Tete de Moine is an old monastery-style mountain cheese whose name translates to "monk's head". Traditionally it is sliced horizontally with a girolle to create ruffled, very thin rosettes. Once the top part of the rind is taken off, it resembles the balk top of a monk's head. The firm, dense texture, though not dry, makes it perfect for paper-thin slices. The flavor can range from very fruity and rich to pungent and very sharp.
Le Marechal is a raw cow's milk cheese produced in small batches in the town of Corcelles-aux-Payernes. Aged for 5 months, at the beginning of the third month the cheese is rubbed with Herbes de Provence (a blend of thyme, oregano and other country herbs) giving it a beautiful appearance and spicy flavor. The texture of this farmhouse cheese is that of a Gruyere-style cheese, firm and dense. Its exceptional flavor is herbaceous and nutty with great depth.
This is a wonderful version of the traditional Ossau-Iraty-Brebis from the Rigal Family of cheeses. It has a dense, semi-firm texture sometimes broken with a few thing fissures or holes but otherwise compact. The flavor is refined and ballanced -- aromatic herbaceaous and fruity qualities with a buttery rich finish. This cheese is similar in style to an Etorki but has much more character and complexity largely due to its AOC status. Anyone who enjoys sheep cheese will quickly become an addict.
The Savoie region on the eastern boarder with Switzerland is well known for Tomme-style cheeses. The word tomme referes simply to a wheel of cheese. There are many tomme in the world also spelled tome, in Italy toma or tuma. Usually, the res of the name included the village or region around which the cheese is made as in Tomme de Savoie. It is aged to exhibit a natural fuzzy, gray-brown rind that is inedible. The interior is a buttery color with manhy small eyes or holes. The flavor is nutty, earthy, ans sometimes grassy. As a simple, rustic cheese it certainly holds its own.
This big wheel of cheese is also known as Gryere de Comte or French Gruyere. Originally, Gruyere was neither Swiss Nor French. The root of the word stems from Charlemagne's reign, inclusive of France, Switzerland and parts of Germany, where The forests were termed gruyeres. Wood from those forests fired the kettles for the cheese makers as they traded cheese for Firewood. Comte is aged 6 months to a year, whereas Swiss Gruyere is sometimes only aged for 3 months. It takes as many as 530 Liters of milk, which is about the daily production of 30 cows, all to make 1 wheel of Comte, which weighs approximately 80 pounds. The cheese is Regularly wiped and rubbed with brine to encourage the development of the rind mold. The eyes of the Comte are the result of Proper affinage and should be the size of a pea to a small cherry. If affinage is prolonged at too low of a temperature, the Result will be that no eyes form. The AOC designated regions include the Franche-Comte, eastern Burgundy, parts of Lorraine, Champagne and the Rhone-Alps. Comte is highly controlled for quality and 5% of the cheeses fail to meet AOC standards. The Flavor is complex, nutty and caramelized with a lingering but not sharp flavor.
This big wheel of cheese is also known as Gruyere de Comte or French Gruyere. Originally, Gruyere was neither Neither Swiss nor French. The root of the word stems from Charlemagne's reign, inclusive of France, Switzerland and parts of Germany, Where the forests were termed gruyeres. Wood from those forests fired the kettles for the cheese makers as they traded cheese For firewood. Comte is aged 6 months to a year, whereas Swiss Gruyere is sometimes only aged for 3 months. It takes as many as 530 liters of milk, about the daily production of 30 cows, to make 1 Comte, weighing approximately 80 pounds. The cheese is Regularly wiped and rubbed with brine to encourage the development of the rind mold. The eyes of the Comte are the result of Proper affinage and should be the size of a pea to a small cherry. If affinage is prolonged at too low of a temperature, the Result will be that no eyes form. The AOC designated regions include the Franche-Comte, eastern Burgundy, parts of Lorraine, Champagne and the Rhone-Alps. Comte is highly controlled for quality and 5% of the cheeses fail to meet AOC standards. The Flavor is complex, nutty and caramelized with a lingering but not sharp flavor.
This raw sheep's milk cheese is definitely a little Basque treasure, about as rustic as a cheese can get. The natural rind betrays many of the good things that these lucky sheep are eating. The various molds point to a varied diet of herbs, grasses and other good nibbles. In particular, the prevalence of the rust colored mold on the rind may indicate a high content of carotene in their diet. The interior is firm and dense. It melts on the tongue with fabulous complexity, all at once nutty, sweet, herbaceaous and sheepy.
This large wheel of aged sheep cheese develops an intense, rich flavor. It is nutty and sharp with a dry, flaky or grating texture. Nice for cooking, shaved over dishes or on the cheeseboard.
This relatively rare Parmigiano is available from only a small number of dairies. The "Vacche Rosse" cows, also referred to as "Razza Reggiana", produce much lower milk yields than the Holstein and Fresian cross, Risona Italiana" those are the primary producers of Parmigiano. The protein content of the "Vacche Rosse" is said to be higher, producing a richer, fuller cheese. The color shows that tendency, a buttery yellow in tone. When young it is fruity and mild and the cheese could certainly age as long as 5 years. This makes a great artisan additional to a Parmigiano selection.
Aging for four years could result in some pretty powerful cheese, but this Gouda gracefully ages to a mellow, very complex cheese that will add certain wisdom to the cheeseboard. It is a true Boerenkaas Gouda meaning a "farmer's cheese", that is also farmhouse thus made on a single farm. Boerenkaas are always made with whole, raw milk from cows that have been grazing on pasture. It is an excellent substitute for grating cheeses and will caramelize nicely under the broiler. The texture is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano, very firm and flaky with the same clusters of protein crystals that burst with flavors on the palate. The color is deep amber and burnt orange, and the flavor is sweet and salty with a butterscotch finish.
