Cato Corner Cheese

Over the next little bit we are excited to feature three raw milk cheeses from Cato Corner Farm located in Colchester, Connecticut. Jersey cows, a breed popular for the high butterfat content of their milk, are the primary source for these delicious, one of a kind, hand made cheeses. Because these cows are fed a pasture based diet without growth hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics, you can be sure this is some of the finest cheese New England has to offer.

Elizabeth MacAlister and Mark Gillman are the mother and son team who own and manage the farm. Elizabeth has been farming since the 1970's and started making cheese in 1997. Mark took over cheese making and aging processes in 1999. Together they have produced the following remarkable cheeses available for sampling and purchase at the France 44 Cheese Shop and the St. Paul Cheese Shop.

Bloomsday

Bloomsday is one of Cato Corner Farm's most popular cheeses. Named for Thursday 16 June 1904, a prominent day depicted in James Joyce's novel "Ulysses".  The makers describe this cheese as "firmer than many of our cheeses with a cheddary acidity balanced with a touch of sweetness." Bloomsday is great for both snacking and cooking. According to Cato Corner Farms it pairs well with fig jam, sour dough bread, medium bodied red wines, and amber lager.

Hooligan

A delightfully ripe and stinky cheese awarded top prize in the Outstanding Dairy category from Gallo Family Vineyards Gold Medal Awards in April 2006. It's likened to a French Muenster and and was selected by both Saveur magazine and Slow Food USA as one America's top cheeses. The makers recommend pairing this one with cranberry walnut bread, Belgian style ales, Zinfandel, sweet white wines, hot pepper jelly, honey, and caramelized pecans.

Dutch Farmstead

Dutch Farmstead is young, creamy and rich. It's a great example of a buttery Jersey cow milk cheese. The makers suggest pairing this one with sauvignon blanc, tart raspberry jam, inky cabernets and floral saisons. 

How To Build a Cheese Board

Building a beautiful cheese board is a simple and elegant way to impress your guests during the holidays. Boards can range from bare-bones to over-the-top, but the most important thing to remember is that no matter how you serve it, delicious cheese makes people happy. Follow these guidelines for cheese board perfection:

1. Start with three to five hunks of cheese. To make sure you have a nice variety, go for different textures, different milk types, and different countries of origin. Anyone behind the cheese counter can help you pick a great selection. It’s always good to taste cheese before you buy! There are some spectacular options in our case right now only available during the holidays. Check out Rush Creek Reserve, Black Betty gouda, and Comte Sagesse!

2. Serve the cheese at room temperature. This is one of the most important steps. Cheese straight from the refrigerator doesn’t reflect its ideal flavor or texture. Make sure to leave it out on the counter for 3-4 hours at least.

3. Keep the extras simple. Dried fruit, nuts, olives, honey, and fruit preserves are all perfect, but keep in mind that really good cheese doesn’t need much of anything to shine. Place one or two around the board or, for a more extravagant look, fill in all the spaces between cheese. Some great options: Ames Farm honeycomb, Marcona almonds, Inna jam.

4. Crusty bread is the perfect vessel. We sell awesome rustic bread from Baker’s Field in Northeast Minneapolis, as well as more traditional baguettes. Simple crackers are also a good option.

Follow these guidelines and you’ll be well on your way to a delicious and beautiful cheese tray! If you need any more advice, keep in mind that any cheesemongers behind the counter would love to help out. You can find more inspiration on the @ThatCheesePlate instagram or in one of our favorite books, DiBruno Bros. House of Cheese.

Comte: The most special cheese

Six years ago I was invited to travel to Europe on a cheese discovery trip. I had absolutely no clue just how lucky I was. Our first stop was the Jura, a majestic region of verdant mountains right along the Swiss border. We were there to visit a dairy making wheels of Comte and to tour the Fort St. Antoine where wheels of Comte are aged.

