Spring is a time of rebirth, new beginnings, and everything seems fresh. We feel inspired to try something new. So why not try a new cheese? There are so many cheeses that are perfectly fresh and full of flavor this time of year and we love them! After all the heavy, strong foods we ate throughout the winter, a small piece of cheese is just the ticket to get us in the springtime mindset. To help, we have selected a few cheeses that we think scream spring!
First is Bucherondin, a customer favorite for a reason. This great goat’s milk cheese is soft but not too runny, flakey but not dry and just the right amount of goat tang to keep your guests coming back for more. Chaource reminds us the fresh cream that is often poured over fresh berries for a springtime treat. But instead of just cream, this cheese is full of buttery, slightly assertive flavors that ooze all over. All you need is a spoon to enjoy this special treat. If Chaource is like fresh, spring cream then Boschetto al Tartuffo is like the fresh grass. Full of truffles, this cheese is perfect for spring because it is full of flavor and yet nothing overpowering. The texture is giving but not too soft with wonderful chunks of truffle throughout. It really is a treat for your senses. To finish off this spring explosion, be sure to try Parrano. This delightful Dutch cheese is what would be created if Parmesan and Gouda had baby. Sharp and salty yet slightly sweet and nutty, this cheese is sure to please everyone. Try it with roasted vegetables for a delicious, easy meal.
Bucherondin
This very popular French goat cheese is a bit stronger than the 4- or 11 oz shrink-wrapped logs, thanks to the wrinkly almond-colored rind. The center is chalky and flaky, and the layer between the center and the rind is creamy and oozing when very mature. Tangy, milky, and a little piquant. Pasteurized.
Chaource
Often mistakenly placed in the category of triple-crème, this AOC cheese is actually a double-crème, with just a little more fat (m.g.) than Brie and Camembert. We can't blame folks for thinking it has more fat than it does, because it's decadently rich, buttery, and creamy, with just a little bit of tang and salt. When it's a point (the preferred stage of maturity), it's a little assertive and very runny, and when you slice through the white bloomy rind, the paste will escape in a delicious, oozing mass. Scoop it up and serve with sweet berries and Champagne. Pasteurized, made in France.
Boschetto al Tartufo
What a special treat! Cow and sheep’s milk are combined with truffle, and aged for just a few months. The cheese and the truffle complement each other beautifully: sweet, savory, pleasantly briny cheese, and woodsy, garlicky truffle, with neither overpowering the other. Its semi-soft, pleasantly toothsome texture will bring about a sigh of relief and an exclamation of, “Ah, nice!” upon tasting. From Italy.
Parrano
It’s Dutch, but sort of Italian. How can this be? Dutch cheese producer UnieKaas has taken the best qualities of Gouda and Parmesan and created this 20-month-aged pasteurized cow’s milk wheel. Tasting tangy, full-flavored, and nutty, its smooth, semi-firm texture makes it an ideal grating or table cheese.
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