese professional; I feel it’s my responsibility to help diminish some of the confusion concerning the use of raw milk in cheese production. The process of pasteurization (heating milk to 100 degrees F.) kills bacteria: both good and bad types. Good bacteria help turn milk into cheese and are largely responsible for cheese’s aroma and flavor. Bad bacteria rarely survive in a raw milk environment and can actually multiply in a pasteurized one where there are no other bacteria to complete with.

U.S. regulations specify that raw milk cheeses for sale or made in the U.S. must be aged a minimum of sixty days at which time all bacteria will have been killed off. Unfortunately, this leaves out the younger cheeses normally aged between thirty and forty-five days. Typically these are bries, camemberts and other soft-ripened cheeses regardless of milk-type. Many European cheesemakers, especially in France, have revised their recipes to adhere to U.S. regulations and continue to export to the U.S. market. So, for now, if you want to taste a true raw-milk camembert, you’ll still have to buy a plane ticket to Normandy, France.

Nothing compares to the complexity of a freshly-made, properly-aged, raw-milk cheese. All across our nation cows, sheep and goats dot the landscape and our farmstead cheesemakers are fastidious about the purity of the milk they use for their cheeses. Pasteurization may be insurance against potentially harmful milk, yet it also spells loss of flavor and character. If a small farmstead cheesemaker takes care, employing every basic means to ensure milk purity and dairy hygiene, that is the best guarantee of happy animals and healthy milk.

Here are a few worth considering for your spring cheeseboard.

Dancing Cow Farm only makes handmade cheeses from raw cow’s milk, un-cooled, that flows directly from the cows in the milking parlor into the cheese vat. Milk, fresh from the cows, arrives at the vat at the perfect temperature to begin the process of making the cheese. Steve and Karen Getsz make cheese at Dancing Cow Farm seven days a week during the milking season, roughly from March to December. This rigorous and unique method of crafting cheese using milk exclusively from a single milking and never chilling, storing or heat treating the milk helps capture the true flavors of the “Terroir”. Carefully un-molded and hand salted, their cheese is prepared for its affinage in a cave, either on their farm or at the Cellars at Jasper Hill in Vermont. During its time in the cave the cheese is gently turned, brushed or washed until it emerges precisely when its creamy texture and flavor profiles are at their peak.

Bourrée is a washed-rind cheese with an earthy aroma, made from raw cow’s milk from only a single milking. It’s supple paste and rich, creamy texture melts into a beautiful smoky, meaty, lingering finish. Incidentally, the name Bourrée comes from a French peasant dance with rapid foot movements, much like the cows at Dancing Cow Farm when first turned out into lush, green spring pasture. Bourrée is cave aged at the Cellars at Jasper Hill a minimum of eighty days and won a 2008 American Cheese Society award for best in its class. Bourrée pairs well with Riesling, Pinot Gris (Tokay d”Alsace) and Viogner which all bring out the cheese’s nutty notes.

When Helen Feete first began making cheese she had virtually no cheesemaking experience. Now, Virginia’s Meadow Creek Dairy raw-milk cheeses have become the ones people are seeking out. Their devotion to the land and to their eighty Jersey cows is what makes their cheese exceptional. Their cheeses are made within two hours of milking, so the milk is super fresh. And they are a seasonal grazing dairy, milking from March through December, timing peak nutritional needs of the cattle with the peak of grass growth.

Appalachian, Helen’s newest cheese is available from June through April. This square tomme has a supple straw color paste and a rustic white mould rind with glimpses of pink showing through. Taste it in June and it will be mild and buttery with a spicy finish and a hint of mushroom. But a sample in April proves how incredible this cheese can be. Layer up layer of flavor, with a firm, slightly crumbly texture, the paste turns golden brown in color. Pair Appalachian with rich, aromatic, spicy, lush white wines, such as Chardonnay (white Burgundy), Gewurztraminer, Riesling Spatlese and Viognier.

