Blue cheese is a family or type of cheese, not a specific cheese. When I see a container of blue cheese crumbles, I have to wonder what kind of blue cheese is actually in there or did they just let some other cheese get moldy. There are many different types of blue cheeses. Some are made from cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, a combination of milks, and the use of goat’s milk is becoming more popular. There are blue cheeses with natural rinds, foil wrapped blues without rinds, and blue cheese with bloomy rinds. There is even one blue cheese with a black wax rind called Roaring 40′s from King Island Dairy is Australia. There are soft creamy blues, crumbly blues, and drier styles of blue cheese. Some blues are mild like Regina and really abrasive blues like Tilston Point. There is even a blue cheese that is cold smoked over hazelnut shells, Smokey Blue which is made by the blue cheese masters at Rouge Creamery in Oregon.

There are a couple of different ways to make blue cheese, the first few steps are the same as any other cheese making process. The big difference is the addition of a mold culture. You can add the mold to the milk when making the cheese or you can spray on the mold after the wheel of cheese is made. Either way, the cheese must be pierced to create air channels to promote the growth of the mold. Air is necessary for the creation of mold because mold is alive. Sometimes these air channels are made by piercing the cheese with wheat stalks but more often stainless steal needles are used. When a wheel of blue is cut into for the first time, the green streaks of mold become more blue due to the exposure of air. I love to watch this magic happen.

One of the most famous styles of blue cheese is Roquefort which is made from raw sheep’s milk. When you eat Roquefort, you are eating history. This cheese has been made using the same methods, same molds, and aged in the same location for centuries. No one is exactly sure how Roquefort was first made but there has been speculation. A shepherd sits down at the mouth of a cave to enjoy his lunch of bread and cheese when a beautiful woman saunters by and distracts him from his lunch. They run off to romp and by the time the shepherd returns, his bread is moldy and that mold has infected his cheese. This does not deter the man from enjoying his cheese and he finds the taste of the cheese to be improved by the mold.

The enjoyment of blue cheese is very much like wine appreciation, you have to develop your palette. The more blue cheese you eat, the more you will enjoy this moldy cheese and the more adventurous your tastes will become. If you are not a fan of blue cheese or find them intimidating, try a milder sweeter blue like Gorgonzola Dolce. Another way to enhance your blue cheese palette is to pair the cheese with the right beverage or food. Blue cheese will pair well with sweeter wines and ports. Port and Stilton is a classic wine and cheese combination. Blue cheese is great melted on a steak or burger and makes a wonderful addition to sauces and salad dressings. Try a bit of blue cheese with a sweeter bread like raisin walnut bread or Raincoast Crisps. You can also drizzle your blue in honey or Saba or with pears and walnuts.

The Vineyard is proud to offer a variety of blue cheese, accompaniments and beverages to match any taste. Feel free to stop in and ask for a taste and find the blue that is right for you.

This area has a long tradition of cattle farming and cheesemaking. Arnoldi sources its milk from local producers and uses traditional cheesemaking methods to create all of its cheeses. Taleggio is one of the most popular cheeses Arnoldi makes but it is not the only one. Verde Capra, a relative newcomer on to the cheese scene, is gaining in popularity due to its flavor and the rarity of blue goat’s milk cheeses. It is hard to make a delicious blue from goat’s milk as the curds tend to be more fragile.

Verde Capra is a dense moist cheese with a bright white paste that contrasts the vertical lines of blue green mold. The flavor is creamy, mild, and well balanced with a slight tang, a touch of salt, and a hint of sweetness. This cheese pairs well with Sparkling wines that are on the sweeter side like Salveto Sparkling Muscat or a Moscato D’Asti. Enjoy this cheese on its own or with pears, salami, steak, or add to tortellini.

Much like the farms producing their milk, Milton Creamery is a family business. Husband, wife, and children are involved in the business. Owner, Rufus Musser grew up in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania and in 1992 moved to southeast Iowa with his wife and five children. Rufus was approached by two Amishmen in 2002 who wanted Rufus to buy their milk and use it to make cheese. They started making Cheddar and fresh curds and their first batch of cheese was made on May 8, 2006. They now make Colby as well as some flavored Cheddars, Prairie Breeze and Prairie Rose.

In February 2007, Rufus’s 16 year old son Galen took over the cheese making process enabling Rufus to focus on marketing and deliveries. I am amazed that such a young person is making such incredible cheese. Prairie Breeze and Prairie Rose were introduced in the late summer of 2007 and have been getting a lot of attention. It helps that they use exceptional milk and traditional methods to produce such delicious cheeses.

