French Comte

In eastern France lies an important historical cheese producing region called the Jura Massif. This stunning mountain region stretches between Jura and Doubs in Franche-Comté, and Ain in the Rhones-Alpes. It is home to over 3,000 family farms dedicated to producing the highest quality raw milk that is required to make Comté cheese.

Comté is an AOC (Controlled Appellation of Origin) raw milk cheese that has been made for at least one thousand years. Its unique flavors and characteristics are derived from traditional production methods that reflect the culture and the environment of the region. One could say the AOC classification acts as a contract between farmers, fruitières (dairy farmers), affineurs and their customers to maintain the taste and natural character of Comté.

An AOC cheese classification regards the traditional cheese making methods, the regional environmental specifications and the animal that produces the milk. Comte has been AOC protected since 1958. The milk must come from 95% Montbeliardes breed and 5% French Simmental. This guideline is, in my opinion, the most important in respecting the flavor and quality of the milk to produce a Comte cheese that will be true to its origins. Each cow is given a whole hectare of pasture land in the summer months. They are free to feed on a natural grass diet. At the end of Autumn, the cows return to the stable where they can feast on locally harvested hay, which helps to maximize Comté’s delicious aromatic potential. Any fermented feed such as sileage is prohibited because it adversely affects the quality of the milk which is used raw. Comté has also refused GMOs and presents all guarantees in respect of the product.

3000 family farms that are legally allowed to produce milk used to make Comte are part of a co-operative that support about 150 village dairies. Every day this tradition repeats itself. The milk is partly skimmed and warmed in copper pots to create the curd. This curd is then pressed to remove excess liquid and placed in a mold to release the whey and press the wheels. The freshly made wheels are then preripened for a few weeks before being moved to one of the 16 maturing cellars. In order to maintain this natural process, additives and colorings are prohibited at any stage of the process. Over time a crust (hard rind) appears and every Comté wheel develops its unique smooth texture, rich color and delicious range of flavors.

The affineurs look after the wheels for 4 to 18 months or more; regularly turning, salting and rubbing each one with brine solution. After 4 months each round is tested and marked on its taste and shape. Those scoring over 14 points are given the green band representing excellent quality. Rounds given between 12-14 points will be given a brown band. And rounds that score less than 12 are excluded from carrying the official label. Only the best will do when it comes to putting Comté on your plate.

Similar to its Swiss cousins, Gruyere and Emmenthaler, Comte shares a meltability and flavor profile of nuts, roasted onions and caramel notes. These awesome characteristics make it an extremely versatile cheese. Comte lends itself to the best cheese sauce recipes, fondues, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, casseroles and so much more. In addition to being a great cooking cheese, it is delicious on its own and eaten out of hand or on a cheese plate with mustard and nuts. 

WHAT GOES WITH MY CHEESE

Because I love using Comte in recipes..... Comte and tomato tart recipe

The best wines for French cheeses tend to be from the same regions so I highly recommend having Comte with a red wine from the Jura region. Look for Arbois, which is the wine appellation for the region. In that area you may find red and rose wines produced from Poulsard, Troussaeu and Pinot Noir grapes. If Arbois is harder to find, look for a red Burgundy or Red Rhone. 

If wine is not your preference, try Comte with the Westmalle Trappist Ale. The nutty and earthy character in Comte is a perfect complement to the roasted nut flavors found in this beer. 

If you prefer to serve Comte on a cheese plate, serve it with savory, pickled and salty foods like olives, cornichons, and salamis. 

Check out this link to another great blog article about Comte. 

http://www.thekitchn.com/why-french-comt-cheese-needs-to-be-in-your-fridge-comt-cheese-tour-206217

Cheese name: Comte

Producer: many producers

Where: Jura regions in France

Size: large format 100lb wheels but can be found sold by weight in small chunks

Cheese category: Alpine cooked and pressed cheese

Milk: unpasteurized cow's milk

Harbison, I love you!

Very few things in life are as magically delicious as a bloomy rind soft-ripened cheese with its rich and creamy, gooey center encased in its velvety, cloudy soft shell. No other kind of cheese awakens our intrinsic desire for mother's milk like this one. This is the epitome of comfort food.

