Pérail

Pérail is a lovely soft ripened pasteurised sheep-milk cheese from Aveyron in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. The name Pérail is taken from a Languedoc term 'Peral' meaning fromage frais (fresh cheese).

Pérail is a small 100 g (3.5 oz) circular flat disc measuring approximately 10 cm (4") in diameter.

Pérail has an ivory coloured wrinkly rind composed mainly of geotrichum candidum. The creamy white coloured paste is tender and soft.

This sheep milk cheese is rich and creamy with a pleasant aromatic flavour that is well balanced with its mild earthy undertones. Pérail pairs nicely with a Chardonnay or a French Chablis.

This Pérail Papillon is produced at the Fromagerie du Lévezou in Villefranche-de-Panat in Aveyron.

Pérail cheese which is made by the lactic fermentation method is only made during a certain time of the year. During the winter, when the sheep herds cannot produce sufficient quantities of milk for the dairies to process to make Roquefort blue cheese, these wonderful pure sheep-milk Pérail are made.

The Lacaune which produce the milk for the famous Roquefort cheese are the most numerous sheep breed in France. Lacaune ewes produce milk with higher total solids than the East Friesians, but in slightly less volume.

http://www.roquefort-papillon.com

Mimolette

Mimolette cheese is also known as Boule de Lille after its city of origin, Lille in Nord Pas de Calais, France. It is also known as vieux Hollande and in some areas of Belgium and the Netherlands Mimolette is known as Commissiekaas.

It is said that Mimolette was originally made by the request of Louis XIV, who was looking for a French cheese to replace the very popular Edam cheese from Holland. However to differentiate it from Edam, they coloured the cheese with annatto, a natural orange colorant.

This 6 months aged Mimolette is produced by Isigny Sainte-Mère, a cooperative dairy located in Normandie, France.  The fame and fortune of Isigny Sainte-Mère was built on the unique flavour of its butter and the rich, silky texture of its crème fraîche. Isigny Sainte-Mère produces approximately 60% of the Mimolette in France.

Mimolette is a round shaped, uncooked, pressed paste, pasteurised cow's milk cheese, weighing 2.5 to 3 kg (5.5 to 6.5 pounds). Apart from its distinctive round melon shape, slightly flattened on top and bottom, Mimolette has a stricking bright orange coloured paste.

Mimolette can be eaten at various stages of maturity. A young, Mimolette (aged 3 months) has a moist semi-firm springy paste and rind.  With the semi-old (aged 6 months), old (aged 12 months) and extra-old (aged 18-24 months) the paste of the Mimolette darkens to a deeper pumpkin coloured hue and becomes much harder with age, sometimes even hard to chew.

The greyish-tan textured crusty rind on an aged Mimolette is the result of Acarus siro mites. The action of these living cheese mites on the surface of the Mimolette contributes to its peculiar appearance and distinctive earthy flavor and intense aroma.

Most cheese lovers will appreciate an aged Mimolette for its exquisite spicy, salty flavour and its wonderful lingering caramelized butterscotch finish. Mimolette pairs nicely with desert wines such as a French Banyuls.

http://www.isigny-ste-mere.com

Perle

Perle is a cute semi-soft, bloomy rind, organic goat milk cheese from Domaine de Courval located in Waterville in the Estrie region of Québec.

Domaine de Courval is operated by couple Raynald Hébert and Laurie Goodhart. Before settling in Waterville, Québec in 2007 this couple had already perfected their cheesemaking skills at Nettle Meadow, one of the first micro-dairies in the state of New York.

Domaine de Courval is one of the few certified organic goat-milk farms in Québec. This artisanal Fromagerie creates delicate, fresh and aged goat cheeses. They produce five different flavours of fresh goat cheese and cream cheese and two types of refined goat cheese; Kunik a sumptuous triple cream and Perle.

Perle is a small 70 g (2.5 oz) little chèvre measuring approximately 5 cm (2") in diameter and 4 cm (1.25") in height. It has a pearl-white coloured bloomy rind and a cream coloured semi-soft paste. The white mold rind is firm yet melds well with the slightly tangy, creamy, pure goat milk flavoured paste with lingering hints of mushroom. Perle is an excellent introduction to the world of goat cheese.

http://www.produitsdelaferme.com/fr/entreprises_produits/domaine_courval.php

Photo source: www.tourismecoaticook.qc.ca

Harbison

Harbison is a beautiful soft paste, bloomy rind, bark-wrapped cheese from Jasper Hill Farm located in Greensboro in Northeast Vermont.

Harbison is a small cheese wheel measuring approximately 10 cm (4") in diameter, 3 cm (1.25") in height and 340 g (12 oz.) in weight. This lovely little gem is held together with a band of spruce bark that is collected in the woodlands on the farms property.

