Cheese&Gourmet

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

New For August Cheeses

There's a lot to love this summer from our cheese case!

NEW

Shropshire Blue
A wonderful blue veined cheddar from the same folks who make our Stilton. Formerly only availabile in 18 pound wheels (whew) now available in smaller cuts so we can offer this maginficent cheese to you! (Clawson Dairy, UK)

Vella Bear Flag Dry Jack
I actually got this in by accident while tracking down a cheese I had at a wholesalers wine tasting. Not the one I was trying to find but, better! Steven Jenkins, cheese enthusiast and author of The Cheese Primer, says it best: "Bear Flag Brand Dry Jack is a rock-hard, unpasteurized cow's-milk cheese that rivals Parmigiano-Reggiano in its magnificent depth of flavor and visual appeal." The cheese is coated with a mixture of vegetable oil, cocoa and pepper and aged for two years. This is a true "monterey jack" and bears no resemblance to the soft processed cheeses out of Wisconsin. (Sonoma California) My tasting notes: I wouldn't say rock-hard - perhaps this specimin is a little less aged - but it is extremely firm with a texture somewhat like an aged manchego.

Champignon
From the same cheese company that brings us Cambazola, this is a rich double creme, bloomy rind cheese with mushrooms. Enchanting nose, soft and rich.

Cambazola
Blue double creme, a customer favorite, is back in stock.

Whitestone Cheeses (New Zealand)
In the limestone country of the central South Island, there is a place touched by a kind of magic that can't be found anywhere else in the world. It's in the air, the water, the pastures and the ancient white rock that inspired the name of Whitestone. The subtle flavors that belong to Whitestone reflect the quality of the land that gave them birth. Clear, clean, tangy, a reflection of the powerful hills that frame a landscape of green serenity.

The organic story starts iwth the soil where the use of artificial fertilizers and harmful sprays is not permitted. Only natural fertilisers such as rock phosphates and seaweed products are used. Cows are given special treatment having large paddocks, ample grazing and a stress-free environment. All this contributes to happy, contented cows producing tasty nutritious milk under a non-chemical sustainable farming system. Factory and intensive livestock farming is prohibited under the BIOGRO certification, as is the use of growth promoters, antibiotics, artificial drenches and chemical parasite controls.


Airedale Organic (In stock now) [also certified USDA Organic]
This distinctly local variety is harder pressed, producing a cheese with a pale golden centre, which is sealed in red wax. The semi-soft texture produces a full rich flavour with a strong to sharp edge that intensifies with aging. Silver Medal New Zealand Cheese Awards, 2005

COMING SOON:

Totara Vintage Cheddar
Aged 18-24 months this is a classic strong flavoured vintage cheddar with a crunchy texture and sharp finish. Cheddar the way they were made in the "old days."

Farmhouse Organic
Whitestone Farmhouse has a lemon-grass aroma and a springy elasticity. The curd is moist with a chalky center that ripes and softens from the edge as it matures. When young it has a "sea breeze" freshness with a nutty edge that develops with age.

Livingstone Gold
A distinctive North Otago full flavored cheese produced in a traditional open vat. A natural additive, annato, is added to produce its golden color, an inspiration for its name, after North Otago's historic Livingstone goldfields.

Mt. Domet Double Cream
Named after one of the areas highest mountains, this unstabalized variety is made from cow's milk with extra cream added. This has created a smooth textured cheese with a "wicked" rich flavor that strengthins with aging to run at full maturity.

Moeraki Bay Blue
This premium high cream blue has a shorter maturation than Windsor blue producing a firmer texture and milder flavor with a rich full cream finish.

Windsor Blue
This creamy blue has a golden soft buttery texture with a silky smooth mouthfeel. The unique blue culture dissects the rich curd combining to produce a delicate deep flavor which intensifies with aging.