The cheesemaker inspecting the vat

Comte is perhaps the most magical of cheeses. There's no point in spending time describing the flavors and deliciousness of this cheese when you can come on down to the shop and try some. So we'll leave it at magical and then you'll just have to see for yourself.

What is incredible about our Comte is that our wheels are chosen out of tens of thousands of wheels as the best of the best. We work with the fantastic folks at Essex St Cheese to supply you with some of the best Comte available in the world. 

My cheese adventure was also a selection trip for the folks at Essex. We were walking through the Fort so that we could try batches of cheese to see which ones were the best.

Benjamin's cheese mentor Daphne Zepos amongst thousands of wheels of Comte

It's hard not to spew hyperbole when talking about cheese or food in general but Comte truly is a food worthy of all the fuss. It's the star of a cheese plate, the necessary ingredient in a life changing grilled cheese, or your go-to for kickass fondue.

We're thrilled to offer three age profiles to you at our cheese counter this holiday season. 8- month, our signature 15-month selection, and the holiday-season-only 24-month selection. 

Oh, and did we mention that one of our employees is a Frenchman who used to work at the Fort? Yeah, there's that.

Feelin' Territorial: Cheese Terroir

English Territorials Map

What is a territorial cheese? At first listen, it might sound like a rather possessive breed of dog. In reality the term refers to a group of cheeses that honor time and the tradition of cheese making. These cheeses acquire their names from the land that they come from. We’ve all seen new innovative methods of cheese making pop up over the years. But what I’m talking about are the classics, the OG’s, those wonderful black and white films that started it all.

Here’s a tiny bit of history: The cheese world almost suffered an inconceivable loss in the 1900s. During the world wars, many cheese makers were forced to make government cheese to help the cause. Many of the traditional farmhouse wheels--which were common at the time--began to transform into orange and white blocks wrapped in plastic. And then there was the beginning of the Milk Marketing Board in the 1930s, which put pressure on small cheese makers. Pretty soon, cheese had gone from a complex, region-specific delight to a mass-produced product washed of its many unique identities.

Luckily, territorial cheeses have made a comeback! Territorials celebrate what once was. They are the originals. And much like great wine, these wheels of cheese express terroir, meaning they speak to a unique plot of land and elements that can't be replicated just anywhere. If you want to take a trip back through time and experience tradition, all you have to do is taste a Territorial.

Here are a few of our favorites from England:

Appleby's Cheshire The eldest, Appleby’s Cheshire, is the serious, studious type, spending her time at the library in Shropshire with a good book and a tasty apple. She’s got a clean and refreshing vibe that is both sophisticated and accommodating. As the last traditional Cheshire around, Appleby's is truly a farmhouse cheese. The flavor has a mineral tinge that comes from the cows' diet of maize, slow growing grass, and grass silage (fermented, high-moisture dried grass).

Kirkham's Lancashire Then there's Kirkham’s Lancashire from Lancashire. This is definitely the frivolous and intuitive sibling of the bunch. Lancashire's texture is positively cloud like. I’ve never come across something so fluffy and rich in one bite. It seems impossible! Cheese maker Graham Kirkham combines three days of curd in his process and allows his milk to develop more naturally than most by using very little starter culture. Oh, and let’s not forget the wonderful butter seal that is rubbed on each wheel. Lancashire's delightful texture is matched by rich and tangy flavors that wash over your taste buds.

Hawe's Wensleydale And last but not least, Hawe’s Wensleydale, the young headstrong gal from North Yorkshire. This little lady has survived, despite almost being shut down and moved to Lancashire in the early nineties. Cheese makers and locals alike rallied together to keep this favorite of Wallace and Gromit where it belonged--in Wensleydale. I love this cheese because it completely evolves in your mouth. Wensleydale is soft and supple near the rind and then gets crumbly in the center. Awesome.

Step back in time and taste what cheese used to be and could be once again. These cheeses hold on to tradition and embody the land. Not to mention, they're delicious!

