Rogue Creamery’s Echo Mountain Blue
August 26, 2011
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Raw Milk Cheese
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I’m sitting in my small, cramped home bunker working my paws off… and attempting to wrangle The Man… while The Lady is off cavorting this week with the Cheese Swells at Rogue Creamery. As I have said before… and often… there is something seriously wrong with the division of labor around here… but I digress.
First and foremost, The Lady will be sharing her Rogue adventure when she returns. She was invited by DPI to join a group of Fred Meyer cheesemongers who won a trip to make cheese at Rogue Creamery. The six winners were chosen based on increased sales of Rogue cheeses at their respective kiosks or based on their skillful merchandising of the Creamery’s cheeses.
Here’s a shout out to the winners: Mary, Shannon, Amber, Karen, Erin (whom, according to The Lady, drives like a maniac) and Terri. Congratulations on your success!!!
After making cheese yesterday the group was treated to a Rogue Cheese Plate that included two cheeses we have previously reviewed: Oregon Blue and Tou Velle. Also on the plate were two cheeses, we have not reviewed. One is Echo Mountain. The other will be reviewed in the next couple of days once I have The Lady back in the manse… where she will pay… heavily… for leaving me home… again…
Echo Mountain is a blended milk cheese made from goat and cow milk from two Sustainable Dairies that The Lady visited while at Rogue… do the indignities never end… here I sit reporting… but I’m not bitter… who am I kidding, of course I’m bitter…
The Lady met the goats who contribute the milk for Echo Mountain and evidently one of them got a bit friendly… and then she met the cows that contribute the milk for this cheese.
The Too-Friendly Goat
There will be more on the Sustainable Farming programs that the dairy farmers and Rogue Creamery practice but for now all I’m saying is… Wow!!! Are you going to be impressed…
As time goes by and more cheeses are tasted, The Lady and I become bigger fans of goat milk cheeses and we’ve found another winner.
Echo Mountain is creamy and rich with beautiful blue veining throughout the paste. The blending of cow and goat brings a little earthiness and a goat tang. At the same time it’s subtle and complex. It melts on the palate and leaves a unique, lingering finish.
The Lady, through the power of telepathy, has asked me to give Echo Mountain 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). Let me add, she sure as heck had better bring a wedge of this cheese home to moi, your not-so-humble, feline foodie.
Serving Suggestions: On a cheese plate, this cheese is a great way to finish. Thanks to Burgerville, we learned here in the Pacific Northwest, that this cheese is perfect on a burger. In chatting with David Gremmels, The Lady learned that Burgerville contributed a portion of the profits from the sales of the Echo Mountain Burgers to the American Cheese Society Educational Fund – thank you Burgerville!!! Read the Burgerville Press Release by clicking here.
Wine Pairing: 2005 Madrone Mountain Mundo Novo Dessert Wine. She had this divine Port-style wine while her group enjoyed dinner at the home of David and Cary, the owners of Rogue Creamery… yep, you know what I’m thinking…
Beer Pairing: Rogue Ale’s Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout
Source: Sustainable Cow and Goat Milks
Please “Like” Rogue Creamery on Facebook and “Follow” them on Twitter.
Stay Tuned: All weekend, The Lady and I will be reporting on her trip to Rogue Creamery… she asked me to send out a huge thank you to everyone at the creamery for an unforgettable cheese memory…
Rogue Creamery Judged Best Cheese in North America Again
August 13, 2011
At the 27th Annual American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging and Competition in Montreal, Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue was crowned Best in Show, beating out 1675 other entries. The ACS is the largest cheese competition in North America and often is referred to as the “Academy Awards of Cheese.”
This is the second time in three years that Rogue Creamery and its signature blue cheese, Rogue River Blue, have won this prestigious award. The creamery is owned by Cary Bryant and David Gremmels and in Central Point, Oregon.
“We are honored by this recognition of Rogue River Blue, an American blue that represents the flavors of our region,” says Co–owner and Cheesemaker Bryant. “We enter the ACS Competition and Judging annually for the score sheets. Both technical and aesthetic cheese judges from around the world take part in this competition and provide invaluable feedback on the cheeses they score. The Best of Show for us not only celebrates Rogue River Blue as the finest cheese in North America, but it showcases our teams’ dedication to quality from the dairy, to the make room, aging caves and packaging.”
Co-owner and Cheesemaker Gremmels adds, “It takes a lot of hard work, planning and passion to make Rogue River the most distinctive blue cheese in the world. The recognition from ACS affirms this effort put forth to achieve the distinguishing flavor character, texture and quality inherent in a raw milk cheese.”