In 1992, Pat Elliott indirectly stumbled into artisan cheesemaking after buying a border collie puppy on impulse at a wine festival. Realizing her pup needed something to occupy his time, she bought a pair of ewes (border collies are traditionally sheepherding dogs) and as time went on, sheep led to milk and milk led to cheese. Today, Pat has over one hundred sheep and a growing pack of border collies.

Everona Piedmont is Pat’s signature raw sheep’s milk cheese. It’s aged for two to six months and has a firm natural-rind encasing a semi-firm, yellowish-gold paste with tiny holes throughout. The rich texture is met with a complexity of flavor with hints of butter, fruit, herbs, and grass all rolled in together with earthy undertones. It’s a cheese that is soul satisfying to eat on a nice spring day with a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of Pinot Noir.

By Line:  Stacey Adams-Zier is the Chef/Owner and Fromager of Tastings Gourmet Market and Artisanal Cheese Center located in Clock Tower Place, Annapolis, Md. She can be reached at 410.263.1324 or by visiting their website at www.TastingsGourmetMarket.com

Mixed Milk Cheeses add Richness and Complexity

First published in The Capital Gazette March 25, 2009

By Stacey Adams-Zier

Almost all of the world’s finest wines are ‘blended wines’, made from the blending of different grapes and different barrels or vats of the same grape. Like wine, some of the world’s finest chocolate is the result of expert blending of cacao beans from different regional plantations. So, in the cheese world, is it any surprise that some of the most complex and utterly divine cheeses come from the blending of milks?

The possibilities are endless as artisans continue to exercise their creativity by mixing milk from goats, sheep, and cows to create creamy, rich and complex cheeses. As much as I love a straightforward Chèvre or brie, it’s the mixed variety that keeps me intrigued and guessing.

In a mixed milk cheese, cow’s milk might be combined with sheep’s milk to create the cheese equivalent of butter. Goat’s milk – with its tangy, aromatic and creamy qualities can be mixed with the sweetness and richness of cow’s milk, bringing together two distinct flavors into one memorable cheese.

Generally speaking, cows’ milk provides most of the mass, flavor and desired acidity level in cheese. Goats’ milk contributes whiteness (cow’s milk gives a yellow hue) and mildly zesty and tart flavor. Sheep’s milk increases flavor, richness and butteriness (mouthfeel); since it is rich in dry matter and fat content. It’s often been said that the more sheep’s milk in the cheese, the better the cheese.

A perfect example is La Tur made by the Italian cheesemakers, Caseificio Dell’Alta Langa – three milks, and two textures, that merge into one cheese’s best approximation of butter with an attitude.

Creamy, dense and intense, La Tur is made from a mixture of pasteurized cow, sheep and goat’s milk and is a study in cheese addiction. When perfectly ripe the thin, edible bloomy rind barely contains the full and moist milk cloud. This rich buttery cupcake is even more delicious (if that is possible!) paired with Prosecco. The richness of the cheese melts away with a sip of the Italian sparkling wine. This pairing would make a wonderful dessert – if you can wait until after dinner to eat it!

Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Hudson Valley Camembert burst onto the scene in New York in 1994 and has been gaining ground ever since. Located in the rolling hills in the upper Hudson River Valley, Tom and Nancy Clark won a prestigious “Best Cheese in America” award in 2001 and first place at the 2008 American Cheese Society Awards. But is this really Camembert? It’s not like any French Camembert we may be familiar with. It isn’t runny and mushroomy as the great French Normandy versions. It’s shaped in a small 4-ounce square and made from pasteurized sheep and cow’s milk. This blend of milks creates an intensely creamy, sweet, and mild flavor – a gentler Camembert. Each piece of cheese is hand-wrapped in special paper and labeled with their distinctive Black Sheep logo. Although I typically pair traditional French Camemberts with classic Burgundy reds, I find Old Chatham best enjoyed with softer white wines like Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.

The mixture of milks gives Ibérico [eey-ber-ic-OH] a modern, Spanish cheese, a truly three dimensional character.

