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.
Murray’s Cheese Boot Camp… Cheese, Glorious Cheese
July 2, 2011
"Something Old; Something New; Something Stinky and Something Blue"
The Lady has been back from her trip to New York and Murray’s Cheese Boot Camp for a few days and has been especially attentive; she knows I am annoyed; I know she knows I am annoyed… which I, of course, use to my advantage.
The Lady explained that Murray’s is yet another one of those “No Pets Allowed” places…” we gotta keep those pesky dogs and cats away from where we sell and serve food”… I am more than willing to put my personal cleaning habits up against any humankind, any day of the week. Unlike many, maybe even most, humankinds, this Feline Foodie is fastidious when it comes to cleanliness… in my not-so-humble opinion, there are far more humankinds who shouldn’t be allowed inside food establishments than cats… as for dogs, there are so many other reasons to ban them… but I will save that argument for another day.
Since The Lady started her new cheese adventure, she has been traveling a lot and always comes home smelling of cheeses… lots of cheeses… ones of which I can only dream. At least while she’s away, I have The Man”Servant” at my beck and call. He is one easy dude to get to do most everything I wish… but I digress.
The Lady returned with wonderful tales of the cheeses in the cases at Murray’s and the cheeses she tasted during boot camp; a total of seventy-five plus many wines and several beers… as mentioned (numerous times), she gets the glory; while I do the heavy-lifting…
She took a photo of the cheese plate that followed the tour of Murray’s Cheese Caves… be still my heart… caves filled with cheese…
Affinage is the specialized art of aging cheese. The affineur finds the best sources for cheese and then nurtures them to their optimum ripeness for the best flavor of the cheese. This includes brushing, washing, bathing and turning to promote everything good in the cheese and keep the bad “stuff” out.
Brian, Murray’s resident affineur, led the class on a tour of the caves which Conde Nast Traveler named one of the 50 Coolest Places to be in the world. After the tour, he served a cheese plate that reflected the many talents involved in being a successful affineur.
The plate started with two wedges of Haystack Peak, a soft-ripened cheese produced by Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy in Colorado. (A detailed review will be posted soon.) The first wedge of this cheese was new and the second was aged about two weeks. While both were delicious, the aging made a good cheese only better.
Next on the plate were two wedges of Petite Frères, from one of our favorites, Wisconsin’s Crave Brothers. The first wedge was “as produced” by the Brothers, a wonderful small wheel of a fruity, earthy washed rind semi-soft cow milk cheese. The second wedge had been washed by Brian in a local brewery ale. Brian was experimenting with a new wash and the improvement to the cheese was amazing.
St. Nectaire, a French cheese from the Auvergne region of Central France was the next cheese up on the plate. This is an AOC –protected cheese. This is a washed-rind Tomme-style cheese that is shipped at the age of two weeks to the affineur for another six weeks of aging before the dense paste reaches perfection and is ready for the consumer. We will be reviewing this cheese in the next few days.
Up next were two versions of Cabot Creamery’s Aged Cheddar. The first was a creamy wedge of their cheddar that is shipped in cryovac to grocery stores national-wide. A very respectable wedge of cheese; one that appeared at the Burbank manse more than once. This is what The Lady and I like to call “an everyday cheese” – one that is respectable in its taste profile and inexpensive enough to have available for everyday use.
The second version from Cabot was their Clothbound Cheddar which is aged by the Cellars at Jasper Hills in Vermont. With absolutely no disrespect to cryovac cheddars, once you’ve had a clothbound cheddar, you’ll never go back.
Following the cheddars was a wedge of Black River Blue; an award-winning blue cheese from Wisconsin. A milder blue that is slightly softer than butter and easily spreadable on a baguette for “everyday” enjoyment. Black River Gorgonzola is one of the “everyday” cheeses you can find around the manse.
The final cheese on the plate was Bayley Hazen Blue from the Kehler Brothers of Jasper Hills Farm in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. This is a cheese I have been dying to taste and thankfully, The Lady shipped a wedge home in her luggage for The Man and moi to taste and enjoy. A review of this cheese will follow this Cheese Plate posting… but let’s just say, I’ll be using all my paws…
The Lady thanks Brian for leading the boot camp on a tour of the caves and if you would like to tour the caves, Murray’s Cheese offers tours of the cave along with many other great, cheesy classes at its Greenwich Village location. Check out their array of classes here.
U
Padam, Padam
Songs of passion. . .French cabaret music, klezmer, tangos, Latin and original music.
Updated June 12, 2011
Follow @cheesemonger
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!!!
We love this cheese around the manse and reviewed it recently. You’ll love it, too. And finally it’s available in the U.S. Please contact Grand Prix Trading for more information. We also saw a blurb about this 2010 “Best New Cheese” while reading Culture Magazine yesterday.
