2015/11/27

Bijou

Bijou is an exquisite, little, soft-ripened, pasteurised goat-milk cheese produced by Vermont Creamery located in Websterville, Vermont.

Bijou, which means "Jewel" in French, is quite the fitting name for this tiny little cheese that embodies all that is unique in the making and caring of a small 'crottin type' goat-milk cheese.

 Bijou goat cheese

Bijou is made with fresh pasteurised goat-milk which is supplied to Vermont Creamery by 20 family goat farms. The curd coagulates overnight, drains in cheese-cloths and then shaped into little cylinder buttons. Bijou is then dried and matured for 1 week before being packaged for retail. Each container which is designed to promote ripening contains 2 Bijou cheese crottins. Each Bijou weighs 2 oz.(57 grams) and measures approx. 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) in diameter and 1 1/4 inch (3.5 cm) in height. Bijou like 'crottin type' cheeses evolves with time, gaining in sharpness and complexity as it reaches an ideal maturity at 30 days.

Bijou 2 pack aged goat cheese crottin

Bijou is an award winning chèvre for Vermont Creamery. It has received the 1st Place position in the category of American made International style goat cheese at both the 2014 and the 2015 American Cheese Society competitions. Bijou also received the Gold medal at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.

Bijou has a lovely wrinkly, cream coloured, geotrichum-rind and a milk-white soft paste that is denser in the middle and creamier on the outside. Bijou has a wonderful sweet and yeasty taste & aroma due to the geo-rind. It has a smooth, rich and creamy texture with a robust tangy flavour with hints of hazelnuts.

Bijou goat cheese

Bijou is quite a versatile cheese it can be served as a creamy spreadable goat when young, toasted on a baguette with a salad for a traditional French chèvre-chaud or it can stand on its own on any cheese platter. Bijou pairs nicely with complex aromatic white wines such as an Alsace Gewürztraminer or try it with a Belgium Tripel beer with complex aromas and flavours.


Vermont Creamery has been making cream, fine butter, fresh and aged cheeses for over 30 years. Their fine products have won them over 100 various national and international awards. Read my review on one of their other award winning goat cheese Bonne Bouche.

Goats from Ayers Brook Goat Farm in Randolph, Vermont

Vermont Creamery has invested in the future of goat farming by creating a sustainable goat dairy in Randolph Vermont. Ayers Brook Goat Farm is being set up as a teaching venue for future farmers and current farmers across the United States, a place where they can come and learn good animal management and to help encourage the growth of the goat dairy industry in Vermont.  

2015/10/21

Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix

Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix is a semi-firm, blue veined, pasteurised sheep milk cheese produced by La Maison Maurice Dufour in Baie-Saint-Paul located in Quebec's picturesque region of Charlevoix.

Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix

In 1994 Maurice Dufour a certified agronomist, established the cheese aging house 'La Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour". Through the years this cottage-type cheese factory has earned their fame and glory with the highly regarded Migneron de Charlevoix cheese.

La Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour in Charlevoix


Salle d'affinage at La Maison Maurice Dufour

Several years passed at Maison Maurice Dufour, paving the way for their Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix, an innovative cheese made only from sheep's milk. Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix introduced in 1999 is made with the milk of Lacaune and East Friesian breed of ewes. Roquefort AOC cheese is produced exclusively with the milk of Lacaune ewes. Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix received a First Prize Ribbon at the 2011 American Cheese Society Competition.


Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix is a round 2.5 kg (5 1/2 lbs.) wheel measuring approx. 22 cm (8 1/2") in diameter and 12 cm (5") in height and is aged for 5 months. It has a greyish rind and a pale yellow semi-firm paste with a few bluish-green veins. It has quite a strong flavour, quite pungent and slightly salty.

Bleu de Brebis de Charlevoix is the perfect addition to any cheese plater or as a companion to many dishes or salads. This blue cheese is pleasant with dried fruit, chocolate and sweet wines.