Spanish regulations require that mixed milk cheeses contain not less than 25% and not more than 40% of any one milk type. Produced in Central Spain, Ibérico is made with a blend of: cow’s (a minimum of 50%), goat’s (a minimum of 30%) and sheep’s (a minimum of 10%) milk and the flavor profile has elements of all three. The creamy texture melts in the mouth gradually, releasing a rich, full bodied nuttiness before delivering a fruity tang on the finish. Although it’s made in much the same way as Manchego (even the rinds look similar bearing the marks of the esparto (plaited/braided grass) bands used in the draining process), there is no mistaking the textural difference. Pair Ibérico with Spanish reds and lighter Pinot Noirs.

Gabietou [gah-bee-ay-TOO], produced by Gabriel Bachelet and aged by Hervé Mons outside of Roanne, France, is a relatively new (debuted in 2001) French mixed-milk cheese made in traditional Pyrenees style. The blend of raw cow (two-thirds) and sheep’s milk (one third) gives a unique flavor profile that’s buttery, meaty and somewhat “hoofy” (in a good way.) The 7-pound wheel is washed in a brine made with rock salt from a nearby village famed for its warm, salty springs creating a golden-orange hue with a light coating of white mold. When young, about four to six months, it somewhat resembles a young Gruyere on the inside but as it ages the complex flavors of the raw milks emerge. Given Gabietou’s nutty notes, a Madeira in a sweet or dry style, or an Italian moscato would be a good wine partner.

Never before have we seen so many mixed milk cheeses in every classification, including blues, in the cheese counter. The process is more difficult since the milk from each animal contributes its own chemical characteristic to the formula and like a fine bottle of wine, the success will only be revealed after the cheese has aged.

Next up in The Cheese Course: Raw Milk Cheeses – Dispelling all the myths

By Line:  Stacey Adams-Zier is the Chef/Owner and Fromager of Tastings Gourmet Market and Artisanal Cheese Center located in Clock Tower Place, Annapolis, Md. She can be reached at 410.263.1324 or by visiting their website at www.TastingsGourmetMarket.com

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Chocolate Dipped Glazed Clementines

Michel Richard and Stacey discuss cheese…

Eating Irish – A new shade of Green Cuisine

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

First published in Flavor Magazine March 2009

There isn’t a shamrock’s worth of Irish blood in my family. I’m 100% purebred Polish. But for one day each year, St. Patrick’s Day, my blood runs green and I have the perfect excuse to stock my refrigerator with Guinness.

The Emerald Isle is known the world over for its lush shades of green, congenial citizens, Guinness beer and Irish whiskey, and, never really for its culinary mastery. But, take note that a quiet culinary renaissance is taking place in Ireland.

For too many years, we’ve had the wrong idea about Irish cuisine. “Most people who have never traveled to Ireland think of Irish cooking as bland, boring, dreadful stuff my grandmother used to make,” says Margaret Johnson, a noted authority on Irish cuisine and culinary traditions. “Irish-American food is all about corned beef and cabbage (which isn’t even Irish–don’t get me started on this subject!!), so most Irish-Americans really need to be educated about what the kind of food people in Ireland really eat–fresh, wonderful fish and meat, vegetables to-die-for, and a very sophisticated approach to cooking for the last 20-25 years.”

Blessed with ideal growing conditions, the land is fertile and un-spoiled – so, too, are its ingredients. And, a new breed of inventive chefs are using these time-honored ingredients (high-quality produce, freshly-caught seafood, regional cheeses, free-range beef, lamb and pork) to create meals that will please even the most discerning palates.

This St. Patrick’s Day, try something new and upscale with a nod to the traditional flavors of Ireland. Begin by raising your glass with a slowly poured pint of Guinness, or a perfectly made Irish coffee and let’s get started.

A first course of Smoked Salmon and Crab Roulade with Irish whiskey served with real Irish Brown Soda Bread and Kerrygold butter is anything but bland and boring.