Rogue River Blue is handmade using autumnal equinox milk from Brown Swiss and Holstein cows’ milk, certified sustainable by Food Alliance. The cows graze in 1,650-foot elevation pastures along the Rogue River and in 5,000-foot elevation pastures along the Klamath River, where they eat a variety of grasses, wild herbs, and wild flowers supplemented with grass hay, alfalfa and grain grown on the ranch. The 5-pound (2.2-kg) wheels are made by hand and aged in specially constructed caves. The cheese ripens from naturally occurring molds found in the Rogue River Valley and, therefore, reflects a deep connection to the land. After maturation, the cheese is wrapped in Syrah grape leaves from Carpenter Hill Vineyard, which have been macerated in Clear Creek Pear Brandy and tied to the wheel with raffia. The cheese is released annually starting in September.
This year the ship date is scheduled for on or about September 13th. It should be in your favorite specialty cheese shop by the end of the month.
Rogue River Blue was honored as World’s Best Blue at the 16th World Cheese Awards in London, beating out entries from all over the world. That was the first time that an American blue cheese has won the title. The creamery also made history in 2007 by becoming the first American exporter of raw milk cheese to the European Union; its cheese is carried in Whole Foods Market, Neal’s Yard Dairy, London and Fromagerie Laurent Dubois, Paris.
Rogue Creamery was founded in 1928. The Vella family from Sonoma, Calif., acquired it from a co-op in Southern Oregon in 1935. In the 1950s, it began making some of the country’s best blue cheese. In 2002, Ig Vella selected Cary Bryant and David Gremmels as the new owners, and it now produces a variety of award-winning cheeses. It offers the only vertically integrated third-party certified sustainable cheese in the U.S. Its local dairy, Rogue View, and creamery, Rogue Creamery, both are certified sustainable by Food Alliance and Steritech, and certified organic by Oregon Tilth.
In the Pacific Northwest, you can buy Rogue River Blue in late September at select Fred Meyer Stores. Year round, you can find other Award-Winning Rogue Creamery Cheeses at most Fred Meyer Stores. For a location near you, please click here.
Rogue River Blue will also be available at Murray’s Cheese in Manhattan and Murray’s Cheese Shops in select Kroger Stores nationwide. For a list of Murray’s Cheese Shops in Kroger Stores, please click here.
Source: Rogue Creamery
Full FTC Disclosure: The Lady has been invited to “make” (remember… this means hang around in the make room and do things that won’t ruin the cheese…) cheese at Rogue Creamery August 24-26… so… Rogue Creamery has a special place in her heart…
Bayley Hazen Blue
July 3, 2011
Made Using Raw Milk
Let’s face it; the good folks of Vermont, for the most part, travel to the beat of a different drum. Despite their unbridled sense of independence, Vermont citizens also possess a great responsibility to each other and the land they call “The Kingdom of Vermont”. .. This attitude has also spilled over to my fellow observers who watch over that Quadrant in the NE United States and SE Canada. The Brain constantly finds himself spending precious time whipping those pesky, independently-thinking felines into line… not unlike herding cats… but I digress…
In the mid-1990s, Andy and Mateo Kehler, just out of college, headed to Vermont, land of many pleasant summer childhood memories spent at their grandparents’ home, with just one dream… to grow hops and make beer. What newly-graduated college guys don’t dream of making beer? In my younger days, I dreamt of my own endless fields of catnip, organically grown using sustainable farming practices… ah the good ole days…
The Brothers Kehler bought two hundred acres of farmland near Greensboro, Vermont and began studying the practicality of making beer. It just wasn’t there. Then came tofu; again it was a no go. They looked around and bam!! The light went on; they were in the middle of Dairyland. So… what do you do in the middle of Dairyland? You buy cows and become dairy farmers. Luckily for cheese lovers everywhere, that’s just what they did.
In 1998, Jasper Hills Farm was born and the brothers began to educate themselves on sustainable farming. Mateo, who had a degree in economic development, spent three years working with farmstead cheesemakers in the U.S., England, France and Spain. One of those years was spent working at Neal’s Yard Dairy in England. He also began to develop recipes for making cheeses appropriate for their dairy in the Northeast corner of the Kingdom of Vermont.
