This Month's Featured Cheeses - September 2010
Please Note: Although we will make every attempt to ship the products listed, occasionally we may need to substitute them with equally outstanding cheeses. If you strongly desire to receive those listed, please contact us at 800-625-8238 so that we may note your account accordingly.(The product descriptions below are excerpts from our monthly newsletter. Click here to view it in its entirety.)
Try to Remember that Time in September When Life was Slow and Cheeses Mellow!
Our cheeses this month will help you celebrate the changing seasons beautifully. They’re perfect for snacking or picnicking in the last days of summer and into the early fall. The crumbly Lancashire, the rich and buttery Explorateur and the savory, creamy, Bleu d'Auvergne represent a range of both flavors and textures. Serve them with bread and slices of apples and pears to usher in fall—officially September 22.
Lancashire: An English Classic
The county of Lancashire, located in the northwest of England and to the east of the Irish Sea, is a combination of rough and rugged countryside and industrial towns. It was the home of the industrial revolution in England , and, until 1974, when county boundaries were redrawn and the city of Liverpool booted out, it was perhaps most famed as the Beatles' home county. But its real claim to fame is Lancashire cheese which is made in the area located a little north of Cheshire—home and namesake to another of Britain's finest cheeses. Lancashire is traditionally produced using the curd from two or three days' worth of milkings, which contributes great depth to the cheese’s creamy richness . Lancashire is one of the lesser-known cheeses of England, often overshadowed by Cheddar and Cheshire, its more famous counterparts, but those who discover it appreciate its fantastic crumbly texture and buttery taste.
In Great Britain it is the classic "toasting" cheese: crumbled or spread onto bread and heated under the broiler. They place a layer of apple chutney on homemade bread—white or wheat—then crumble some Lancashire on it and set it under the broiler 'til the cheese is bubbling hot and lightly browned. This home-country tradition which became known as "Welsh Rarebit" or "Welsh Rabbit" was considered to be a luscious supper or tavern dish, and it remains a simple and classic way to enjoy Lancashire. Variations include heating ale or milk gently in a pan and then crumbling Lancashire into it. You'll want to go nice and slow, or the cheese will become stringy. When it's all melted together, spread the mixture over toast and broil until golden brown. Experiment with adding your favorite flavors or seasonings, such as chives, mustard, or, if you want to be very English, Worcestershire sauce.
Tasting Notes: Lancashire's combination of a delicate texture and rich, creamy flavor places it in a distinct category of its own. Lancashire, like most British cheeses, is the perfect complement to a good beer or ale. It's equally delicious paired with a Chardonnay or Muscadet. It often appears as a staple part of a "Ploughman's Lunch," a traditional meal served in pubs across Great Britain. Ploughman's Lunch originated as a filling meal of crusty bread and rich cheeses, accompanied by chutney, fruit, and raw vegetables that was carried to the fields by farmers, hence the name.
Explorateur: France's Triple Crème Salute to the U.S.
Who says the French don't love Americans? They created Explorateur— the creamiest and most luxurious of all French cheeses—in honor of our first U.S. satellite, Explorer One. Quite a tribute—and, fittingly, it's out of this world! We can almost promise that this cheese, made in the Isle de France region, will be the most decadent cheese experience you'll ever encounter. Indulge in it with close friends! A full pound of Explorateur will easily serve 12 people. Triple crème cheeses are the creamiest and most luxurious of all French cheeses and this has to be “la crème de la crème,” so to speak. They're made by adding extra cream to the fresh curd used to make soft-ripened cheese, and by law these cheeses must contain at least 75% butterfat. Triple crème cheeses are cured for about three weeks before they develop their very thin, downy rinds. Among the most famous are French Saint André , Explorateur, Brilliat Savarin, and Pierre Robert.
Tasting Notes: When ripe, Explorateur's ivory interior has a delicate aroma, a salty, mushroom-like tang, and a delicate piquant flavor akin to buttery baked hazelnuts. Explorateur is usually served as an appetizer with crusty French bread paired with Champagne or a dry red wine—a chianti or red zinfandel, for instance. In the French tradition, it's often served at the end of a meal as a dessert accompanied by a medley of ripe, fresh fruit.
Bleu d'Auvergne: A Delicious Roquefort Cousin
First appearing in the markets in the middle of the 20th century, Bleu d'Auvergne is relatively new in the world of cheese. The story goes that an Auvergnat farmer sprinkled mold from rye bread on his milk curd and then pierced the curd with a needle. This allowed the air through and the curd developed blue veins. Although this cheese could be mistaken for Roquefort in looks, it has its own distinct flavor. Compared to Roquefort, it's super-intense and crumbly. Bleu d'Auvergne also has a creamier texture and a more subtle, rustic flavor. It’s made using century-old techniques and an uncompromising attention to quality. The result is a blue that's ideal for both snacking and cooking.
What a Cow Eats Really Does Flavor Her Milk
The Auvergne lies in the heart of the Massif Central, a mountain range with a chain of long extinct volcanoes, or "Puy." The Allier is rich farm country with gentle hills and huge forests. The landscape of the Puy-de-Dome and Cantal highlands changes into sweeping glacier valleys, lakes, waterfalls, and a wide plateau. There you will find unspoiled medieval towns and mountain villages. Charming farmhouses rest on the plateaus in the wilds of the Labradors. As you might expect, the people here are warm and friendly. From spring until late autumn, there are country fê tes which are held to celebrate the harvest and the movement of the herds to their mountain pastures. The terrain near Auvergne is craggy and desolate, and actually better suited to raising sheep than cows. Even so, the region manages to produce enough cow's milk to eke out its small annual production of Bleu d'Auvergne. The cheese boasts an abundance of blue veins and a smooth yet intense flavor that blue lovers covet!
This cheese, granted an AOC certification in 1975, tastes of clover, wildflowers, and wild onions. These are the main plants the cows feast on, and what a cow eats really does flavor the milk they produce, as well as the cheese made from that milk. Why are some cheeses designated as AOC? The Appellation d'Origine Controlee, or AOC, applies to wines, eaux-de-vie, dairy, and farmhouse products. It guarantees that a product of quality has been produced within a specified region following established methods of production. The AOC is regulated by laws, the first of which was the Law for the Protection of the Place of Origin of May 6, 1919.
Tasting Notes: As with the other great blues, you can contrast the heady flavor of Bleu d'Auvergne with the sweetness of fresh fruit, and/or a dessert wine. It's great crumbled on a tossed salad or added directly to your freshly-made vinaigrette; i t will mellow the dressing's acidity. Try a small piece on a slice of apple for a beautiful, healthy snack! For a special treat, serve it with Sauterne and toasted nuts or with a full-bodied red wine. The right wine with a superior cheese can be an excellent combination!