Soda bread is one of Ireland’s greatest culinary legacies. I’ve always made it with caraway seeds and a handful of raisins until recently. According to Noreen Kinney, the pioneer of the New Irish Cuisine Movement, “Strictly speaking, there is no white Irish soda bread. Traditional Irish soda bread is brown, with a course texture and is not made with raisins.” Before the bread is placed in the oven a crosshatch cut is made on the top of the bread to “allow evil spirits to escape” as the bread rises in the oven.

For the main course, Irish stew gets a culinary makeover and is transformed into a savory braised rack of lamb resting on a bed of rich colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage,) a traditional Irish side dish.

Page after page of old Irish cookbooks reveal numerous recipes for the potato, with whimsical names like Champ, Boxty and Colcannon. All are versions of mashed potatoes mixed with either scallions, onions or cabbage. In Ireland, colcannon was traditionally served on Halloween and could very often be chock-full of objects meant to bring fortune to the one who ate it: a gold wedding band, a coin, an old maid’s thimble, and a bachelor’s button – almost no room for the potatoes. One’s fate could be decided by a mouthful of this hearty dish. My version doesn’t include any foreign object but does add a little culinary finesse with dark green kale, leeks, bay leaf and nutmeg.

Don’t forget to save room for dessert. Only on St. Patrick’s Day is it imperative that your dessert contain beer. This Chocolate-Stout Cake with Vanilla Ice-Cream and Baileys will give you an unexpected kick by the addition of warm spices, chocolate undertones and an indefinable depth from the dark, full-bodied stout.

Even if you aren’t a wee bit Irish, you should still celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Do it for some great food and cheer or if for no other reason than all that green reminds us that spring is right around the corner.

SMOKED SALMON AND CRAB ROULADE WITH IRISH WHISKEY ON ARUGULA WITH WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

Serves 4

Roulade

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

1 pound lump blue crab

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

8 slices smoked salmon

Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons toasted walnut oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon white wine or champagne vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad

3 cups arugula, washed and dried

1 avocado, pitted and cut into 8 slices

½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

To make the roulade: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and Irish whiskey. Stir in the crabmeat and caraway seeds. Lay out the salmon slices onto a clean surface and evenly spread the crabmeat mixture on top of each salmon piece. Roll up the salmon and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

To make the vinaigrette: Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve: In a medium bowl, gently toss the arugula with vinaigrette and divide among 4 chilled salad plates. Arrange two salmon roulades and two pieces of avocado on top. Garnish with toasted walnuts and serve with Irish Brown Soda Bread.

IRISH BROWN SODA BREAD

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading and sprinkling

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not steel-cut or quick-cook)

¼ cup toasted wheat germ

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, ¼-inch cubes (preferably Irish Kerrygold)

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly flour a baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add the butter and blend with a pastry blender (or your fingertips) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk (or yogurt) and stir until the dough is just combined. It will be very wet.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute, until slightly less sticky but still soft, sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking to surface. Form the dough in to a ball and press into a 7-inch disc on the floured baking sheet. Sprinkle top lightly with flour and cut an X on the top of the bread with a sharp knife.

Bake the bread until golden, about 30-40 minutes. The bottom of the bread should sound hollow when tapped. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 ½ hours before slicing.

BRAISED LAMB WITH IRISH GREEN COLCANNON AND CARROTS

2 Lamb Shoulder Racks

Salt and pepper, as needed

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, cut into large pieces

3 carrots, peeled, sliced into ½-inch rounds

2 bottles Guinness Stout

1-5oz container of Veal Demi Glace

Water

Irish Green Colcannon (see recipe)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Season the racks with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven large enough to hold both racks, add the oil and heat to medium-high heat.

Quickly brown the racks on all sides being careful not to burn. Remove racks and reserve on a plate. Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook until softened. Place the racks back in the pot and add the Guinness, the Demi Glace and enough water to cover up to ¾ of the way up the meat. Bring liquid to a high simmer, cover and place in the oven for 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Check after 30 minutes to be sure the liquid is not boiling, reduce heat if necessary. Remove the racks from the oven and let rest.