Andy has a degree in poli sci and philosophy… philosophy, now I finally know how you use a degree in philosophy… you make cheese… did I say that out loud??? (Andy, no disrespect… please forgive my free association… J) In 1993, Andy worked on a sustainable agriculture project in Chile, which included dairy operations. He is a building inspector and contractor which provided him with the knowledge and skills to design and build a state of the art dairy facility. And that’s exactly what he has done.
In 2002, the brothers bought a herd of 15 Ayrshire heifers and began their adventure making some great cheeses. And then another dream became reality… The Cellars at Jasper Hills… state of the art aging caves where the brothers take the young cheeses of their fellow cheesemakers, age them and prepare them for the consumer.
The Lady and I greatly admire the accomplishments of these two brothers who truly care for the land, the animals and also for other dairy farmers.
The brothers make two cheeses and one is Bayley Hazen Blue. This natural rind blue cheese, made from whole raw Ayrshire milk, primarily uses morning milk with less fat.
The Lady, The Man and I love this cheese. Because it is made with raw milk, the tastes of grass and hints of nuts are stronger than the blue mold making a well-balanced cheese. You get the best of both worlds; raw milk delight and kick from the blue. This cheese is a little drier than many blues and crumbles well. Your next cheese plate should finish with Bayley Hazen Blue.
I give Bayley Hazen Blue 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). 
Serving Suggestions: Even though it crumbles well, I would be reluctant to “waste” this wonderful cheese on a salad… of course, that being said, you’d be talking a superior salad. The Lady served it naked with a warm baguette. The Man swooned and while he was swooning I pawed off an extra serving for myself. The Lady noticed the paw marks but thankfully she was still feeling guilt at leaving me home while she was gallivanting in New York… so she merely smiled… You might drizzle a little honey on this cheese and serve with hazelnuts.
Wine Pairing: Tawny Port or a sweet, chilled dessert wine.
Beer Pairing: A chocolate stout would pair well with Bayley Hazen Blue.
Awards: 2007 ACS 2nd Place in the Open Farmstead Category.
Trivia: Bayley Hazen is an old military road that traverses Northern Vermont. Our first U.S. President, still a General, commissioned the road to carry troops to fight the British on the Canadian front, should one open up. No battle ever took place, but the road carried the first settlers into the Greensboro, Vermont area. The road is still used today.
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Padam, Padam
Songs of passion. . .French cabaret music, klezmer, tangos, Latin and original music.
Updated June 12, 2011
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Padam, Padam at the Cheese Kiosk
The Lady was there; I wish I had been there… it was a perfect day at the cheese kiosk. The Lady thanks Padam, Padam for performing and making a special day even more special!!!
How cool!! Portland’s own musical group, Padam, Padam, will perform a mini-concert from 2pm-3pm tomorrow, June 11th at Fred Meyer’s Hawthorne Store, the only Leed’s Certified Silver Grocery Store in Oregon. It’s all part of the specialty cheese kiosk’s “Locavore/Local” theme as the cheesemongers salute more than two dozen cheeses from local cheesemakers in Oregon and Washington State. They also are featuring other local fare that pairs well with the local cheeses, including Beer, Wine, Tea, Jams and Mustards.
There will be cheese samples as well… stop in and hear some great music and take home some local cheese.
Local cheesemakers include: Tillamook, Willamette Valley Cheese Company, Tumalo Farms, Appel Farms, Rogue Creamery and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.
The Lady will be there and if I can sneak in (another “No Pets Allowed” food joint… what’s up with that???), so will I, your not-so-humble Feline Foodie!!!
Rosenborg Blue Becomes Castello Blue
May 20, 2011
Castello Blue Cheese launches its new name and label in stores this month.
Shoppers are invited to celebrate the official name change from Rosenborg to Castello by entering to win one of five brand-new iPad 2s or one of 10 sets of Orrefors crystal glassware with a signature blue drop. The promotion launched in stores on May 1, and the sweepstakes will be open for online entry through the end of June.
The imported blue cheese and winner of 33 worldwide awards for taste and quality is transitioning its name to Castello. New packaging for the Rosenborg line of blue cheeses, including the Traditional Danish Blue and Extra Creamy Danish Blue in their signature tablepacks, will feature a new logo. The prize-winning cheese inside will not change.
Castello is owned by Arla Foods Inc., which is based in Denmark with production facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. For more information, visit castellocheeseusa.com.
Review: The Big Cheese – Cooking Channel Special
May 19, 2011
The Lady, The Man and I are fans of The Cooking Channel, the “Little Sister” of the Food Channel. This week we watched a special titled appropriately, “The Big Cheese” and hosted by Jason Sobocinski, Cheesemonger and Owner of Caseus Fromagerie and Bistro in New Haven, Ct.