Zoomorphic Delusions…
May 30, 2011
Jill Taylor Zoomorphic Cat*
The Lady and I like to check out incoming links to the blog to see who is writing about me or referring visitors my way.
Bedford Cheese Shop, which claims to be “The Best New Cheeseshop in Brooklyn, NY” (although according to its press page, it appears to have been around since at least 2003), wrote about Cougar Gold and in an article and made the following comment about moi:
“The person who writescheesemonger.wordpress.com even gave it “4 paws out of 4 paws (cause that’s all I got).” Despite the serious zoomorphic delusions going on here, that’s a pretty rave review.”
Okay…
First of all, let me thank you for the referral to the blog… but I must correct your incorrect assessment of moi, your (not so humble) feline foodie…
According to the dictionary, the definition of “zoomorphic” is:
zo·o·mor·phism http://img.tfd.com/m/sound.swf (z
-môr
f
zm)
Paski Sir, Croatia’s Award-Winning Sheep’s Milk Cheese
March 31, 2011
The island of Pag off the coast of Croatia is home to a special artisan cheese, Paski Sir. Paski Sir is gaining worldwide recognition quickly as it amasses award-after-award. In 2010, it won the prestigious Barber Award and was named the World’s Best New Cheese at the World Cheese Awards. That’s one hefty accolade.
Through this blog, The Lady and I met Simon Kerr, the indefatigable Marketing and Export Director for Gligora Dairy where Paski Sir is produced (Simon is also a Master when it comes to understanding social media). He graciously offered to send a sample our way and we were thrilled. After sampling it, we felt we had been granted membership in an exclusive club… those lucky enough to taste this exquisite sheeps’ milk cheese.
Before reviewing let me share more about Pag and the production of Paski Sir.
The Lady was in Croatia in 1978 when it was still Yugoslavia and Tito was alive and kicking. She didn’t get to Pag but the week she spent in Yugoslavia is one of her fondest memories. She loved every minute she spent there; the people were friendly; the countryside is beautiful; the cities old and stately. Her favorite was the Croatian walled city of Dubrovnik. She worked in the airline industry at that time and was invited to sit in the cockpit while landing in Dubrovnik; ahh, the good ole days of aviation… but I digress…
The Island of Pag is off the coast of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea and enjoys a perfect climate for cheesemaking. Its eastern landscape lies beneath the mainland Velebit mountain range which creates the Pag Bora, a strong, cool and dry wind that comes off the mountains. When it reaches the sea, it creates millions of tiny sea droplets that the Bora dries and turns the droplets into salt dust. Then the Bora deposits the salt dust on the vegetation of the island. It is here that the Paska Ovca Sheep grazes on the vegetation, their favorite being the Pag Sage growing on the rocky landscape. The aromatic sage is quite prominent in both the scent and taste of this cheese. Paski Sir is a perfect example of terroir and cheese.
Paski Sir has been produced on Pag since the 7th Century during Roman occupation and today there are several dairies producing this cheese (and many other award-winning cheeses as well). Currently the main producers of Paski Sir have formed a Cheese Association with the intention of obtaining Protected Designation of Origin for Paski Sir to impose strict condition for production. It would also ensure that Paski Sir remains a product of Pag.
In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Gligora Sirana Dairy won the coveted 3 star Superior taste Award from the International Taste and Quality Institute for Paski Sir.
The Lady, The Man and I enjoyed a wedge of this cheese one evening and although it started out as the appetizer; it quickly became dinner. The cheese was so satisfying we were unable to just taste one or two bites and the three us finished the entire wedge. I suppose we should be embarrassed but we’re not in the least. 
The piece we had was aged about one year and the color of light caramel. It has a dense paste with some small eyes, similar in appearance to a Manchego. When The Lady sliced the wedge, a floral aroma filled the air and promised more to come. The first taste is light but quickly develops into a strong, piquant finish. A finish that lingers and grows as you enjoy yet another slice. It crumbles and melts and leaves you begging for more. The taste is unique and because this cheese is thermalized rather than pasteurized, most of the floral of the sage plant is still delightfully present which adds to the enjoyment of this cheese. As a point of reference because this cheese is not yet widely-known in the US, this cheese is moister than Manchego and not as salty as a Pecorino but has similarities to both.
The Lady and I decided after enjoying this cheese, we are firmly moving into the category of lovers of sheep milk cheeses. Like the Sally Jackson cheese The Lady tasted at the 2010 ACS Conference, the taste remains in your mind and you can almost taste it again with only thinking of it.
I give Paski Sir 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got). 