In the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in a town called Greensboro, the Kehler brothers produce an amazing American cheese influenced by the French Vacherin Mont D'Or. Its name is Harbison and it's safe to say its predecessor has nothing on him. This cheese is rich and unctuous with a complexity of flavors that can only happen when you live the unique life of Harbison.

Named after Anne Harbison, who is endearingly known as the grandmother of Greensboro. Like the cheeses from the Jasper Hill Farm and Cellars, this one gets its most interesting attributes from the love it receives in the vaults. The milk is sourced directly from the farm's Ayrshire cows and from Andersonville Farm in Glover, Vermont. The cheese is made at the creamery on the farm's property.

After the creamery, Harbison arrives fresh and naked at the cellars where it gets hand-wrapped in the Spruce Cambium wood strips sourced from the farm's woodlot. This technique adds a woodsy nuance to the ripening cheese, while providing structure as the interior softens to a gooey texture when fully ripe.

For approximately the next 4-6 weeks, Harbison will live in a vault in the Cellars that is temperature and humidity controlled. This allows the bloomy rind molds to thrive as well as promote the ripening process that makes this cheese amazingly rich and gooey. Periodically, the wheels will get patted down to remove excess mold and develop its characteristic snowy and velvety rind. The wheels also get flipped periodically several times a week to maintain the milk structure and shape.

This attention to Harbison's development makes a beautifully complex cheese that continues to change throughout its life at the cheese counter and your fridge at home. When it's young, Harbison is buttery, unctuous with mild earthy and sweet cream flavors. As it matures, the sweetness turns into more woodsy, mustardy and mushroom flavors with a runny and gooey texture.

You can find Harbison at most Whole Foods Markets and Murray's cheese around the country. Any worthy cheesemonger should be able to source it. And if you have a hard time finding it, Jasper Hill has a great online ordering program.

Take a closer look at Harbison - a delicious cheese from Cellars at Jasper Hill. This short movie follows the process from cow to spoon - including our innovative 'tip-up' cheese production system, and the harvest of spruce bark strips used to hold in the gooey-goodness of each little wheel.

WHAT GOES WITH MY CHEESE

I love serving Harbison at the beginning of a meal for guests at home. Cut the rind off at the top and just dig in with a spoon or a spreader. Simply spread it on crusty baguette and fall in love with the nuances in all its flavors and aromas. Harbison needs no frills. Its beauty speaks for itself. Serve this cheese with a French cider like Etienne Dupont Cidre Bouche Brut de Normandie. This cider is yeasty, dry and crisp with a lot of tart and mildly sweet apple flavors. This complexity holds up beautifully to Harbison's charm. 

If you rather try this with a beer, go for an IPA. The body and bitterness of an IPA holds up well to the woodsy flavors and richness of Harbison.

If you prefer wine, go for a mildly oakey Chardonnay. A Pouilly Fuisse is the prefect complement. The wood nuances in both the cheese and wine are a winning combination. The complexities also go hand in hand.

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Fully ripened Harbison

Cheese name: Harbison

Producer: Jasper Hill Creamery and Cellars

Where: Greensboro, Vermont

Size: 8oz

Cheese category: soft-ripened bloomy rind

Milk: pasteurized cow's milk

CHECK OUT THE LINKS

Jasper Hill

Cider

Ossau Iraty

In the Northern Basque Country in the Ossau Valley in Bearn and the Iraty Forest there is a great tradition of cheese making that goes back milennia. The Basques claim a culture that has remained unchanged for approximately 4000 years. Ossau Iraty(OH-soh-ear-ah-TEE) , like many cheeses of Europe, was born out the need to preserve milk and have food through the cold winter months. Sheeps' milk cheeses have always played an important economic and social role in this region.

In 1980 Ossau-Iraty Brebis Pyrenees was granted A.O.C. status. Ossau is a river and valley in Bearn and Iraty is also a river, a sprawling forest and mountain villages in France and Spain. With its oceanic climate, the Basque Country provides a mild winter with abundant rainfall that result in the grazing pastures needed for the ewes.  Whether dried as hay or fresh in pasture, grass remains the foundation for feeding.  It also provides the special characteristics and the aromas that are unique to the milk.