Jasper Hill Farm is operated by brothers Mateo and Andy Kehler who also operate Cellars at Jasper Hill. Cellars’ is a state of the art network of underground vaults, calibrated with distinct temperature and humidity levels accommodating various cheese styles. Cellars at Jasper Hill was designed to help neighbouring farms to compete as artisanal cheese makers and succeed in today’s marketplace. 

Harbison cheese is made with pasteurised cow milk from Ayrshire cows. Ayrshire milk is perfectly suited for cheesemaking. The high fat and protein content and the way in which they breakdown, is perfect in the development of an excellent cheese.

This delicate cheese has a slight woodsy mushroom aroma with a lovely fresh, herbaceous, sweet creamy taste. When this cheese is ripe, the soft oozing paste is perfect to be spooned out onto a baguette. Or eat it like a fondue, simply leave the whole cheese in the bark and cut back the top rind and scoop out the cheese. Harbison cheese is very similar to the much sought-after seasonal French Vacherin Mont d'Or and Switzerland's Mont d'Or.

Jasper Hill Farm also produce Bayley Hazen Blue, Alpha Tolman a burly Alpine-style cheese, Moses Sleeper, Willoughby and the American Cheese Society’s 2013 Best of Show winner Winnimere, which is a raw milk, larger version of Harbison.

Harbison pairs nicely with a well-balanced, full-bodied, white Gewürztraminer.

Check out this informative video on the making of Harbison cheese.

www.jasperhillfarm.com

www.cellarsatjasperhill.com

LAMUZGUEULE - Mister B

LAMUZGUEULE is a live Electro swing band from Grenoble, France. Lamuzgueule mixes swing, balkan and electro beats with narative and ironic french lyrics. Lamuzgueule's Mister B electro-swing style track is very bubbly, fun and contagious.

Mister B is taken from their album "Radio bérets & Disco zina". The album is composed and mixed with the help of 3 DJs: Dimaa, Tactical Groove Orbit, and Atom.

LAMUZGUEULE - Mister B (feat. Dimaa)

  

www.lamuzgueule.com

soundcloud.com/lamuzgueul

Morbier

Morbier is a raw cow-milk, semi-firm, washed-rind cheese with a distinctive vein of ash across the middle of the paste.

Morbier cheese is named after a small commune in the Massif du Jura in Franche-Comté in eastern France. Today both Jura and Doubs versions of the Morbier benefit from an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée).

Morbier cheese dates back to the 19th century when it was originally made for personal consumption by cheesemakers of the French cheese Comté. The cheesemakers would use some of their leftover fresh curd after making their massive 100 lbs. wheels of Comté. They would sprinkle soot over the leftover curd as it rested overnight at the bottom of a barrel to keep insects away and to prevent a rind from forming until the next morning when more leftover pieces of cheese were put on top to complete what is Morbier cheese. A cheese that can be consumed in 45 days but an affinage of two months is more usual. Today the dark vein in Le Morbier made of vegetable ash is only decorative yet respectful to its origin. 

The milk used in the production of an AOC Morbier cheese must come exclusively from French Simmental and Montbeliard breeds of cow. Production may be artisanal, fermier, coopérative or industriel.

Morbier is made in the shape of a large disc with bulging sides. The wheel measures approx. 40 cm (16") in diameter and 8 cm (3") in height, weighing about 9 kg (20 lbs.). The ivory-yellow uncooked, pressed, semi-soft paste with small holes is pliant. Although the golden brown washed rind has a pungent aroma, the cheese is relatively mild with hints of fruit and grass. Morbier melts beautifully, try it in your next raclette.

Morbier pairs nicely with Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer or a white Jura wine.

http://www.fromage-morbier.com

Photo source: http://www.lesvachesdutour.com

P'tit Sainte Maure

The Fromagerie Poitou Chèvre  who produce the P'tit Sainte Maure is located in the small sixth century village of Mothe Saint Héray, situated along the Sèvre River in the heart of southern Poitou, in the west of France.

In 1897 the local farmers of the area got together to create a cooperative dairy they called La Laiterie Coopérative de la Mothe. During the twentieth century, the dairy specialized in cheese production, especially in the production of goat cheese.

In 1996, the Fromagerie Poitou Chèvre took over the management of the dairy and focused on the traditional manufacturing of goat cheese like the Chabichou du Poitou and Mothais sur Feuille.

The P'tit Sainte Maure is one of the newest additions of cheese produced at the Fromagerie Poitou Chèvre. It is a small version of the classic goat cheese Sainte Maure. It is a 170 g (6 ounce) log-shaped pasteurised goat milk cheese.

P'tit Sainte Maure is made with either an ash covered mouldy rind or a cream coloured bloomy ripened rind with a lovely soft white paste. The P'tit Sainte Maure cheese has a buttery and smooth texture with a nutty and slight tart flavour emerging from the edible rind.

