Cheese, Please

I forgot to mention that while I was in Boston, my big sister was kind enough to stop by the Boston Cheese Cellar on our way to Concord, MA. Owner Kathy Lacher let us sample the cheeses before we bought. We ended up with a hunk each of Spanish Manchego, an Italian Parmesano Reggiano and a Vermont goat cheese log.

Last week, I found an assortment of US-made cheeses at EarthFare and Harris Teeter:

From the specialty cheese case at the South Park Harris Teeter: Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog, an aged goat cheese with a layer of ash around the wheel and one slap down the middle. This was a tangy cheese that didn't make room for any of the milder varieties. I suggest enjoying goat cheese, specifically aged goat cheeses, with hearty red wines that can stand up to the yogurty tang.

From the South Park EarthFare: Vella Cheese's Mezzo Secco, a cheese revived in 1999 from the age before refrigeration. This cheese was too mild for my taste - a bit reminiscent of Kraft Parmesan from a can, but with more depth of flavor and texture.

From the South Park EarthFare: Roth Kase's Moody Blue, a bacony, medium-intensity blue from Wisconsin that surprised me with its balance of smoke and puckering blue notes. Roth Kase is known for its Grand Cru line (Swiss varieties in particular).

From the South Park EarthFare: Meadow Creek Dairy's Grayson, a washed-rind, stinky cheese. Let me just say I learned I am not a fan of stinky cheese when I tasted this, but I respect those of you who are. We plan to try smoking what we didn't eat to see if that will help us tolerate the barnyard stench of this cheese. Smells aside, this was a creamy and pleasantly colored cheese that looked delicious. Unfortunately, looks can be deceptive, and you have to have a taste for The Stink to really appreciate it!

Last but not least, from the South Park EarthFare: Chapel Hill Creamery's Hickory Grove, a washed-curd cheese, this was our favorite of the bunch. Interestingly enough, it is the cheese made closest to home of the lot. This was a beautiful dryish and almondy cheese with the most pleasing texture, flavor (not too tart, not too sweet or nutty), and satisfying mouth-drying effect of all. This cheese is heavenly by itself and exquisite with a little drizzled honey.

I intend to try every American-made cheese I come across, so stay tuned for future postings on homeland cheeses. I encourage you to stop by your grocer's specialty cheese section and sample a new kind of cheese. Keep in mind the shrink-wrapped blocks of cheddar, mozzarella, jack and Colby are compressed, machine-made and infinitely less flavorful than their not-so-distant cousins wrapped in cellophane. Bon fromage!