The Vineyard is happy to offer Prairie Breeze which is a rindless cheddar that is aged for a minimum of six months. The block we received was made in the spring of 2008, giving it additional time to develop yummy flavor crystals. This cheddar is creamy and cruchy with notes of nuts and a touch of salt. This cheese pairs well with Champagne, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and your favorite beer.

One of the women at the forefront of the American cheese revolution was Mary Keehn. She was a mother looking for a milk substitute for her children who had difficulty digesting cow’s milk. Many people have issues with cow’s milk and find goat milk to be a wonderful alternative. So Mary got a few goats and soon became a premiere goat breeder. With 50 goats she soon found that she had way too much milk and needed an outlet for the surplus. In 1983, I was a mere three years old, she started Cypress Grove.

It took a number of years before her cheese was accepted in the United States. She used the time to learn about cheese, care for her goats, land, and her small clientele. Speaking no French, she traveled to France and fell in love with the soft cheeses of France. She learned to make bloomy-rinded cheeses despite the language barrier.

In 2003 she sold off her goats to focus on making and selling cheese. The market for cheese in America had grown exponentially and Mary’s cheeses were extremely popular. Cypress Grove makes many award winning cheeses such as Humboldt Fog, Purple Haze, Lamb Chopper, and Midnight Moon. Midnight Moon is one of my favorite all time cheeses, I love its flavor and texture.

Whenever someone comes up to my cheese counter and admits that they do not like goat cheese, I give them a taste of Midnight Moon. I often don’t tell them it is a goat cheese until after they taste. So far, everyone has liked it and no one has yet to be upset that I forced them to eat goat cheese. When people hear goat cheese they think of a fresh tangy chevre but that is just one style of goat cheese. Midnight Moon is nothing like chevre, it is more akin to a Dutch Gouda and for very good reasons.

Cypress Grove started a production line in Holland, Cypress Crove Creamline. In 1992 they began producing Midnight Moon and Lambchopper. This was a time when Cypress Grove was outgrowing its Californian cheese making plant but was unable to financially expand beyond making fresh cheese. Cypress Grove Creamline was able to increase profits and offer great cheeses with a smaller financial investment.

Midnight Moon and Lambchopper are made following a Dutch Gouda recipe. This cheese was conceived in California and produced in Holland. Midnight Moon is encased in wax and develops a sweetness as it ages. This cheese is aged for a minimum of six months and during this time, the magic happens. This time allows the cheese to develop a sweetness but also pockets of salty crunch that are actually concentrated proteins. I love a cheese with a salty crystalline crunch. Midnight Moon has notes of caramel, brown butter, and nuts with a dense and creamy texture.

This cheese is wonderful on its own or served with walnut raisin bread or melted in an omelet. This cheese will pair well with many styles of wine such as Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Dry Sherry, Gewürztraminer, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vella Cheese Company began making cheese in 1931. The company started in response to abuses farmers encounter when selling their milk to the Sonoma Mission Cheese Company. Many local dairy farmers were not getting paid for their milk and wanted a new cheese company to buy their milk. The farmer’s approached Tom Vella to open a cheese factor and the farmers would give him the exclusive use of all their milk.

Vella Cheese Company started as a factory but they maintained their relationships with the local dairy’s whose milk they used. They still maintain these close relationships and the milk used for making cheese is never more than twelve hours old. Vella Cheese understands the importance of great fresh local milk and it shows in their cheeses. Now Tom’s son Ig is running the family business.

Dry Jack was created to satisfy the demands of Italian immigrants for cheese. During World War I, many popular Italian grating cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecornio Romano were no longer available in the United States. As refrigeration was also hard to come, the cheese had to be shelf stable and Mezzo Secco and Dry Jack were born. Mezzo Secco was discontinued in 1999 but Dry Jack is still going strong.

Dry Jack is hand-shaped in cheesecloth bags, then tied and pressed overnight. This creates a belly button impression in the middle of the wheel of cheese. The wheels are then brined for a few days and then air dried for a few weeks. The wheels are rubbed with Vella’s signature cure which is a mixture of unsweetened cocoa, black pepper, and soybean or safflower oil. Unlike Cocoa Cardona, the cocoa is not being used to flavor the cheese but to protect the rind. The oil prevents the wheels from cracking and the pepper and cocoa keep the oil in suspension and prevent flavors from penetrating the paste of the cheese. This enables the cheese to age for 16 months or more.

This cheese has a mild nature and is well balanced with notes of fruit and coconut oil. The texture is hard and crumbly with a rich flavor. This cheese is very wine friendly and will pair well with Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Sparkling wines as well as beer and whiskey.