To serve, place a mound of colcannon in the center of each plate. Cut each rack in half and place on top of the colcannon. Arrange the carrots and onions around the plate and spoon some of the juices around the dish.

 

GREEN IRISH COLCANNON

4 servings

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, unpeeled and quartered

2 14.5-oz cans low-sodium chicken broth, plus cold water as needed

1 pound kale or dark green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

¼ cup water

1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed

1 cup light cream, plus more if needed

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Add the potatoes to a large saucepan and pour in the chicken stock. Add enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

In a second saucepan, combine the kale and water. Cover, bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry in paper towels, and finely chop. Reserve.

In a third saucepan, combine the leeks, cream, garlic and bay leaf. Cover and simmer until leeks are tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Drain leeks, reserving cream and garlic, and discarding bay leaf. Add cream and garlic to potatoes and mash together. Stir in leeks, kale, nutmeg, salt, pepper and butter. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.

Top with a pat of butter and serve.

CHOCOLATE-STOUT CAKE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM AND BAILEYS    

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup Guinness stout

1 cup dark molasses

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

3 extra-large eggs

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, soft (for preparing Bundt pan)

Vanilla Ice Cream

Bailey Irish Cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the first six ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Whisk together the stout and molasses into a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda. It will foam up a bit.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugars. Add the oil and the beer mixture and mix until just blended. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into a buttered Bundt pan and bake until set and an inserted skewer comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with a damp towel and let cool.

Invert the cake onto a large platter and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with Baileys, if desired.

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Choptank Oysters with Champagne Mignonette Granité

An Irish Cheeseboard

First Published Flavor Magazine – March, 2009

By Stacey Adams-Zier

Ireland’s mild climate and lush emerald pastures seemed to have everything to keep a cow content. But cheesemaking, once one of the many areas of Gaelic traditions, all but disappeared in Ireland.

Fortunately, a steady revival began around 1970 and with honing their craft, Irish farmstead cheesemakers are producing some of the most interesting cheeses I’ve seen or tasted.

They have a richness and quality like French cheeses but there are also many that resemble Dutch or Italian styles. Unlike most of Europe, where each cheesemaking region is entirely different in terms of terrain, Ireland is a dairy wonderland of steady climate, temperature, elevation and pastureland. The damp sea mists of the South West Ireland have also proven to be ideal for ripening washed-rind cheeses.

This St. Patrick’s Day why not share in the revival and celebrate with cheeses from the Emerald Isle. Here are some of my recommendations to try for an Irish cheeseboard:

Winner of the Best Irish Cheese at the British Cheese Awards in 2007, Coolea (KOO-lee) is made in the Gouda-style from unpasteurized cow’s milk by Dick and Sinead Willems, Dutch restaurateurs who immigrated to Ireland. Coolea has a semi-firm to firm paste with a mild and creamy flavor when young; when aged for up to 12 months it is nutty, piquant with a lingering hint of butterscotch. Pair Coolea with softer, fruitier reds and whites such as Albarino, California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel or Australian Shiraz.

Durrus is an artisan Irish cheese that has been made by Jeffa Gill since 1979 on the Sheep’s Head peninsula, in the far south-west of Ireland. Made with raw cow’s milk, it has a washed rind giving it a complex yet subtle creaminess that are so characteristic of washed-rind cheeses. According to the Irish Bridgestone Food Guide, a must-have companion if traveling to Ireland, Durrus is “one of the world’s greatest raw-milk cheeses.” Similar to France’s Reblochon and reminiscent of Tomme de Savoie, its flavor is milky, sweet, fruity, and with enough hints of grass to remind us of the lush pastures of Ireland. Durrus is a versatile partner for many wines but the best matches are whites with residual sugars to balance the saltiness in the cheese but can also blend well with some reds. Choose a German Gewurztraminer, German Riesling of Chenin Blanc, Cab-Merlot blends, Barolo and Beaujolais.

