Past Newsletters - Feb 2009

THREE GOURMET CHEESES: FOR VALENTINE’S DAY—AND EVERY DAY!

Farmhouse Cheshire – An English Treasure

Your first selection this month is an artisanal Farmhouse Cheshire hailing from the county of Cheshire. True Farmhouse Cheshire is difficult to find. There are only a few dairies in Britain that produce it. Consequently, the bulk of it is bought up by the locals and very little ends up being exported. The rare variety you’re receiving this month is aged from three to nine months, which gives it a rich, full-bodied, fresh flavor. Note its firm, silky texture. It may be slightly crumbly. Unlike Farmhouse Cheshire, all other Cheshire cheeses are young—typically they’re aged about eight weeks.

Farmhouse Cheshire is one of England's oldest cheeses. It’s thought to predate Roman times. When England was a province of Rome, the city of Cheshire was widely known for its fine cheeses. So remarkable were these cheeses that the Romans built a wall around the town to protect them. A bit drastic perhaps, but building a wall around your refrigerator might be something to consider if family members start storming your supply!

A Favorite of William the Conqueror

Cheshire cheese has a rich history. It was renowned during the Medieval Ages, and Norman women who made Cheshire cheese were mentioned in the Doomsday Book, 1086 A.D. It is said to be a favorite of William the Conqueror. Five hundred years after William the Conqueror, the sixteenth century historian John Speed declared that Cheshire was the very best cheese in all of Europe. Cheshire is a cheese that has maintained its prominence for a millennium. Now that's a cheese with some serious history!

The county of Cheshire was originally made famous for its sheep's milk cheeses, but Cheshire cheese has always been made from cow's milk, as are most of the cheeses made in northern England. This area of the country is fortunate to be naturally irrigated by the River Dee, and the minerals it has deposited for centuries are critical to the dynamics leading to Cheshire's distinct flavor. Cheshire cheese has a slightly salty flavor, owing to the characteristics of the area's soil, which has a high concentration of underlying bedrock salt. The salt and minerals make their way into the cheese via the grass eaten by the cherished cows which graze the region.

In order to meet the standards that define Cheshire cheese, a cheese must be made solely from milk derived from pastures in the county of Cheshire, and it must be created there as well. Use of a very specific cheesemaking process is also required, and the aging of this cheese is also carefully regulated. Cheshire cheese comes in three varieties: White (which is actually pale yellow), Red (cantaloupe or apricot colored), and Blue. The Red Cheshire is organically dyed with annatto, a flavorless coloring agent derived from the pulp of Annatto trees grown in the tropics. It actually tastes the same as the White variety; but, since most English cheeses are similarly colored, it really steals the show at the cheese shop! Blue Cheshire boasts a beautiful golden interior veined with blue. It is just as rich as Stilton, but milder in flavor.

Tasting Notes: Describing the flavor of this cheese is a bit challenging. Its uniqueness makes it easier to contrast its flavors with other similar varieties; it is neither nutty like Comte, nor fruity like Mahon, nor sharp like Cheddar. It is slightly salty with a mild, rustic, tangy flavor. A popular table cheese, the Cheshire we've selected for you has a modest 48% fat content. Fruits like grapes and pear and apple slices make excellent pairings. Cheshire is a great addition to any cheese tray. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before enjoying.

Italy’s Rustico Red Pepper Cheese

In “cheese years,” Rustico Red Pepper is relatively new. It’s a flavor variation of a basic Italian cheese that’s made simply and made well. There has always been a tradition of adding spices and other ingredients to fresh cheeses and this one—adding red pepper to a Cacio de Roma—came about in the late 1890’s. Cacio de Roma, a creamy, young pecorino cheese, is made from 100% sheep’s milk in the countryside outside of Rome. Typically these semi-soft classic table cheeses are aged on wood in cellars about one month. It’s softer than muenster and holds its shape better than mozzarella does. Rustico Red Pepper is made from the same base—in other words, it’s the same cheese—with the addition of crushed red pepper. Italians like their red pepper with their pasta, and apparently a farmer got creative and discovered they like it with their cheese, too! Once the cheese obtains its form and some texture, it is bathed in sea salt for twenty-four hours prior to aging.

