More Cheese, Please

A veteran cheesemonger weighs in on her selections of choice

Hello, it’s that time of year again, where I sit and reflect on what I’ve loved most over the past 365 days, from nibbles of cheese to bites that spark joy. It is also a time spent looking forward to new, or new to me, cheeses, those must-have blocks and bloomy rinds on the horizon.

As charcuterie boards and Hors d’Oeuvre move front and center at holiday parties and family gatherings, I wanted to share my thoughts on cheese I believe should be gracing the table. I crave a cheese board with all the same milk — sheep, cow, goat or mixed-milk cheeses — in various stages such as bloomy, semisoft and hard.

One of those must-try cheeses is the award-winning Kick Ash from Razzbourne Farms, a bloomy rind goat cheese with a vegetable ash center line. Another is Vlaaskass, produced by Beemster Cheese, a mellow, semi-soft choice that pairs great with a crisp glass of white, and Meadow Creek Dairy’s Galax, a smooth natural rind cheese reminiscent of gouda.

Taking the title of top blue cheese, my new favorite is Strathdon blue from Scotland’s Highland Fine Cheese Company. Others offerings in the rotation include the super creamy Merry Goat Round, the velvety sheep’s and cow milk Indigo Bunting, the buttery Cana di Cabra and Red Leicester, a crumbly cheddar.

As always, I am looking to see what is coming back and any new cheeses that our producers are working on. Thank you for all your continued support and cheese quests that I get to embark on!

Peace Love and Fromage,

Amy

Instagram: cavaliercheeseamy