Dubliner was first described to me as a mixture between Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano. This description is quite accurate. It tastes of mature Cheddar-fruity, sharp and nutty with the sweet aftertaste,crunch and enormous flavor of Reggiano. Created by the Irish company Kerrygold and named after Ireland’s capital city, this cheese may share traits with several well-known cheeses but the combination creates a flavor that is completely unique. Pairing Dubliner is easy with chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Pinot Noir or Syrah.

Mary Burns and her late husband Eugene were one of the first revivalists of cheesemaking in Ireland. They began making Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese in Kanturk, County Cork, Ireland, back in 1983. Made from pasteurized cow’s milk, Ardrahan is full-flavored but not too strong washed-rind, semi-soft Irish cheese whose flavor is attributable to the great terroir of the Emerald Isle. A lovely balance of flavors is soul satisfying with savory, mushroomy notes with a hint of honey at the finish. One morsel coats the tongue with smooth, creamy richness. Ardrahan is one of those wine-lover’s cheeses that pair so well with so many grapes so the choice is yours.

Gubbeen is produced by fifth generation farmer Tom Ferguson and his wife Giana in County Cork, Gubbeen. “Our land and the food we produce are connected,” Tom says of his artisanal cheese that he’s been making since 1979. Gubbeen is derived from the Gaelic term ” gobin” which means “small mouth” and refers to the incredibly beautiful bay near the town of Schull where the farm is located. Gubbeen tastes intensely nutty like a Gruyère with meaty and smoky undertones but its paste is much softer. Aged for about two months, the rind is washed in brine giving it a pretty orangish-beige color. Gubbeen pairs well with spicier or floral white wines such as Alsatian Riesling but I prefer to eat it with Irish Brown Soda Bread and Guinness Stout.

Cashel Blue Cheese is easily recognized as Ireland’s original artisan blue cheese. Developed in 1984 by Jane and Louis Grubb on their farm in Tipperary, Ireland, it’s made entirely by hand from whole unpasteurized cow’s milk. Cashel Blue is my “go to” blue cheese whenever I need a mellow blue for a “new” cheese taster or after-dinner course. Think of a rich, salted butter with a slight tang and that’s Cashel Blue. Moist, creamy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, it’s similar to a young Gorgonzola or Blue d’Auvergne, only better. Although Cashel Blue can be paired with certain Chardonnays or Pinot Noirs, I prefer a sweeter expression of a late-harvest Chardonnay, Madiera or Tawny Port.

By Line:  Stacey Adams-Zier is the Owner and Fromager of Tastings Gourmet Market and Artisanal Cheese Center located in Clock Tower Place, Annapolis, Md. She can be reached at 410.263.1324 www.TastingsGourmetMarket.com

 

Welcome in Spring with Cheese

Fresh Fromage Blanc

First published March 11, 2009 HometownAnnapolis.com

By Stacey Adams-Zier

I’m often overheard rhapsodizing about my favorite cheeses and how each one is like a little time-machine allowing me to peek inside the life of a cheesemaker to learn about his or her passion, history and culture. Cheese is a near perfect food made up of the same simple ingredients and yet there are so many different styles, flavors, and textures. Just when I think I’ve learned it all, another new cheese appears and makes me believe that cheesemakers are true artisans in every sense of the word. I suppose, then, it shouldn’t have thrown me the other day when I was asked, “Have you ever made cheese?”

Fortunately, I have. But, not anything that compares to the extraordinary cheeses I write about. Every Spring I make my own fresh cheese or Fromage blanc (the French name makes me sound like a real cheesemaker.)

Spring feels like such a release at the end of winter: warm breeze, the rich smell of everything growing, sunshine and light evenings. The sun is higher in the sky, it’s warm in the sun, and everything is moving into a crazy growing overdrive. Every bird has a twig in its beak for a nest or food for the ever hungry chicks.