Manech and Basco-Béarnaise are the local breeds of sheep that have evolved to thrive in the Pyrenees’ terrain. In the tradition of Basque cheese making,  from the end of spring to mid-October, certain herds migrate into the high mountain pastures known as estives. The migration period or transhumance remains to this day a festive and memorable occasion. At an altitude between 3000 to 6000 feet, the animals graze in pristine meadows of fragrant grass while hay is harvested on the prairies in preparation for winter.

Ewes are milked twice each day, and milk is collected daily from the farms.  The estives are too distant for milk to be transported each day, so the special estives cheese is made on site, in Cayolars, traditional mountain pasture shelters (or huts) used by shepherds. Estives cheese is by necessity made from raw milk in small batches and from just one herd. 

After the cheeses are made, they go through affinage for approximately 3 months before they are released to market. During that process they are washed in a brine for a short time to give some flavor. The rest of the time, they are brushed and turned periodically to maintain milk structure and shape. In addition to this treatment, the affineur must monitor the cheeses daily to ensure they are developing rind, flavor and aromas perfectly. Depending on the conditions like air flow, seasonality and occupancy, adjustments may have to be made in the cellars to enhance the quality and bring the cheeses to the pinnacle of perfection.

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Ossau-Iraty is a must have. It holds its place among the greats. Its flavors and aromas are oily, olivey and nutty with just a touch of sheepiness to remind you of who's in charge. The sheep comes through in a subtle yet distinctive manner. The flavors and aromas of Ossau-Iraty transport you straight to the Basque mountains. If you've never had an out-of-body experience, this cheese will do it.

WHAT GOES WITH MY CHEESE

If you can get your hands on Jambon de Bayonne, that would be the most heavenly complement to this cheese. Made in the tradition of Iberico from Spain but milder and sweeter, this ham served alongside with crusty bread is all you need. If you can't get your hands on this, a French Saussison Sec will do.

I love Ossau-Iraty with light bodied red Rhone wine or a Rioja. If you prefer beer, the nuttiness and sweetness of a brown ale works perfectly.

This cheese is versatile and easy to love. Many times, this is the first cheese I recommend at my cheese counter, to serve at parties. It is always a crowd favorite. For those people that love Manchego and are looking to try something new, this is a wonderful discovery. 

Cheese name: Ossau Iraty

Producer: Several different producers in the Basque region. Look for Istara or Onetik brand

Where: Basque Country (geographically Southwestern France)

Size: 8lbs but its available in cuts

Cheese category: Semi-hard natural rind

Milk: Raw sheep's milk (although some more modernized producers do make the cheese in pasteurized milk)

 

Don't forget to check out the links

Culture magazine

Onetik

Jambon de Bayonne

ossau iraty

Bayley Hazen Blue

Blue cheese lovers, rejoice! Bayley Hazen is Vermont's best kept secret. Made in the tradition of an English Stilton, this blue cheese is the embodiment of Jasper Hill's "taste of place" mission. Manually pierced to develop the most perfect blue veins and made from Jasper Hill Farm's raw milk, its true charm comes from its time spent in the Cellars. 

In 2014, Bayley Hazen was voted the "World's Best Unpasteurized Cheese" at the World Cheese Awards. This cheese is 100% Jasper Hill. The milk comes from the farm's Ayrshire cows. It is made into cheese at their creamery and then transported to the blue cheese vaults in the cellars for affinage. During affinage, the cheese will first get manually pierced within its first few days. Then, periodically it will get flipped to maintain its shape and milk structure and rubbed to remove the excess mold on the surface of the wheels. The final detail in the cheese's development is the perfection of its strategically placed blue veins. Bayley Hazen spends approximately 3 months in the cellars. 

Bayley has all the salty, spicy and sweet complexity expected from a perfectly balanced blue cheese with grassy and nutty flavors. The fudgey and dense consistency brings all the flavors and aromas together to create an approachable blue cheese experience that is easy to love for both, the adventurous and most guarded palates.

WHAT GOES WITH MY CHEESE

Bayley's complexity lends itself to many uses. Slice it or crumble it on a burger or a spinach salad with bacon, cranberries and walnuts. I love serving it for dessert on a cheese plate with fig jam, Marcona almonds, caramelized walnuts and the hazelnut cranberry Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps.

