Week 4+: American Cheese Month
Posted: November 1st, 2012 | Author: Kate Michelle McCarthy | Filed under: Cheese, Food | Comments Off on Week 4+: American Cheese MonthWeek 4+: American Cheese Month
Storified by Kate McCarthy · Wed, Oct 31 2012 20:39:19
A promotion of the American Cheese Society.
With the Giants penant series followed immediately by the World Series, I had a hard time making timely posts. But, I didn’t have a hard time eating lots of cheese. I started Week 4 strong:
With the Giants penant series followed immediately by the World Series, I had a hard time making timely posts. But, I didn’t have a hard time eating lots of cheese. I started Week 4 strong:
Day 22 #AmCheeseMonth (yesterday). @CellarsatJH Weybridge. Rich earthiness w a nice tang. Bloomy rind. A winner.Kate McCarthy
Weybridge is a really delicious cheese, making me think that the Cellars at Jasper Hill are making some magic happen in Vermont.
Day 23 #AmCheeseMonth (yesterday). @CypressGrovers Humboldt Fog: Happy 20th Anniversary! A longtime favorite go-to cheese.Kate McCarthy
Day 24 #AmCheeseMonth (yesterday). @harleyfarms Monet. Beautiful chevre dressed in flowers. Tastes so fresh like it was made just today.Kate McCarthy
The Monet was a bit of a revelation–it was so fresh, the only other time I had cheese that tasted so fresh, I made it myself. Seriously. I have no idea how they do it.
Day 25 #AmCheeseMonth @OldChathamSheep Kinderhook Creek. All sheep’s milk! Bloomy rind, delicate earthiness amid luscious creaminess.Kate McCarthy
Day 26 #AmCheeseMonth. Nicasio Cheese’s super-fresh Foggy Mountain w basil & garlic. Lite notes of basil & garlic. Tangy like a chevre!Kate McCarthy
I accidentally got the flavored kind–I usually don’t like “stuff” in my cheese–and was pleasantly surprised! There was only a hint of basil and garlic, not at all overpowering. I heard a cheesemonger say once that he thought Foggy Mountain, a newer cheese from Nicasio, was “cheapened” with the flavors. But, it was such a delicate handling of flavoring, I’d disagree.
Day 27 #AmCheeseMonth. Garden Variety Black-Eyed Susan. Salty, tangy and crumbly dry sheep’s milk cheese. Pow!Kate McCarthy
Day 28 #AmCheeseMonth (yesterday). Nancy’s Organic Lowfat Raspberry Kefir. One of my favorite ways to start the day.Kate McCarthy
While Kefir is not a cheese, exactly, I decided it could be included, based on the fact that the American Cheese Society (who is promoting American Cheese Month) includes Kefirs (and yogurts, sour creams and other cultured milk products) in their annual competition. So there you go. And that night I attended a class at the Cheese School called “American Cheese Society Winners: A Cheese Judge Tells All” taught by Rainbow Grocery Cheesemonger and Author, Gordon(zola) Edgar, so I was in the mood to play along with the Cheese Society Rules.
I actually almost didn’t make it to the class, thanks to the San Francisco Giants’ post-season excitement.
Query: Do I go to a cheese event the same night as world series game 5? Discuss.Kate McCarthy
But, luckily the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in four games (woot!) and while San Francisco was rioting in celebration, I signed up for the class.
So fickle: finally rsvp’d for that cheese event scheduled for same day as WS Game 5, since THAT won’t be happening!!! #GoGiantsKate McCarthy
cheese school w gordonzola! http://instagr.am/p/RY8zjhmtet/Kate McCarthy
Clockwise from the top (silver cup): Karoun Labne, Harley Farms Fromage Blanc, Hollands Cheese Foenegreek Marieke Gouda, Vermont Creamery Bonne Bouche, Sequatchie Cove Dancing Fern, Beecher’s Flagship Reserve, Achadinha Capricious, Uplands Cheese Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Roth Kase Grand Cru Gruyere Surchoix and Rogue River Blue.
Day 28 was the last day of Week 4, but we still had three days to finish the month, so I kept going:
Day 29 #AmCheeseMonth. "Best in Show" favorite at mock cheese competition w @gordonzola? @HollandsCheese Foenegreek Marieke Gouda!Kate McCarthy
Another cheese with stuff in it! I am not sure it was my favorite of the night, but attendees seemed in agreement that it was definitely one of the favorites. It was surprisingly delicious with salty-sweet butterscotch notes and some tanginess.
Day 30 #AmCheeseMonth. Grand Cru Gruyère Surchoix. Sweet Alpine-style cheese with nut butter notes, not too salty. Yum.Kate McCarthy
#AmCheeseMonth Day 31. Grand finale @missioncheese: Capriole’s O’Banon, Cooperstown’s Jersey Girl, von Trapp’s Oma http://instagr.am/p/RdyEsqmte3/Kate McCarthy
I finished American Cheese Month off right with a “Mongers Choice” plate from the amazing Mission Cheese.
Here are the highlights from my American Cheese Month:
Here are the highlights from my American Cheese Month:
1. Rogue Creamery Caveman Blue: Personally, I think the Caveman Blue was better than this year’s Rogue River Blue.
2. River’s Edge Chevre Up In Smoke: The first time I’ve loved a smoked cheese.
3. My new favorite chevre: Sierra Nevada Cheese Company’s Bella Capra Chevre.
4. Harbison: One of my all-time favorite cheeses.
5. The farm-y, broccoli-y, caramel-y and incredibly delicious camember-style cheese: Alemar Cheese Company Bent River.
6. Harley Farms Monet: the freshest, floraly-ist chevre you might ever taste.
7. Roth Kase Grand Cru Surchoix: A deliciously sweet, nutty gruyere.
Seven cheese highlights of American Cheese Month means you can have a delicious week of American cheeses! Thanks to the American Cheese Society for hosting this cheese promotion. By playing off the theme, I was able to explore cheeses for a whole month and learn much more about delicious cheeses, while supporting awesome American cheese makers. Thanks! And, yum! That was delicious.