Springtime is significant in the cheese world, too. Springtime milk is very different from summer milk which is very different from fall milk and the cheeses are too. It’s a time when the milk, from cows, goats and sheep, has the highest percentage of fat and protein and hints of meadow flowers and grasses pervade the flavors and aromas of freshly made cheese. Fresh Spring cheese is tangy and refreshing and just makes my tongue happy.

Mary Quicke, cheesemaker at Quickes Traditional in the UK, which makes award-winning cheddars, best describes the excitement of Spring at her farm: “As last the gate is opened, the way to the fields clear, and that funniest sight of the farming year, as staid old ladies, boss cows with all their dignity, weary just-calved young heifers, the whole herd take the first steps down the track, start to trot, then finally hit the field at a full gallop, leaping, kicking, butting each other for the joy of freedom and the fresh grass.”

In Italy, especially in southern Italy, springtime means fresh ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheesecake, ricotta-filled pasta, ricotta cakes and ricotta puddings appear on the Easter table south of Rome as predictably as asparagus and roast spring lamb. There’s a reason for that. Artisanal ricotta production in the Old World remains seasonal and linked to spring when the milk is rich and decadent.

 

Fromage blanc (literally white cheese) is a cross between cream cheese and fresh whole-milk ricotta but with a much cleaner and fresher taste. It’s so delicious and simple to make. If you’d like to welcome Spring in a traditional way, make some fresh homemade cheese and who knows, maybe you’ll discover the cheesemaker in you.

Fresh Homemade Cheese or Fromage Blanc

1 quart whole milk

1 cup buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

Slowly heat the whole milk in a heavy-bottom saucepan to 175 degrees. Stir the milk often to prevent a skin from forming and when you begin to see steam rise and tiny bubbles form you are almost there. Stir in the buttermilk and lemon juice and remove from heat.

In just a few seconds – like magic – it separates into curds and whey. The whey is the liquid and the curds are the solids. Let this sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

While the curds are forming, line a colander with a large two-ply square of cheesecloth and place it in a large bowl. Pour boiling water through the cheesecloth to dampen and sterilize it. Discard the water.

After the 10 minutes, ladle the curds into the cheesecloth and let the whey drain through the bottom. Pick up the edges of the cheesecloth forming a little bundle of cheese and tie the top with kitchen twine.

Now, tie the bundle around a wooden spoon and hang it over a tall pot and let it sit for 30 minutes. As the whey continues to drain what you are left with is a beautiful ball of fresh homemade cheese or fromage blanc. Discard the whey.

Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and place in a mixing bowl. Mix in the salt with a wooden spoon, breaking up some of the curds. Pack the cheese into a ramekin or other small crock and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the cheese into the refrigerator and let it sit overnight to develop in flavor and texture.

Enjoy it mixed with Herbes de Provence, sprinkled with fleur de sel, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and slathered on hearty bread; or at breakfast, with a touch of honey or preserves; or with chiffonade of basil tossed into pasta for a quick supper.

In addition to fromage blanc, a few standouts always make my cheeseboard in the springtime:

Picandine is a petite, fresh goat’s milk cheese with a faint aroma and light lemony flavor produced in the Dordogne region of southwest France. It has a thin, delicate rind with a smooth, soft texture similar to that of natural cream cheese and packaged in a small wooden box. Like most fresh goat cheeses, pair Picandine with Sancerre wines.

Now is the time that a young Pecorino is highly desirable such as Marzolino, referring to the month of March, when so many Italian regional sheep’s cheeses are in their infancy, having just been made from Spring’s rich issue of ewe’s milk . Marzolino can be served solo like the French chèvres, but I enjoy it sliced with coarsely cracked black pepper and drizzled with a well-chosen extra virgin olive oil.

By Line:  Stacey Adams-Zier is the Chef/Owner and Fromager of Tastings Gourmet Market and Artisanal Cheese Center located in Clock Tower Place, Annapolis, Md. She can be reached at 410.263.1324 or by visiting their website at www.TastingsGourmetMarket.com

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Fresh Artichokes in Venice, Italy

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La Maison du Truffe - Paris, 1/2009