--Katie Renner, Cheese Buyer

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What's The Deal With Raw Milk Cheese?

why_raw

This post was originally written for and published by Serious Eats in 2014.

Raw, or unpasteurized, milk has been a controversial topic for quite some time, with strong arguments on each side. But with the FDA's recently increased inspections on raw milk cheese, the debate has picked up new steam—some believe it's the agency's first step toward changing current regulations, or even banning raw milk cheese altogether.

Given the depth and breadth of this particular dispute, there's simply too much to tackle here (we've got it covered in more detail right this way). But in short, some people believe that raw milk cures allergies and a host of other ailments, while others think raw milk in any form is incredibly dangerous. As someone who sells raw milk cheeses for a living, I obviously have a natural bias on this topic. But before I go into my own reasons, let's take a look at the basics —here's what you need to know about raw milk cheese:

• Pasteurization kills pathogens such as Listeria and e. Coli (plus others like Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella) which can be present in raw milk. Opponents of raw milk assert that the only truly safe cheese is pasteurized cheese.

• Cows kept in dirty, confinement conditions are much more likely to develop udder infections or other illnesses that can contaminate milk.

• Raw milk proponents argue that milk from well-treated cows kept in sanitary conditions is safe and pathogen free.

• If you want to purchase raw milk cheese in the United States, it must have been aged for a minimum of 60 days, whether it's produced domestically or imported from another country. The "60 days rule," which was designed to allow the acids and salt in cheese enough time to destroy harmful bacteria, was set back in 1949 with an almost total lack of scientific evidence. It is, in fact, an arbitrary number.

• This means traditional raw milk cheeses such as Camembert (which is aged for only two weeks) can only be imported in their pasteurized forms.

• Pasteurization is not a guarantee against bacterial contamination of cheese. There have been outbreaks of pathogens in both raw and pasteurized cheeses.

• Though extremely rare, bacterial contamination from cheese (whether raw or not) can be quite dangerous.

Politics aside, we have some phenomenal raw milk cheese makers in the United States. Every raw milk cheese maker understands that the stakes are very high. If these producers aren't fastidious with the cleanliness of their operation, they run the risk of not only potentially endangering consumers, but also bringing negative attention to all raw milk cheese makers. They take their responsibility very seriously and that is undoubtedly the reason why food-borne illness from raw milk cheese is very rare. According to the CDC, there have been 27 outbreaks traced back to raw milk cheeses between 1993 and 2006.

Even with so few incidents, why take the risk? Many argue that raw milk cheeses are more delicious than pasteurized cheeses—pasteurization kills not only potentially harmful bacteria, but also other bacteria that are responsible for infusing cheese with natural, spunky, exciting flavors that can't be simply replicated. Heating milk to high temperatures changes its composition, for better or for worse. But you can count me in the group that believes raw milk cheeses really do have deeper flavor profiles that ought to be appreciated. Here's a list of some of my favorite, domestically-produced raw milk cheeses. Check them out and see for yourself:

Cato Corner Hooligan, Colchester, Connecticut This cheese stinks! In the best way possible. Cato Corner's Mark Gillman quit his job as a teacher to return to his family farm and become a cheese maker. Mark once sent us cheese so afflicted by stink that the DHL delivered it to us in a bright yellow metal hazardous materials drum (true story). Cato Corner's washed-rind Hooligan is rusty orange, and when made with fat winter milk, it bulges at its rind. Perfectly ripe Hooligan is meaty and practically cries out for a Belgian ale to gulp alongside it.

Meadow Creek Grayson

Meadow Creek Grayson, Galax, Virginia More washed-rind madness. The first time this cheese arrived at our shop it filled the whole space with an aroma that can best be described as cow poop. Square, Halloween-hued wheels of Grayson evoke Taleggio but pack a much beefier punch. Let this (and all cheese!) come to a perfect room temperature and the paste will soften and become silky. Then pair Grayson with some dried figs and a medium-bodied red wine.