La Famille Migneron de Charlevoix cheeses includes; Le Migneron a semi-soft, surface-ripened, washed rind, cows milk cheese that was crowned the Grand Champion at the 2002 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix competition; Le Ciel De Charlevoix another award winning semi-soft, cow's milk blue cheese; Secret de Maurice a soft surface ripened sheep-milk cheese whose secret recipe comes from Spain; La Tomme d'Elles an award winning firm, surface-ripened, washed rind made with a mixture of sheep and cow milk; La Tomme de Brebis de Charlevoix a firm, surface-ripened, washed rind, sheep milk cheese.

Today La Maison Maurice Dufour is known across the country for their Famille Migneron cheeses they produce and for having pioneered the resurgence of fine Quebec cheeses.



2015/09/24

Slow Thyme

Slow Thyme is an organic, Verata goat-milk cheese produced in limited quantities by the Hacienda Zorita Organic Farm one of Spain's pioneers in natural and organic farming. 

Slow Thyme organic goat-milk cheese


Slow Thyme is a pressed, semi-firm, raw goat's milk cheese that is covered with olive oil and crushed thyme then cured for 6 months. Slow Thyme is a small 1 kg (2.2 lb.) tomme measuring approx. 12 cm (4 1/2 inches) in diameter and 14 cm (5 1/2 inches) in height. It has a pleasant rustic scent of thyme.

Slow Thyme organic goat-milk cheese from Hacienda Zorita

Slow Thyme has an intense flavour of goat milk with earthy piquant notes with a pleasant lingering taste of olive oil and herbal thyme. The cream-coloured paste is fine-textured, smooth & buttery and melds nicely with the thyme. Slow Thyme pairs nicely with Spanish red wines from Duero Valley and Rioja.

Verata goats

Hacienda Zorita is an Organic Farm located on a three hundred hectare estate located in Zamora near the city of Salamanca in the Castilla y Leon’s Duero Valley region. The milk for Slow Thyme cheese comes from the Verata goat, a breed of goat native to Spain that is near extinction. Hacienda Zorita is firmly committed to the preservation of indigenous, rare and endangered species in the Duero Valley. 

Hacienda Zorita Organic Farm also produces organic raw milk ewe’s cheese (including Torta de Dehesa and Queso Curado de Dehesa Reserve), Iberico hams and charcuterie, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and wholesome breads. The company is proud to have one of Europe’s most modern cheese factories. Hacienda Zorita Organic Farm is a leader in Spain’s Slow Food movement.


Verata goats photo source: http://www.travelingboy.com/

2015/09/08

Le Crottin de Fanny

Le Crottin de Fanny is a lovely artisanal goat-milk cheese from La Chèvrerie de Charlevoix located in St. Agnes, Quebec in the beautiful hills of the Charlevoix region.

Le Crottin de Fanny


Le Crottin de Fanny is a bloomy rind, goat-milk cheese based on the recipe of the classic Crottin de Chavignol but adapted to please the taste of Quebecers. This small cylindrical cheese has a soft, compact ivory-white colour paste and weighs around 125 grams when it is young (with an affinage of 14 days).

Le Crottin de Fanny has a subtle slightly nutty taste. As the cheese matures (21 days+) it develops a firmer paste, the rind begins to show some mold developing and the cheese begins to come into its own with a much more complex flavour.  Le Crottin de Fanny pairs nicely with a dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc.

Le Crottin de Fanny is produced with the milk of alpine and saanen goats that are raised in freedom, outdoors on the artisanal farm owned and operated by Didier Luberriaga and Stephanie Corret. Although they have been running this artisanal goat farm for four years, their cheese factory La Chèvrerie de Charlevoix was built last year and the production of cheese was launched this spring.

Goat at Chèvrerie de Charlevoix

La Chèvrerie de Charlevoix also produces a wonderful semi-firm artisanal goat cheese La Tomme St-Agnes and a goat-milk ricotta on request. They are currently working on also producing their own goat-milk dulce de leche.