Sadly, Paski Sir is not currently available for sale in the United States but Simon told The Lady it should be available via wholesale through Grand Prix Trading of New York by mid-May, 2011. For further information regarding Paski Sir, please contact Simon via his Paski Sir Blog. Paski Sir also has a Facebook page you can “Like” and they Tweet as @PaskiSir. As I said earlier, Simon knows his way around the internet. His series “From Ewe to You” is informative and follows the entire production of Paski Sir from the Ewe to your table. You can win a wheel of Paski Sir – the details are on the blog.
Serving suggestion: Slice in triangles, leave the rind intact and serve this cheese naked to fully enjoy its flavor and taste. The Lady served the Paski Sir with a trio of Vintner’s Kitchen jams: Marionberry Jam with Port, Confetti Pepper Jelly and Strawberry and Pinot Noir Jam and VK’s Honeyed Wine Mustard with Garlic. She also had a peppered salumi on the plate and freshly baked French Bread.
Wine Pairing: The Lady enjoyed a glass of 14 Hands Merlot with this cheese although she suggests a Riesling would also pair well with Paski Sir.
Beer Pairing: North Coast Old Stock Ale . The Earthy sweetness pairs well with the salty tang of the Paski Sir.
Trivia: Pag lacework, also made on the island and used in the background of the Paski Sir label, was inscribed in the UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
FTC Full Disclosure – The cheesemaker/manufacturer sent me their product, hoping I would review the product/cheese.
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
Red, White and Bleu…or How The Lady Became a Francophile
March 19, 2011
A few weeks ago, overnight The Lady became a Francophile: Traditional French Music began to fill the air on her days off, interrupted periodically by Champagne FM Radio streaming live from Paris. When quiet finally comes, she begins her French lessons online… I gotta say, when The Lady does something, she never does it halfway…
All because she hopes to be in Paris on July 25th with several of her fellow cheesemongers…
Lactalis France is sponsoring a French Cheese Contest… or as The Lady prefers to call it… The “Send Marcella to France Contest”… my guess is everyone competing has a “similar” name for the contest… anyway, The Lady is determined to be a winner… God help The Man and me if she loses… living with her could get ugly… very ugly…
(Insert: as I write this The Lady is listening to a French Rapper on Champagne FM… cool, but The Lady doesn’t listen to American Rappers… sheesh…)
The first period of the contest features three exquisite French Bleus and I decided to re-visit these cheeses in tribute to The Lady:
All three of the bleus featured are from the Auvergne region of France which is Southeast of Paris. With the abundance of cows in the region, Auvergne is home to several of the world’s great cheeses: Roquefort, Fourme d’Ambert, Bleu d’Auvergne, Cantal and Saint Nectaire. It is also home to Michelin Tires; The Lady’s brother, Joel, worked for a subsidiary of Michelin and visited Auvergne several times.
Bleu d’Auvergne is the first bleu featured in period one of the French Cheese Contest… The Lady brought a small wedge home and a fresh baguette… French, of course… she schmeared the cheese on the baguette, The Man swooned and I rubbed her leg to make sure she knew I loved her best…
This is one tasty cheese; grassy with a hint of wildflowers. The rind is moist and sticky; the cheese weeps and the paste emits a strong odor… pleasant to some… for others… not so much… I love this cheese; I could eat it day in and day out… of course, I could eat most cheeses day in and day out… it’s my passion… that and chasing off the interloper that has taken to sleeping on the deck… the little tramp lets The Lady pet him and she feeds him… Houston, we have a problem… but I digress…
With the baguette, The Lady served slices of ripe pear and a few walnuts… the combination was divine…
I give Bleu d’Auvergne 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
You can read my original thoughts on Bleu d’Auvergne by clicking here.
Serving Suggestion: Schmeared on a baguette makes quite a nice snack; throw in a few slices of pears and nuts and it’s a feast. This cheese is also terrific as a dressing for a wedge of lettuce.
Wine Pairing: Port or Sauternes.
Beer Pairing: Weissbier
Source: Cow’s Milk
Up next: Fourme d’Ambert…
And a word of advice to The Lady… if you start feeding cheese to that darn interloper… well… let’s just say… that would not be a wise thing to do…
4 Paws Designation Gets Its Own “Stamp of Approval”
March 18, 2011
Many thanks to TJ McGovern for designing the above “Feline Foodie Approved” Artwork.
This artwork will appear on all cheeses that I, your not-so-humble Feline Foodie, award 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
A big shout-out to my friend, Mary, and my East Coast Comrades that bivouac at her manse, for introducing TJ to my blog and his generous contribution to making it a better cheese stop on the internet.
BTW, I give TJ and his artwork 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got)!!
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