Past Newsletters

Vol 2 No 2

Wake Up Your Senses!!

Gouda is a cow’s-milk cheese from the Netherlands, named after the town of its origin, just south of Amsterdam. Although it’s sold all over the world, only a small amount is really made in or around the village of Gouda. Because the name Gouda is not protected, Gouda cheese may come from any place in or outside Holland. Most of the world is eating Gouda made in large commercial factories, but fortunately there are a very few dairy farms in Holland where this delectable, mouth-watering cheese is still made in the traditional way.

Boerenkaas Gouda is aged 2 years

The cheese we have shipped you today is called Boerenkaas Gouda. Boerenkaas means "farmer’s cheese" and guarantees the cheese is made by hand on a farm in Holland, using very traditional methods. Boerenkaas Gouda is usually aged for about 2 years (compared with factory gouda sold at 3 to 6 months old), and can be found as old as 5 years. The aging makes the interior of the cheese a stunning shade of gold and imparts a more intense caramelized flavor, a little like brown sugar melted with butter. The texture, due to the longer aging, is harder than factory Gouda and can be an interesting alternative to Parmesan.

By the 15th century the Dutch were producing cheese on a very large scale. In 1649, the port of Edam

(also the other famous Dutch cheese originally made in the town of Edam, just north of Amsterdam) alone exported one million pounds of cheese. Although the industry was rapidly progressing, the farmer always made the decision about how much milk was to be allocated to the production of cheese. He milked his cows twice a day and poured the milk left for cheese production into the cheese vat.

The Dutch have been producing cheese since before 400 AD

There are eight steps the milk goes through before it magically transforms into an extraordinary tasting experience called Gouda.

1. In the beginning, the rennet is added to the milk. Rennet is an enzyme from a calves stomach which causes the milk to coagulate.
2. During the second step, the milk curdles.
3. The stirring and cutting stage begins when two or three buckets of hot water are added to the vat. While stirring and cutting, the water literally shrinks the pieces of curd until they become light and rubbery.
4. The fourth step is when the cut curd is carefully transferred to the cheese molds.
5. Next the Gouda is marked with a stamp. Every cheese has one. This government stamp indicates the country of origin "Holland," the fat content in the dry matter, and even a serial number! This system was developed to control and check the quality of the cheese. It is through these stamps that it is possible to trace the life of the cheese.
6. During step six, the cheese is pressed for about six hours to remove any excess moisture.
7. Then the cheese is placed in a brine bath for three days. The saltwater bath enhances the flavor, and helps to preserve the cheese and form a sealed rind.
8. The eighth and final step is the one that gives Gouda it’s unique look. It was once translated to me as "the plastification of cheese," I don’t know if there is such a word... and at first I was quite alarmed by this description. But what they meant was, this is when the cheese is coated with plastic. I wonder what was used before plastic was invented?

As soon as the cheese is lifted out of the bath, it is left to dry on wooden shelves. Once it is dry, the cheese is covered with a porous plastic coating, which protects the rind and prevents mold from forming. The cheese is then left to mature for two years! Its flavor develops when more moisture evaporates and the salt penetrates the cheese. œ

 

Buying Gouda In Holland

In the "olden days," farmers took their cheese to a nearby cheese market once a week. When a prospective customer approached, a fascinating process inherent in their culture, began to unfold.

The buyer would offer the farmer a price. This price was immediately rejected and the buyer left, only to return shortly with a second bid. At this time, the farmer would raise the price and the buyer would walk away again. If he returned a third time, a price was finally agreed upon and the cheese officially weighed.

During the whole bargaining process the buyer would engage in what was known as "Cheese bashing." He would bang the palm of his hand against the cheese supposedly to determine whether the holes in the cheese were the right size. The banging continued until an agreed price was determined. Every slap of the hand punctuated each part of the transaction... either the buyer had increased his offer, or the farmer had decreased the price.

Unfortunately the Twenty First Century has taken all of the fun out of buying Gouda. Today the farmer sets the price and the wholesaler pays it. œ

Gouda is popular as both a table and a dessert cheese. It’s outstanding with fruit and wine. Try a Beaujolais.

 

St. Nectaire hails from the Auvergne region of France

Every time I think of this cheese I think of nectarines, my favorite fruit... St. Nectaire cheese smells to me like a very very ripe nectarine. It has a fruity aroma, rich texture and a sweetness of flavor I’ve not found in any other cheese.

St. Nectaire hails from the Auvergne region of France, which is almost right in the middle of the country. Auvergne, which was once covered with active volcanos, has a demanding climate. In the winter the land is covered with deep snow. And when summer comes, it brings high temperatures. Although this sounds grueling, the weather is not only ideal for wine-making, but also for cheese-making.

In the Auvergne region, cheese-making began in the Roman times!

St. Nectaire is made from the milk of Salers cows, a breed of cow that produce incredibly rich milk due, in part, to the rich and perfumed volcanic pasture lands of the region.