He began the show with a bit of cheese trivia: The US produces the most cheese in the world with 350 different kinds and the US eats more cheese than any other country in the world.
In this special, Jason visited five US cheesemakers and either helped make cheese at each stop or chatted with the cheesemakers who shared stories with Jason. After each stop, he visited local restaurants and pubs and used the cheeses to create dishes.
The first stop was Calabro Cheese Corporation in East Haven which makes fresh mozzarella. Jason took us through the operation of making mozzarella, a fresh cheese made in just a few hours. The process sounds simple enough: pasteurize the milk, add the rennet to coagulate the milk and form the curds; drain the whey; cut the curd; salt the curd and brine. Right, it sounds simple enough but it takes talent to make cheese… ask The Lady, she has “assisted” twice making cheese.
After making the mozzarella, Jason headed to Bar Pizza in New Haven and with the owners made a pizza using the mozzarella. In addition to the cheese, the pizza had a layer of mashed potatoes under the shredded mozzarella on a thin crust. On top were bacon, garlic and parmesan. A few squirts of water and oil topped the pizza which was cooked in a wood burning oven for 7 minutes are 725°. (The Lady made a variation and the recipe will be posted on my sister blog later today.)
From New Haven, he headed to Oakleaf Dairy in Lebanon, Ct.to milk the seventy goats and then to Beltane Farms where he hung with the cheesemaker, Jonathan Howard. Although Beltane has its own herd of goats, which are protected from coyotes by Nestor, the family donkey, they buy milk from Oakleaf to use in cheesemaking. Jason and Jonathan made the first chevre of the season and then Jason was off to another local eatery, the Chester River Tavern where he and the chef used the chevre to make a snack baguette and then a twice baked soufflé.
Jason’s next stop was Old Chatham Sheepherding Company in the Hudson Valley north of Manhattan. OCSC boasts the largest sheep dairy farm in the US with more than 1000 East Friesians. Here Jason assisted in making a Camembert which he took and headed to Manhattan’s Gramercy Tavern where he and the chef made small cheese croquettes using the camembert.
Then he was off to the West Coast for a stop at California’s Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese near Modesto. The cheesemaker and Jason talked about the award-winning Bandage Wrapped Cheddar that made Fiscalini famous. Jason took some of the cheddar and headed to Robert Sinskey Wines where the chef used the cheddar in crust to make a Bacon Onion pie and an apple pie… my oh my… both sounded and looked soooo good… hope The Lady was taking notes…
Jason ended the show with a stop at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese where he and the cheesemakers enjoyed a cheese plate and then a family style pasta dinner (in their classroom kitchen) that incorporated one of their blues. Jamie tasted a new blue that needs a name… The Man suggested “Reyesling Blue” – I posted his choice on their Facebook Page.
This is a “Must-see” show for cheese lovers and doesn’t everyone love cheese??? Jason is fun to watch and he knows his cheese. His passion for cheese shines through in every frame.
Here’s hoping The Cooking Channel decides to make this into a regular series or at least make recurring episodes – he has more cheesemakers to visit… so many cheeses…
I give The Big Cheese 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). 
Canadian Cheese Grand Prix Champions 2011
May 1, 2011
The Dairy Farmers of Canada held their bi-annual cheese awards this past week and announced winners in seventeen categories plus the grand champion:
Grand Champion:
Louis D’or!! A nine-month aged farmhouse and organic cheese from La Fromagerie du Presbytere located in Quebec. This cheese also won in two categories: Firm Cheese and Farmhouse Cheese. Congratulations!!! La Fromagerie du Presbytere also took the Blue Cheese Category with their Bleu de l’Elizabeth.
The Lady and I have not had the pleasure of tasting this cheese but you can be sure, The Lady is already ferreting out a way to get a wedge into the manse. According to Phil Belanger, Chair of the 2011 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix Jury and President of the New-Brunswick Chapter de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, ‘’The milky richness of this cheese is a tribute to the organic milk with which it is made. The cheese has a smooth texture, warm nutty and floral notes in aroma and taste’’.