Tasting Notes: When you taste this selection, you’ll note that the red pepper enhances the cheese without overwhelming it. There are numerous ways to enjoy it. Rustico melts quite nicely and lends itself to polentas, pizzas, and panini. Most non-Italians would find it such an unusual, interesting cheese that you may want to feature it on a cheeseboard. If you’re having a party, consider cubing it and setting it out with toothpicks.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover—or a Cheese by its Aroma

Concerned family members may wonder what pungent—and to the uninitiated perhaps unpleasant—aroma has taken residence in your kitchen this month. It's the unmistakably potent scent that many cheese aficionados know and love because it virtually shouts “Limburger.” When you opened your box of cheese this month you probably noticed the aroma right away.

We won't try to dress it up—this is a STINKY CHEESE and one that often polarizes people. Truth be told, this is a cheese that folks either love or love to hate! Limburger is what is known as a "washed-rind" cheese, meaning that it is quite literally washed by hand. The young cheese is constantly washed or "rubbed" with a brine solution that stops the growth of mold while simultaneously promoting the growth of edible bacterium linens. This bacterium, known in short as “b-linens,” is where the astounding aroma comes from. It also creates the burnt-orange-colored rind.

Limburger originated in the Belgian province of Liège and was first sold at markets in Limbourg; hence the name. If you've ever had an authentic Trappist Ale from Belgium (and if you have belonged to our beer of the month club for any length of time, you probably have) you will know it’s a rather strong beer indeed. It seems that the Trappist Monks also liked their cheeses strong in flavor, for they were the first to make this exceptional cheese. In the 1800s cheesemakers in Germany fell in love with Limburger. These days they are so captivated with it that most Germans—and even some Belgians—believe Limburger to be a German cheese. In the United States, Limburger also owes its popularity to the German-Americans who started making the cheese when they immigrated.

But, please, don't be put off by the aroma, or the fact that you normally don't enjoy Limburger. As is often the case in the States, folks who have predetermined what kind of cheese they enjoy (and those they do not) have come to such conclusions based on having tasted locally available, grocery-bought, factory cheeses. Our gourmet international cheeses are acquired via painstaking searching. They are selected because they represent the finest that their style has to offer—made with traditional methods and the finest ingredients. Fortunately, most club members join not just for the cheeses but for the adventure. Enjoy!

Tasting Notes: Once you remove Limburger from the rind— the source of its potent power— this cheese is actually quite delicate in flavor. (The rind is edible, by the way, but it will make the flavor of your Limburger much stronger; so Limburger with the rind is not for the feint of heart.) The smooth, sticky, washed rind is reddish-brown with corrugated ridges. The yellow interior hints at sweetness, but the taste is predominantly spicy and aromatic. The intriguing sweet undertone of this cheese is a bona fide treasure when you get beyond the smell. Good accompaniments are fish cooked with onions and butter; or crackers, fruits, and vegetables. Serve it with plenty of German, or German-style, beer.

Speaking of beer...

Are you looking for world-class beers? Want to learn more about the many styles of beer, and with what foods (cheeses included) to enjoy them? Are you looking for a great thank-you gift for your thoughtful boyfriend who sent you a cheese club subscription? We've got you covered. Just visit our website at www.monthlyclubs.com for more information on our three unique beer clubs. Treat yourself or someone else!

Culture Corner
Cheese	Pronunciation	Recommended Wine/Beer
Cheshire	CHESH-ur	Light, fruity white wines such as a riesling.
Rustico	ROO-stee-ko	Chianti or other light red wine.
Limburger	LIM-ber-guhr	Beer. Try it with a good Schwarzbier, (we like Einbeck), or a German dunkel (dark) lager.