JANUARY 2022 CHEESE CLUB
WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB
ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 CHEESES:
Le Secret de Compastelle | Basque Country, France
Pasteurized sheep's milk
This French Basque tomme-style’s "secret" is that, when milk supplies are low (and ewes produce the least amount of milk anyway, but with more solids), they source it from the Spanish Basque side of the Pyrenees. Gasp! It’s sweet, caramelly, nutty, and slightly wooly. Aged sheep cheeses are a go-to pairing for robust, full-bodied reds.
From this month’s wine club lineup, this cheese pairs well with: 2020 Vera de Estenas Bobal
Cantal | Auvergne, France
Raw cow's milk
Next up we have a cheddar-style Frenchie with an ancient history — it’s been in production since France was Gaul. Cantal has a fantastic chew, an undeniable butteriness, a grassy tone up front, and a warmed milky breath.
Try it with: 2018 Noelia Ricci Bro Forli Bianco
Whatcom Farmhouse | Ferndale, Washington, USA
Raw Jersey cow’s milk
This American Original is a loosely knit, easy-to-eat snacking cheese that hasn’t been pressed, which helps it retain moisture and makes for a coating mouth morsel with approachable flavors and good salt, but zero funk and zero rind. Whatcom Farmhouse deserves to be tasted with countless ambrosial counterparts.
Try it with: 2020 Ciello Rosso Nero d’Avola
6-CHEESE MEMBERS ALSO GET TO ENJOY THESE 3:
Le Berger Basque | French Pyrenees
Raw sheep's milk
Though this rock star is also from the French Pyrenees, it’s a stark contrast from the Le Secret de Compastelle (our first cheese in this month’s lineup). It’s mineral-driven and earthy, much like the terrain on which these ruminants graze.
Try it with: 2020 Skouras Salto Wild Ferment Assyrtiko
Bijou | Northeast Vermont, USA
Pasteurized goat's milk
Now on to a soft-ripened American button. Depending on it's ripeness, Bijou either packs a fudgy, warmed milky bite or a silken, farmy, funky (yet clean) mouthful. This cheese just received a Good Foods award, and for good reason — it's absolutely divine.
Try it with: 2020 La Comarcal Delmoro Blanco
Campo | Cedar Grove, North Carolina, USA
Pasteurized cow's milk
This smooth-as-velvet cold smoked, beefy loaf of cheese is extremely savory and meaty (think bacon drippings), and utterly satisfying.
Try it with: 2020 Feudo di Santa Tresa Purato Nero d'Avola
AND SOME TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CHEESE HAPPY AT HOME
Protect your cheese from drying out by keeping it in your fridge in a lidded container (like tupperware), a plastic baggie, or the crisper drawer.
After opening, always use fresh plastic wrap for any cheese you’re not planning to eat within a day, unless it’s being kept in a container (which we recommend).
In general, we suggest eating your cheese within a week or so of purchasing. Some cheeses will last longer, but, you know, why wait!
Keep bloomy rinds and blues separated when possible. The molds are quite zealous and will grow on any cheese they can latch onto, so just keep them in separate containers and you’ll be fine.
A word about mold: If it’s growing on your semi-firm or firm cheeses, just cut it off and eat it! This white and blue mold is just fine — these cheeses lack the water to host the nasty molds. But if mold is growing on your fresh mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, or fresh chèvre, throw it out. The amount of water in these cheeses provides a great environment for the nasty stuff. If you start to see mold, you can be sure that the filaments are already running throughout the cheese :(
For the best flavors, take your cheese out of the fridge for an hour or so before serving. When cheeses are too cold, all their delicious flavors, aromas, and textures get shy. Serve at room temperature to enjoy to the fullest.
This month’s cheese was carefully curated by Seattle’s Resident Cheese Lady, Rachael Lucas, ACS CCP, CCSE. Rachael is a cheese buyer for the Ballinger Thriftway in Shoreline, a fromage writer for tastewashingtontravel.com, and she’s on the Board of Directors for WASCA (Washington State Cheesemaker’s Association).