Category Winners:
Fresh Cheese: Mascarpone Tre Stelle, Arla Foods Inc. (ON)
Soft Cheese with Bloomy Rind: Island Bries, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks Ltd. (BC)
Semi-soft Cheese: Lankaaster Traditional Gouda, Glengarry Fine Cheese (ON)
Washed-Rind – Soft and Semi-soft Cheese: Le Mont-Jacob, Fromagerie Blackburn (QC)
Firm Cheese: Louis d’Or, Fromagerie du Presbytere (QC)
Swiss-type Cheese: Fromage Suisse Lamaire, Fromagerie Lemaire (QC)
Mozzarella: Bocconcini Santa Lucia, International Cheese Co. Ltd (ON)
Blue Cheese: Le Bleu d’Elizabeth, Fromagerie du Presbytere (QC)
Flavoured Cheese with Added Non-particulate Flavouring: Naturally Smoked Boerenkaas, Natural Pastures Company (BC)
Flavoured Cheese with Added Particulate Solids Flavouring: Gouda Herbs & Garlic, Sylvan Star Cheese Ltd. (AB)
Mild Cheddar: Mild Cheddar, The Black River Cheese Company Ltd. (ON)
Medium Cheddar: Cheddar moyen Biologique, Fromagerie L’Ancetre (QC)
Old, Extra Old Cheddar: Le Jersey du Fjord, Bergeries du Fjord (QC)
Aged Cheddar (1-3 years): Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar, Cows Creamery (PEI)
Aged Cheddar (4years+): Cheddar Doyen 4 ans, Fromagerie Perron (QC)
Farmhouse Cheese: Louis D’or, Fromagerie du Presbytere (QC)
The Lady and I congratulate all the winners and hope to soon taste each and every one of them…
Follow @cheesemongerTime to Get Your Grill On… Grilled Cheese, That Is
April 22, 2011
April is Grilled Cheese Month and we’re celebrating at our Cheesemonger Recipe Blog by posting a new Grilled Cheese Sandwich everyday of the month.
Here is the list of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches we have created and posted so far:
April 1 – Crave Brothers Mascarpone Grilled Cheese Dessert Combo
April 2 – Old Amsterdam Grilled Cheese
April 3 – Saxon Homestead Saxony and Pear Grilled Cheese
April 4 – Grand Margaux Brie Grilled Cheese
April 5 – Neal’s Yard/Appleby’s Cheshire and Sausage Grilled Cheese on Crumpets
April 6 – Tillamook Tilly’s Dilly of a Grilled Cheese
April 7 – Joel’s Grilled Pimento Cheese
April 8 – The Man’s Roast Beef and Horseradish Cheddar Grilled Cheese
April 9 – Marco Polo and Raspberry Grilled Cheese
April 10 – Croatian Grilled Cheese
April 11 – Beemster Mustard and Bacon Grilled Cheese
April 12 – Just Cheese Grilled Cheese
April 13 – Midnight Moon Gouda and Olives
April 14 – Raw Milk Manchego, Jamon Iberico and Membrillo
April 15 – The Tax Man Cometh Grilled Cheese
April 16 – Smoked Dorset Red and Bangers Grilled Cheese
April 17 – Lincolnshire Poacher and Asparagus Grilled Cheese
April 18 – Jarlsberg, Mortadella and Apples Grilled Cheese
April 19 – No Woman and Jerk Chicken Grilled Cheese
April 20 – Falling Back in Love with Parrano Grilled Cheese
April 21 – Woman of LaMancha and Flame-Crafted Ham Grilled Cheese
April 22 – Oregonzola and Steak Grilled Cheese
April 23 – Sartori Bellavitano Gold and Capocollo Grilled Cheese
April 24 – BelGioioso Fontina and Sylvilagus Audubonii Grilled Cheese
April 25 – Ossau Iraty and Camelus bactrianus Grilled Cheese
April 26 – Cotswold Pub Cheese and Axis calamianensis Grilled Cheese
April 27 – Denhay Farmhouse Cheddar and Marmota vancouverenis Grilled Cheese
April 28 – In Honor of The Queen Grilled Cheese
April 29 – William and Kate’s Lamb Confit Bubble and Squeak Grilled Cheese
April 30 – The House Mouse Grilled Cheese
And beginning April 24th, every grilled cheese recipe will use a tasty meat from The Feline Foodie’s own cheese and food pairing chart… this promises to really be interesting…
We also offer 10 Simple Steps to Build a Grilled Cheese
Please subscribe to our Cheesemonger Recipe Blog to get a daily update of new grilled cheese recipes as we post them…
Roquefort, The King of Sheep’s Milk Blue Cheese
March 25, 2011
Made From Raw Sheeps’ Milk
The third featured bleu cheese in the “Send Marcella to France” contest is the quintessential of French Bleu Cheeses: Roquefort. The first AOC-designated cheese, Roquefort received this protection in 1925, was mentioned in history as early as 79AD when Pliny, the Elder, spoke of its rich flavor… who knew, I’d follow in the steps of one of the great as I sit here today “mentioning Roquefort”…
Legend claims that Roquefort was discovered when a young man, eating a sheeps’ milk cheese sandwich, saw a lovely lass passing by… he abandoned the sandwich in the cave where he sat to chase the girl. Time passes, the boy returns to find that the cheese has molded and voila… Roquefort Cheese was born. It’s almost always about women or money with humankind of the male persuasion… why am I not surprised???