The P'tit Sainte Maure pairs nicely with many white wines such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a Sancerre.

Photo source: http://www.poitou-chevre.com

Grant Lazlo - Alabama

'Alabama' by Grant Lazlo is taken from the compilation Electro Blues Vol. 1 on Freshly Squeezed Music. Electro Blues Vol. 1 features a great selection of 24 Electronic Jazz, Blues and Electo-Swing tracks that work perfectly to bring the old with the new. This double CD features tracks from Swing Republic, John Lee Hooker, Moby, Big Moma Thornton and more. Worth checking out!

'Alabama' by French producer Grant Lazlo (AKA 'Lazlo') is a perfect blend of the use of electronic beats with blues. It has great blues vocals, harmonica and even a bit of scratching.

This is a short sampling of Grant Lazlo's track. You can't help but want to move your feet'n'booty listening to this bouncy new refashioned vintage sound.

http://www.freshlysqueezedmusic.com

To listen to more of Grant Lazlo tracks, mixes and remixes, check out: https://soundcloud.com/grantlazlo

Cheez-Elle's Tomato Cheddar Pie

After reading Fromage Homage Cheese,Please! Challenge I was stimulated to enter her September's Challenge - Cheddar. Not only in England, but also here in Canada "we're practically weaned on cheddar cheese". I just love a good sharp cheddar. Did I have a Cheddar recipe in mind? Sure, that wasn't the dilemma, what better time of year, when tomatoes are aplenty to make a Tomato Cheddar Pie.

Now the harder choice to make, was which Cheddar would I use for my Tomato Cheddar Pie? Would I use my favourite Quebec sharp cheddar standby; Île-aux-Grues 2 year old Cheddar?  Or would I use the delicious Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar from Mariposa Dairy in Lindsay, Ontario? Instead I selected to use the prized Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar from COWS Creamery in Charlottetown, PEI. Avonlea Cheddar is an exquisite farmstead type cheddar with a wonderful creamy, earthy, tangy flavour. This is exactly the perfect blend I wanted for my Tomato Cheddar Pie that is delicious and very simple to make.

Cheez-Elle's Tomato Cheddar Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large onion
1 Tablespoon oil
1 to 2 teaspoons mustard
1 pinch of basil
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 unbaked 8 or 9 inch pie shell

Instructions:

- Slice your onion in rings

- Heat the oil in a frying pan

- Sauté the onion with basil and mustard

- Place this mixture in the bottom of unbaked pie shell

- Slice the tomatoes into slices and place on a paper towel and pat dry

- Cover the onion preparation that is in the pie plate with the grated cheddar cheese

- Top with the tomato slices

- Sprinkle a pinch of basil, salt, pepper to taste

- Sprinkle the pie with small pieces of garlic

- Bake at 350 F. for about 20 minutes

This is quite a versatile pie. You can easily substitute mustard with pesto, which is quite plentiful in my kitchen this time of year. Or if you want to use gruyère or any other cheese you have on hand instead of cheddar, it always turns out yummy.

Here are two other great cheddar cheese recipes you might want to try: Apple Cheddar Soup, SharpCheddar Zucchini Bread

Have a Cheddar recipe in mind? Want to take part in September’s Cheese, Please! Recipe Blog Challenge? Check out the full rules here.

L'Étoile Bleue de Saint-Rémi

 

L'Étoile Bleue de Saint-Rémi is an artisanal sheep-milk blue cheese fabricated by Fromagerie Du Charme located in Saint-Rémi-de-Tingwick in the Appalachian mountain area in the Centre-du-Québec region. Young entrepreneur Olivier Ducharme has recently acquired the Fromagerie from what was formerly Bergerie Jeannine.  

L'Étoile Bleue de Saint-Rémi is a lovely blue-veined cheese made from thermized sheep-milk cheese. It is produced in a small cylindrical 1.5 KG wheel that is distinguished by its blue aluminum foil covering.

L'Étoile Bleue de Saint-Rémi has a white, crumbly yet creamy texture, with lovely veins of blue-green mold. The overall flavour sensation starts off slightly mild, then a sweet fruity taste, ending with a moderately sharp tang. 

What I like about L'Étoile Bleue is that even though it is made from sheep milk like the world renowned Roquefort blue cheeses, it is not as salty.

L'Étoile Bleue could be a great addition to any salad. It pairs nicely with a dry white Jurançon.

Fromagerie Du Charme is currently producing two excellent cheeses made from ewes milk, from recipes that he has retained from the former owners; L'Étoile Bleue de Saint-Rémi and Le Friesian. They also produce two new cow-milk cheeses; Hermann and La Tablée.

www.facebook.com/fromagerie.ducharme

Photo sources:
www.lanouvelle.net
virtuel.lesactualites.canoe.ca