Consider Bardwell Manchester, Pawlet, Vermont There aren't many producers of aged, raw goat cheeses in the US. They're finicky to make, and many goat cheese producers focus on fresh style cheeses. But luckily, we've got Manchester. It is a visually stunning cheese, with a mottled, natural rind that reveals snow white paste. Deep, earthy wheels of Manchester vary from batch to batch—sometimes they're a little sweeter and creamier, sometimes a bit funkier and drier. However you find it, Manchester is always well-balanced, with just the right amount of acidity.

Spring Brook Tarentaise, Reading, Vermont Behold, the French Alps in Vermont! Modeled after the famous French cheeses Abondance and Beaufort, Tarentaise is a pure representation of the pastures of Vermont. 100% Jersey cow milk is transformed in copper vats into twenty-pound wheels which are aged for a minimum of ten months. Nutty, caramel-like, and slightly sweet, Tarentaise makes a sublime grilled cheese sandwich.

Vermont Shepherd, Putney, Vermont One of the first artisan sheep milk producers in the United States and still one of the best. David Major's cheese making is dialed in so well that he includes a card with every wheel describing his flock's diet on the day that particular batch of cheese was made. Vermont Shepherd is made for only a short period of time each year, when the sheep are out on pasture and supplies of cheese remain limited. David Major's daughter worked at one of our shops for a time and even that didn't help us obtain any more of this highly sought after cheese. Wheels start shipping at the end of August and are usually exhausted by January. Sweet, with the texture of soft lanolin and hints of pasture herbs, Vermont Shepherd truly lets rich sheep's milk shine.

--Benjamin Roberts, Cheesemonger-In-Chief

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3 Myths About Parmesan

Raise your hand if trying to understand the Parmesan vs. Parmigiano-Reggiano debate hurts your brain. Which one is better? Are they the same? Does it matter at all?

It does matter, if you want it to. There's that old saying, You are what you eat. If that's the sort of daily mantra you like to repeat to yourself, and if munching on the most delicious food is your thing, than you're going to want to know how and why parmesan is quite different from Parmigiano-Reggiano. Let's discuss a few myths:

1. The word parmesan means Parmigiano-Reggiano This is true! Parmesan is the English translation of Italy's Parmigiano-Reggiano. However, this doesn't mean that products designated parmesan are made in the same way or of the same quality. The United States has a stinky little history of not following international laws for naming. Much like Champagne and Kobe Beef, Parmigiano-Reggiano must be made to very specific specifications, and under specific circumstances, before it can be christened with that name. Very simply, the rules are: Parmigiano must be made with only three ingredients. Those ingredients are milk made in the Parma/Reggio region of Italy, salt, and animal rennet. It seems so simple, but check the back of the next bag of grated parmesan you buy. If it contains cellulose powder, potassium sorbate, or other ingredients like that, then it's an imposter. No Parmigiano for you.

2. All versions of Parmigiano-Reggiano (real or otherwise) tend to be dry and best for cooking Completely false. If you're seeking out true Parmigiano, you'll find that it's actually wonderful eaten on its own. Cravero Parmigiano-Reggiano (the one we sell at our shops) is particularly succulent, with sweet notes of caramel and cherry. Giorgio Cravero--the man who selects and ages each wheel at Cravero in Bra, Italy--prefers his Parmigiano to have intentional sweetness and moisture. Thank goodness! Because it's lovely and worthy of a spot on your cheese board. Skip the round green shaker of grainy parmesan in favor of a Parmigiano you can actually taste.

3. All versions of Parmigiano-Reggiano are fatty and bad for you, just like most cheeses Oh no. No no no. So long as you avoid the bastardized versions of this cheese that contain anything other than milk, salt, and rennet, you're consuming something good for you. The concentration of pure milk in Parmigiano's paste means it's full of protein, calcium, and phosphorous and is free of additives and preservatives. True Parmigiano is so uniquely nutritious that it's been known to be a staple with astronauts on space missions. So take that!