News From The Cheese Caves

They come in nice little packages… leaf-wrapped, herb encrusted, or as decadent and delicate rounds of creamy curd. The fresh, young cheeses of spring are arriving and I have to tell you about a few of my favorites.

The first is Fleur du Maquis, recently arriving here from France. Nothing screams springtime fresh herbal fragrance like a round of this sheep’s milk cheese from Corsica. A strikingly beautiful cheese, Fleur du Maquis has a coating of rosemary , juniper berries, fennel seeds and the occasional chile pepper. Fleur du Maquis pairs best with savory flavors such as olives and peppers. Not only is it a flavorful mouthful, but it’s so lovely to look at on your cheese plate.

Next is Nettle Meadow Kunik, a soft and delectable triple crème made right here in New York State. Its palate coating richness is the perfect partner to mingle with a sip sparkling wine or champagne. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t roll back their eyes in ecstasy as they allow this gorgeous creamy cheese titillate their tastebuds. You simply must try it.

Next up is Hoja Santa, straight from one of our favorite cheesemakers in Dallas, Texas– Paula Lambert of the Mozzarella Company. This cute little gem is wrapped up in the local leaf of the Hoja Santa plant which imparts a mischievous kick of sassafras to the delicate, grassy taste of the goat cheese curd within. This cheese is so refreshing when paired with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc, it will soon become one of your springtime favorites as well.

-Erin Hedley
Drop Ship and Corporate Gift Culinary Advisor

Posted by Erin Hedley

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at 8:43 am and is filed under Artisanal Cheese News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.