Cheese is a great food for vegetarians because it is rich in calcium and vitamins while being an excellent source of protein. Rennet is an essential enzyme used in the production of cheese. It can come from various sources including animal, vegetables, microbial and even plants like thistle. Vegetarians often choose to avoid the cheeses made with animal based rennet, but that does not mean that they are without cheese. Thanks to the many alternative forms of rennet, vegetarian cheeses are now available in a diverse selection of textures, milks and flavors. However, it can be hard to know which cheeses are vegetarian so we thought that we would feature some of our favorites.
Coach buttons are lovely, fresh goat’s milk cheeses that are perfect for any meal. Locally produced, these dainty cheeses are even more versatile thanks to the many flavors they come in such as dill and pepper. Pick a couple up and use them in everything. Mt. Tam is produced by one of the most respected cheesemakers in the United States, Cowgirl Creamery. Soft, buttery with herbal undertones. This cheese screams for a crusty baguette and a glass of Champagne. And not only is it vegetarian, it’s organic too! Coastal Cheddar is a fine example of the vast category of English Cheeses that are now vegetarian. This cheddar is sharp and creamy, perfect for snacking. Cashel blue is a lovely, well balanced blue that can be used for everything from salads to cheese plates. Not too strong but nothing mild about it.
Coach Buttons
Made upstate in Pine Plains, just a few hours from NYC, this fresh goat’s milk cheese is creamy and lightly lemony. Small size is perfect for a little snack. Pasteurized, suitable for vegetarians. Choose from plain, pepper, dill, and herb.
Cowgirl Mountain Tam
Winner of the Blue Ribbon for the soft-ripened category at the 2005 American Cheese Society conference, Mt. Tam is named after Mt. Tamalpais, located north of the San Francisco Bay. The Cowgirls' triple-crème is made with the organic milk of the neighboring Straus Family Farm. As a triple-creme should be, it's buttery, rich and earthy, reminiscent of white mushrooms. Not strong, not delicate. Elegant. Made of pasteurized Holstein and Jersey cow's milk.
Coastal Cheddar
Ford Farms’ cows graze upon the lush, seaside pastures, enjoying a pure, clean environment; when it’s too cold or wet for them to be outside, the cows are fed silage made from the farm’s grasses. The salty air gives this tangy, fruity cheddar a distinct briney-savory flavor, and there’s a slight electric zing just before the sweet, nutty, lingering finish.
Cashel Blue
Ireland’s original blue cheese was created in 1984 by Jane and Louis Grubb on their farm in Tipperary, and they are still the only makers of this superb blue cheese. Made entirely by hand from pasteurized, non-homogenized milk from the farm’s pedigree herd of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. This creamy blue is vegetal and has tones reminiscent of fresh sea air; it’s assertive but not aggressive, and has a lingering earthiness.
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