Today, Roquefort is the only bleu cheese still made using the mold grown on rye bread. The mold, Penicillium roqueforti, is found in the soil of the caves where the cheese is aged. The bread is molded for several weeks, ground up and injected into the cheese. It can be added to the curd or later as an aerosol injected into the aging cheese. One of the AOC rules is that this bleu cheese must be aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. 60% of Roquefort is produced by Societe and that is the brand that The Lady sells at her kiosk. Prior to the AOC-designation, a small amount of cow or goat milk was added to the cheese. Now, the cheese is made exclusively from the milk of Lacaune, Manech and Basco-Bearnaise breeds of sheep.
The Lady brought a modest wedge home that she served in two ways. The first was at room temperature and schmeared on French (naturally) bread and then the following day she served a simple romaine salad with Roquefort dressing and Confit of Chicken, sautéed fresh veggies with pasta. This chicken dish came along after watching Emeril Live on the CookingTV Channel, a favorite around the manse.
Roquefort’s veining is more green than “blue” and makes a dramatic presentation. Simply put, this cheese is just as pretty to look at as it is to consume… well, that may be a bit hyperbolic, but not by much. This cheese brings such pleasure to the palate: it starts mild, moves to sweet, then smoky and ends with a salty finish… it just doesn’t get any better than this…
I give Roquefort 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestion: Schmeared on French Bread makes a perfect way to start a meal. You can make a perfect salad dressing using Roquefort or you can add it to tarts, pasta sauces and if you really want to impress family or friends, use it for a specialty mac n cheese.
Wine Suggestion: The Lady served a favorite of hers, Chateau de Sancerre.
Beer Suggestion: Brasserie Saison Fantome
Source: 100% Raw Sheeps’ Milk
Trivia: Before the discovery of penicillin, it was common for shepherds to apply this cheese to wounds to avoid gangrene.
Fourme d’Ambert as Francophilia Continues at The Manse
March 20, 2011
The second featured bleu in the “Send Marcella to France” Cheese Contest is also from the Auvergne region of France.
This cheese is considered one of the oldest of cheeses, possibly dating back to the Druids. This cheese may have hung out at Stonehenge for all we know…
It is also one of the mildest of blues and for those who claim they “hate” blue cheese; this makes a good “starter” cheese into the wonderful world of bleus.
The naturally bloomy rind of this cylindrical cheese is gray with a strong, earthy smell. Inside, though, is a mild and delicate fruity paste. It is not as weepy as Bleu d’Auvergne but just as creamy with lots of blue veining. The Lady served this cheese with Dare Water Crackers and drizzled honey on top while Edith Piaf sang Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien in the background… BTW, I was familiar with Edith before Francophilia invaded the manse… now, some days I think I have become Edith Piaf… but I digress…
So revered is this cheese that a statue in the shape of Fourme d’Ambert graces the door of the Chapel at Chaulme in Auvergne. However, let’s be honest here, this cheese looks like a blue cheese log, the statue might be homage to the logging industry… just saying…
Like Bleu d’Auvergne, Fourme d’Ambert is AOC protected earning this prestige in 2000, seventy-five years after the third bleu featured in the contest and the next cheese I will review, Roquefort.
Let me end this review with “Pour le peuple de Paris, aujourd’hui et à jamais, je suis français!!”
I give Fourme d’Ambert 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: This cheese goes well with chocolate, although The Lady refuses me to allow me to verify this pairing… but with honey and crackers, it is a winner. Personally, I find that it pairs well with Castor canadensis, especially the Oregon variety (with apologies to The Lady’s boss man, Rob…)
Wine Pairing: A glass of Port goes quite well with this cheese
Beer Pairing: Chocolate Stout and the world is perfect.
Source: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk
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