TASTES: Feddost cheese

By Erica and Kara
We recently purchased a cheese from Nordic Creamery at the East Side Farmers' Market in Madison. Nordic Creamery makes goat and cow's milk cheeses, and they don't have a stand at Madison's Saturday market-- although the family-owned farm is located in Westby, Wisconsin, they cross the border into Illinois on the weekend to hock their goods at the Lincoln Park Farmers' Market in Chicago.

Background: We tried a Feddost cheese, which is a cow and goat milk cheese made with a "curd infusion" of cumin and cloves. Nordic Creamery says that Feddost is "a Norwegian flavor tradition with a sweet and spicy flavor."

Feddost won second place in the mixed milk category at the American Cheese Society competition in 2008.


The Taste: Feddost was a stretch for C:AJ - neither of us thought that we liked flavored cheeses, preferring instead flavors that arise from your basic milk, rennet, and bacteria. Feddost proved us (somewhat) wrong. We enjoyed how seamlessly the spices were incorporated into the cheese - the sweetness (clove) and savoriness (cumin) tasted and felt like they were organic to the creation of this cheese, rather than being added in at the last minute. (Perhaps this is the advantage to "curd infusions," which take place so early in the process.) Feddost has a pleasing texture: medium-soft and smooth, excellent for a hard cracker. Kara would suggest this as an interesting addition to an appetizer plate - funky, thoroughly approchable, yummy... at least for a few bites. Several pieces in (after the cameras stopped rolling), the flavor becomes a little tedious... It's a pretty simple flavor, albeit unusual. It wasn't our favorite cheese, by any means, but it's worth a taste. We'll be on the lookout for other "curd-infused" cheeses for comparison.

RECIPES: Baked Macaroni and (Goat!) Cheese

By Kara

I came home from the farmers' market last weekend with an enormous chunk of aged goatsmilk cheddar, a bag full of crumbly "Celestesan" (pungently goaty parmesan-style cheese), and an irresistible suggestion from an avid cheese-sampler: macaroni and goat cheese.

The result was incredible. The aroma of browning goat cheese filled the house as the dish baked in the oven, and lingered for hours after the bulk of the "six" servings was devoured. (Two suggestions, on a social note: (1) warm any sensitive roommates; (2) exercise caution when promising to share.) The shells almost literally melted in my mouth, save for the occasional nub of grated topping.

I highly recommend the double dose of goat for true cheese-adventurers. But for the less... goat-inclined, I can also imagine using a more standard cowsmilk cheddar for the sauce, and saving a sprinkling of goat cheese, or some other crumbly and pungent favorite, for the topping. My boyfriend and I ate it with a side of cherry tomatoes and asparagus sauteed in butter, garlic, and a dash of maple syrup.

Thanks to Felix for the idea of including some favorite cheese-recipes on the blog, to our customer for the idea of introducing goat cheese to comfort food, and to my mom for my old favorite mac and cheese recipe.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 ½ cups milk
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
8 ounces shredded cheese (about 2 cups, divided) - I recommend aged goatsmilk cheddar, with a quarter-cup of something especially flavorful for the topping!
8 ounces macaroni (about 1 ¾ cups), cooked 6 minutes and drained - Mom suggests elbows, but this time we went with medium shells

Before beginning: Heat oven, butter baking dish and grate cheese.

In a medium saucepan (seriously, not a small one), combine corn starch, salt, and pepper. Stir in milk until smooth. Add margarine or butter. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium-high heat and boil one minute (this concoction will expand hugely!). Remove from heat. Reserve ¼ cup cheese for topping. Stir in remaining cheese until melted. Add pasta. Turn into greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake uncovered in 375° oven 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly (I like it to brown up on top). Makes 6 servings (theoretically).

TASTES - And NEWS!: Our Cheese-Selling Debut

By Kara and Erica

Some of you may remember a time when we were but lowly cheese fans, when had no words to describe the sensations we experienced, no knowledge to impart upon our readers, and no venue to acquire such knowledge.

Times have changed.

Last Saturday, we spent the morning working at the Capri Cheesery stand at the Dane County Farmers' Market, under the tutelage of Felix, the man behind some of our favorite cheeses. (See our very first TASTES post here, and a later Capri tasting here.) We learned a lot and had a blast, and we look forward to writing more detailed posts soon on topics as diverse as cooking temperatures, chemical compounds, and, of course, how hard it is to milk a bear. (Ask Felix.)

We'll be working at the Capri stand Saturday mornings - stop by and sample some cheese!

FACTS: Goat milk

By Erica

Last week, we tasted a cheese from Capri Cheesery that was made with "Amish goat milk." This ingredient puzzled our pseudo-cheese-connoisseur minds (you can see this confusion unfold in real time in our tasting video), and it led me on a hunt for more information about goat milk. Here is what I learned:

1) Male goats, like male people, are stinky: If a smelly buck (male goat) is not separated from milk-producing does (female goats), his scent will somehow rub off on the milk's taste. Apparently, people sometimes object to the goaty flavor of goat milk (to which I say, what do you expect! It's from GOATS), but this strong flavor only comes out if the bucks aren't taken away. I am curious: could one create a line of goat cheeses named after the various bucks that are around the barn when the doe is lactating?