Why Chocolate & Cheese? Both share the commonality of milk and richness. I enjoy both with some salt and love the combination of sweet and savory. Not every cheese will pair well with every chocolate but it is fun to play and experiment. This Valentine’s Day you could pick out a few chunks of cheese and a selection of chocolates and see what tastes good to your palate. Some recommendations I have found are Pierre Robert with raspberry or prosecco ganache and salt caramels with Valdeon and Mahon. You can have your chocolate and cheese separate or combined.

A few of my favorite chocolate and cheese combinations are Capri Chocolate goat log which is a chocolate chevre that is excellent for making cheesecake, a heart shaped chocolate goat cheese with bourbon soaked raisins and walnuts, and Cocoa Cardona. Let us explore a new cheese at The Vineyard, Cocoa Cardona.

Cocoa Cardona is a semi-firm goat’s milk cheese made by Carr Valley in Wisconsin. The rind is rubbed with cocoa powder to infuse the creamy cheese with a subtle chocolate flavor which is balanced by the sharpness of the cheese. This cheese took 1st place at the 2004 and 2nd place at the 2006 American Cheese Society Competition. Carr Valley’s head cheesemaker, Sid Cook is one of the few certified Master Cheesemakers in the United States.

If you want to enhance the chocolate flavor, you can drizzle this cheese with chocolate syrup or honey. This cheese is like a chocolate goat cheese truffle, a rich indulgence! This cheese will pair well with Syrah, Merlot, Gewurtraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. I have adapted the following recipe for those adventurous enough to try this at home.

http://www.extremechocolate.com/the-harsh-reality-of-chocolate-cheese.html

Chocolate cheese fudge

Ingredients
1/2 pound of Cocoa Cardona, shredded
2 16-ounce boxes of fine confectioners’ sugar
1 cup of butter
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of chopped nuts (pecans and walnuts work best)
Instructions
1. Spray a 9×12 pan with non-stick coating.
2. Melt the cheese and butter together in a large saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Remove the mixture from the heat, mix in the nuts and vanilla extract, and set it aside.
4. Mix the cocoa and sugar together in a large bowl.
5. Fold in the cheese/butter mixture.
6. Press the resulting stiff concoction into the prepared pan by hand.
7. Pat the surface of the candy with a paper towel to reduce the amount of excess oil.
8. Put the candy into the refrigerator until it’s firm.
9. Cut it into squares.
10. Chow down on the home-baked chocolate cheese goodness — if you’re extreme enough.

Meadowcreek Dairy strives to showcase their milk and terrior in all of the cheeses they make. Their milk is free from synthetic hormones and antibiotics. They want to reflect the unique character of their milk, farm, and location.

Appalachian was the first cheese made by Meadowcreek Dairy. This is a lightly cooked, pressed-curd cheese that is aged for at least sixty days. This cheese was made in the style of a French Tomme. The paste of this cheese is straw yellow, semi-firm, supple, and densely textured. The rind is dusted with natural white molds. This cheese is mild with a buttery flavor and notes of mushrooms, citrus, and earth with a spicy finish.

This cheese will pair well with a Sauvignon Blanc, Cotes du Rhone, Pinot Grigio, or your favorite beer. Appalachian melts beautifully and is a great addition to any dish. This is a highly sought after cheese which we are lucky to carry!

These winds were also responsible for the shipwreck of many ships and many sailors lost their lives. These tragedies have affected the terrain of this small island. As many ships were destroyed near King Island, different things washed ashore, among these were straw beds. The seeds inside these beds began to germinate and spread across the island. This created extremely lush and pristine pastures.

Due to the Island’s climate, cows can be on pasture year round. The only thing that supplements their diet is kelp which has washed up on shore. King Island cows are well known for producing milk that is sweet, creamy, and pure. This milk goes into making all of King Island Dairy’s line of cheeses.

This unusual blue won “Champion Cheese” as the 2002 New York Fancy Food Show and was the 2006 Champion at the 78th Annual British Empire Cheese Show in Ontario, Canada. There are less than 2,000 people currently living on King Island. This has enable the Island to maintain its pristine pastures and avoid many pollution pitfalls.

Roaring 40′s is a rindless blue cheese that is matured in black wax to maintain moisture to create a smooth and creamy cheese. Very few blue cheeses are coated in wax but this cheese benefits greatly from its coating. This cheese has notes of honey and nuts which is balanced by minerality. This cheese will pair well with a smoky Australian Shiraz, dessert and fortified wines, Riesling, Gewurztrminer, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc. Try this cheese on a whole wheat cracker, currant bread, or Raincoast Crisps. You can also drizzle this cheese in honey or pair it with pears and walnuts.