A whole cheese is about 8 inches in diameter and weighs about 4lbs. The rind is pale pink with a covering of pale gray mold. St. Nectaire is in the washed-rind category of cheese, yet is almost the opposite of Limburger cheese which you will also taste in this shipment.

If you are yearning for a creamy, milky cheese, St. Nectaire is the perfect cheese. It goes extremely well with many things including fruits, raw vegetables, olives, bread and salami. One of my favorite combinations is St. Nectaire served on buttered bread along side a steaming bowl of soup, dip the bread and cheese in the soup and enjoy.

St. Nectaire is an AOC cheese. You may have noticed these letters on some European cheese. In Europe traditional food is a serious business and one that governments are committed to protecting. France was the first country to initiate this type of regulation. On May 6, 1919 it passed the first law for the Protection of the Place of Origin (A.O.C.). This law specifically defines the place of origin for a product, including province, region and commune. Italy and Spain have since followed suit.

In Europe traditional foods are serious business

These letters guarantee the food has been made within a specified geographic area using exact, traditional methods, ingredients and techniques. There are hundreds of foods protected by this law, from cheese to meat to wine. In each country the protection is operated through the Department of Agriculture.

In France, AOC stands for Appellation d’Origine Controlee. DOC, Denominazione di Origine is the mark of ITALY. And Spain uses DO - "Controllata" Quesos con Denominacion de Origen.

Not only is it a guarantee for the customer. This law also provides the farmer who chooses to subscribe to the specified methods, a lock on the name and reputation of his product. For example, you could not make a cheese in California, or even southern Italy, and call it Taleggio. You can make a similar style cheese, but you would have to name it something else. In some cases, if you subscribe to the specifications, and then make and sell products that do not meet those specifications, you could be fined and/or imprisoned! œ

During the Middle Ages, St. Nectaire was used as money to calculate the value of bread and farm products

 

Limburger

Don’t judge a book by its cover,
or in this case a cheese by its aroma

Let me be clear from the beginning, this is a STINKY cheese that will differentiates all people... you either can’t live without it, or you can’t live with it! When you opened your box of cheese this month you probably noticed the aroma straight away, so let’s take a look at what causes that smell.

Limburger falls into the category of cheese called "washed-rind," and as the name suggests the cheese is quite literally washed. Once made, the young cheese is washed or "rubbed" by hand with a brine solution (salt and water). The brine solution stops the growth of mold, while promoting the growth of edible bacterium linens. This bacteria, known in short as
b-linens, is where the staggering aroma comes from, and it also creates the sun burnt-orange colored rind.

The rind is edible but it will make the cheese much stronger in flavor. I prefer to eat the cheese without the rind. Limburger is really quite delicate in flavor once you separate it from the rind. This cow’s milk cheese has a butter colored interior with an initial spicy and aromatic flavor... and an intriguing sweet undertone.

A bona fide treasure if you can get beyond the smell!

Limburger originated in the Belgian province of Liège and was first sold at markets in Limbourg. Belgian Trappist Monks where the first to make Limburger. In the nineteenth century cheesemakers in Germany fell in love with Limburger, and are now so enamored 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 Germans, since German immigrants started making the cheese when they emigrated. Although, it must be said, that domestic made Limburger is now a much milder cheese than the original.

Limburgers’ notoriety is such that it turns up in all manner of places. The Invalid's Story by Mark Twain, is about a very bizarre experiment which studied mosquitoes’ responses to Limburger cheese versus socks worn by humans! There are even a couple of websites devoted to how Limburger is either beloved or detested!

 

Easy, Healthy and Delicious!

Gouda Muffins

2 Cups All purpose flour
½ Cup Sugar
1 TBL Baking Powder, 1TSP Salt
½ TSP Baking Soda
1½ Cups Gouda shredded
1 Cup Plain yogurt

¼ Cup Butter, melted
2 Eggs, beaten

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; stir in cheese.

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine yogurt, butter, and eggs. Add all at once to dry ingredients; stir until moistened. Divide batter evenly among 12 large greased muffin cups. Bake in 400F oven 18-20 minutes.

Tips For Cooking With Cheeses

Cheese is delicately flavored and must not be overcooked. The distinctive flavors are easy to destroy. Always use the full quantity of cheese mentioned in a recipe. Strong heat isn't good for cheese... in baking, grilling or pot cooking. The way a cheese is cut depends largely on its shape and size. The most important thing to keep in mind when cutting a cheese is to divide cheese so that everybody has an equal share of the inside and outside. Round cheeses are to be cut in wedges, like a cake. Cheese bought in slices should be cut lengthwise rather than across. Tall truckles are easier to serve if sliced horizontally.

Match Cheese & Spirits

Limburger - Rheingau Kabinett , Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage, and dark malt beers

St Nectaire - Chinon, Bourgueil , Côted du Rhône, and Beaujolais

Gouda - Corbières, Beaujolais, Côte de Beaune, Haut-Médoc, Nebbiolo d'Alba, Valpolicella, Zinfandel, Ruby Port , Rheingau Kabinett, Mosel Spätlese and Dutch beers