2) Fat matters: Because of the size of the fat globules in goat milk, the cream does not separate out, and thus the milk does not need to be homogenized. Less processing is always a good thing, in cheese and in life.

3) Fatty acids matter: The higher proportion of medium-chain fatty acids, such as capric acid, cause goat milk cheese to be uniquely tart.

4) Goats are very productive: On average, dairy goats produce 3 to 4 quarts of milk daily for 10 months.

5) Warm goat cheese is just warm goat cheese: You know how cow cheeses, like mozzerella or chedder, melt when you heat them up? This doesn't happen to goat cheeses. They just get hot.

6) Goats are everywhere: Goat cheese is made in so many places! They are a hearty creature.

-Crottin de Chavignol is a nutty cheese with a white rind from the Loire Valley
-Clochette is a bell-shaped, tangy cheese from the Poitou-Charentes region in France
-Couronne Lochoise, another French cheese, is donut shaped
-Feta!
-Mató, is a Catalan fresh cheese similar to ricotta
-Pantysgawn is a Welsh cheese with an awesome name
-Brunost is a Norwegian brown cheese. In North America, it is sold as "gjetost"
-Rubing is a firm cheese from the Yunnan Province in China. It's similar to Paneer

7) There's a market for everything: In addition to cheese, goat milk can be used to make ice cream or soap.

8) This could be your next weekend project: It's easy to make goat milk cheese!

Slowly heat a gallon of goat milk to 185°F, using a stainless steel or enamelware pot. Add 1/4 cup vinegar. Keep the temperature at 185°F, stirring the milk occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. At this point a soft curd should form. Line a colander or strainer with cheesecloth. Pour the curd into the colander, and sprinkle the curd with salt. Tie the corners of the cloth together and hang it to drip for a few hours.

Add seasoning such as dill, pepper, or garlic, and refrigerate. Eat the cheese immediately, or keep it no longer than a week in the refrigerator. (From the dairy goat journal.)


Sources:
http://www.goatworld.com/articles/goatmilk/goatmilk.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat_milk_cheese
http://www.goats4h.com/Goat-Milk.html -- goat/cow/human nutrition comparison picture

TASTES: Aged Goatmilk Cheddar

By Erica and Kara


Background: This week, we returned to the Dane County Farmer's Market. Now that it's moved to the senior center, we weren't sure if we'd see any familiar faces but to our surprise and delight, Felix himself was manning the Capri Cheesery table. If you remember, dear reader, our first tasting was one of Felix's cheeses. We won't go over the details of Capri here, so click on the above link if you want to know more about Felix and his goats.

The Taste: The cheese is white and crumbly, hard to cut neatly. Sitting on the plate, it smells deliciously, quintessentially, cheesey. At first the goaty pungency overwhelms the tang we expect from a cheddar, but by the end of the bite its sour zing asserts itself. It's a strong flavor, mouth-filling and smooth. Whenever we think of cheddar, we think of Cracker Barrel. Capri's version of aged cheddar is C.B. to the power of ten, in both strength and complexity. In short: delish.

TASTES: South Africa part II

By Kara

South Africa continues to satisfy this turophile (see below). I tried another two cheeses this week and found them very palate-pleasing.

INDEZI RIVER CHEESE COMPANY: NANDI MATURE GOAT'S MILK CHEDDAR


Background:
The first was a goat's milk cheddar from the Indezi River Cheese Company, based in the Natal Midlands. Indezi appears to be an up and coming cheese company, "certified free range" (a cheesery after a Mad-townie's heart, though not quite as socially just and hippie qualified as Fairview). Again, they use imported Saanen goats, which makes me wonder if any South African cheese-makers use indigenous animals. Indezi has a very entertaining website, including a "Helpful Hints" section, including highlights such as "The blue in blue cheese is NOT melted copper wire, but a harmless penicillin mould," and "It is best to keep cheese in the bottom part of your fridge," and "Turophile is the official term for a cheese lover." All, for various reasons, very good to know!

They describe their "Nandi" as "a traditional farm style cheese," which I think means that it is pretty young (fresh) and quick to mature. They say it should be "slightly dry and a little salty with a piquant aftertaste" (note to self: add "piquant" to the vocab list). They also note that Nandi is "a regal cheese fit for a queen," which is somewhat harder to verify.

The Taste:
I found Nandi to be a very pleasant cheese, given that it wasn't especially exciting. It was extremely mild, more like a mozzarella flavor than a strong cheddar, although there was a hint of the sharp sourness that I would expect in a cheddar. The texture was very smooth and soft. I think this would be a good cheese for the sensitive-tongued. It was especially yummy on a bagel chip.

FAIRVIEW ROYDON CAMEMBERT

Background:
The second cheese came from Fairview, like the Crottin I loved last week. I'd give top marks to Fairview!! Given the abundance of Fairview cheeses and wines at the local grocery store, so would the rest of Cape Town (or at least the ritzy gay men who frequent the De Waterkant neighborhood).


The Taste:
Definitely Camembert! The cheese was very oozey and creamy, and melted almost to a liquid as it warmed up to room temperature. It was much more fluid than our last Camembert. It had that distinctive zing at the back of the mouth, but was otherwise fairly mild, with a markedly mild rind. Very tasty!