Many believe Garrotxa is a new cheese but it is actually a lost cheese. After the Spanish Civil War and World War II, Spain was struggling with poverty. The Spanish government implemented a policy that basically outlawed small scale farming and production. Limits were placed on milk production forcing dairies to produce large quantities or cease production. This forced many small scale cheese producers underground and some cheeses disappeared completely. In the 1990′s, the traditional recipe for Garrotxa was found and Garrotxa was resurrected.

Garrotxa is made using traditional methods with a modern twist. This cheese is aged for 4 months during which time it develops its natural rind which has a velvety texture and blue grey color. These small wheels of cheese are compact and semi-soft. The paste is snow white, smooth, creamy, and slightly flaky. The taste has notes of hazelnuts, lemon, and herbs. This cheese melts on the tongue and has a smooth finish. This cheese pairs well with sparkling wines, Albarino, Tempranillo, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. Stop into The Vineyard and try Garrotxa and try this recipe.

Leeks Romesco with Crumbled Garrotxa Cheese

* Recipe by Grace Parisi

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/leeks-romesco-with-crumbled-garrotxa-cheese

Ingredients

1. 1 small red bell pepper
2. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more olive oil for brushing
3. 1/4 cup blanched whole unsalted almonds
4. 1/2 cup cubed firm-textured white bread without crusts (1/4 inch)
5. 2 garlic cloves, smashed
6. 2 plum tomatoes—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
7. 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
8. Salt and cayenne pepper
9. 6 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise
10. 1/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
11. 4 ounces crumbled Garrotxa or other tangy, semi-aged, goat’s-milk cheese (1 cup)
12. Crusty sourdough bread, for serving

Directions

1. Lightly brush the bell pepper with olive oil and roast it directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning frequently, until charred all over. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. Peel, core and seed the pepper and cut it into thick strips.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the skillet. Add the bread cubes and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat another tablespoon of the olive oil in the skillet. Add the bell pepper strips and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is lightly golden and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large mortar or food processor and let cool.
4. Add the fried almonds to the bell pepper mixture and using a pestle, pound to a coarse paste, or pulse in the processor. Add the toasted bread cubes and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then pound and stir, or pulse, until the sauce is emulsified. Gradually add 1/4 cup of olive oil, stirring and pounding, or pulsing, until emulsified. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the sherry vinegar and season with salt and cayenne.
5. In a large deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil until shimmering. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and barely softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar, season with salt and cayenne and bring to a boil. Cover the leeks and cook over moderate heat until tender, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Let the leeks cool, then drain.
6. Arrange the braised leeks on a large platter. Spoon half of the romesco sauce over the leeks. Sprinkle the crumbled Garrotxa cheese on top and serve with crusty bread and the remaining romesco on the side.

Make Ahead

The romesco sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and the cooked leeks can be refrigerated overnight. Let return to room temperature before serving.

Quicke’s is the largest of 9 dairies in the UK still making traditional farmhouse cheddar. Quicke’s dairy is located on 1500 acres in Newton St Cyres in Devon at Home Farm. The Quicke family has been farming at Home farm for over 450 years. Sir John Quicke and his wife built the dairy 25 years ago. Their daughter Mary continues to make traditional cheddar.

Quicke’s could be mistaken for an industrial cheese producer but they make their cheese using traditional methods by hand. Quicke’s makes all of their cheeses from their own herd of 330 cows. Another thing that separates Quicke’s from other cheddars producers is how they care for their environment and their animals. When cheese is made on the same farm that milks the animals, the cheese is considered farmhouse. Their traditional farmhouse cheddars are aged from 6 months to 24 mouths. Each Truckle or wheel of cheddar is wrapped in muslin which allows the cheese to breathe as it ages and prevents unwanted intruders.

Quicke’s Traditional Mature Cheddar is aged for 12 months. This cheese is buttery, sharp, and full bodied. This cheese can pair well with a sparkling wine, a dry white, a hearty red, or your favorite beer. Try this cheddar with apples or salami. Stop into The Vineyard to taste Quicke’s Traditional Mature Farmhouse Cheddar, you could even compare the taste with New Zealand’s Mainland Cheddar.

Try this recipe at home; anything that starts with a stick of butter has to be good.

Cheddar Beer Soup

http://www.grouprecipes.com/98835/cheddar-beer-soup.html

Ingredients
• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper diced
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 whole clove
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup beer or ale
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 block, 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Directions
1. In a stock pot melt butter or margarine and sauté onions and peppers with bay leaf and clove until vegetables are soft.
2. Add flour and cook and stir for several minutes.
3. Mixture will form a paste.
4. Gradually add liquids and cook and stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens; then simmer about 10 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve soup hot and sprinkle with the grated cheddar.
7. Serves 6 to 8.