For a spectacular pairing, serve the dessert cheese plate with the Brooklyn Brewery's Imperial Stout Black Ops. This dessert cheese plate and Black Ops pairing is so heavenly I can't even begin to start writing about it. I would just go on and on and on and on......

If beer just isn't your thing and you prefer wine, try a port or a sweet Bordeaux. But really, if you don't like beer, this should be your exception.

You can find this cheese at most Whole Foods Markets and Murray's throughout the country. However, a good cheesemonger should be able to source it. If you don't see it in your local cheese case, ask for it. You can always order it directly from the Jasper Hill website.

You should be able to find the crackers in the same place you find the cheese. And far as the beer, any beer shop with a decent selection should be able to source it. However, Black Ops is only available once a year. They produce a limited amount, and when it's gone, it's gone until next year. So make sure you ask for it.

Cheese name: Bayley Hazen Blue

Producer: Jasper Hill Creamery and Cellars

Where: Greensboro, Vermont

Size: 7lbs but its available in cuts

Cheese category: natural rind blue cheese

Milk: Raw cow's milk

Don't forget to check out the links

Cabot's Clothbound Cheddar

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is, in my opinion, the best American cheese collaboration. The cheese is made by Cabot Creamery, aged in the Jasper Hill Cellars, and the milk is sourced from the award-winning Kempton Farm. All three partners superbly play their role in this cheese's "taste of place" character.

Cabot Creamery is a cooperative owned and operated by its members. It has four facilities throughout New England and Upstate New York. In their collaboration with Jasper Hill Farm to support their "taste of place" mission, they committed to single-sourcing the milk from a farm with deep roots in Vermont.  George and Patty Kempton have raised 5 children and 7000 dairy cows since starting their dairy farm in Peacham, VT in 1962. The Kempton Farm is part of the co-op that forms Cabot and supplies a large amount of high quality milk for the creamery's premium cheeses. So naturally, when Jasper Hill wanted single-source milk for their Clothbound Cheddar, the Kempton Farm was the obvious choice.

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The production of this cheese, that won "Best in Show" at the American Cheese Society Awards in 2006, resulted in Jasper Hill earning the credibility to get the financing to build a multi-million dollar cheese-aging facility underground in Greensboro, VT.

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is easy to love. It is made in the tradition of large format English Cheddars weighing in at 32 pounds and wrapped in bandages. The young cheese is covered in lard and an additional layer of cloth is added.  The cheese ages for 10-15 months in a specially calibrated vault in the Cellars, where they are constantly brushed, turned, and monitored for quality. This cheese is not only a cornerstone for the Jasper Hill farm but also for American artisan cheese making. It's character is a result of tradition and innovation coming together every step of the way.

Clothbound has a signature tang and caramel nuttiness with a rustic crystalline texture that becomes creamy on the palate. It has a savory-sweet balance that makes it perfect for many occassions. Whether it's eating out of hand as a snack, served with charcuterie and jams, or melted on a burger, Cabot Clothbound should be a staple in everyone's home.

WHAT GOES WITH MY CHEESE

Because of its versatility, Cabot may be served in many ways. I love to cook with it. Use in a mac and cheese mix with Gruyere and Emmenthaler. Also, melt it over a burger or grilled chicken breasts. On a cheese plate, serve it with apple jam or honeycomb, roasted nuts and Lesley Stowe's Raincoast crisp crackers. I love the cranberry hazelnut flavored ones, but they are all excellent. A little pricey but worth it for their uniqueness and how well they pair up with cheese.

Due to it's complexity and sweet-salty flavors, Clothbound works beautifully with a broad range of wines and beers. However, in order to keep up with Jasper Hills "taste of place" mission, this cheese is a perfect match with Woodchuck's Apple Cider. For a more tart contrast, try the Woodchuck's Granny Smith. 

If beer just isn't your thing and you prefer wine, again, try this cheese with almost ANYTHING....except for real fruity light bodied wines like Rieslings or Sauvingon Blancs. The caramel and nut flavors in the cheese along with its creaminess overpower these wines. However, a complex Chardonnay should stand up to this quite well.

Lucky for us, this cheese is so approachable it is easy to find. It is available at most Costcos in 1.5-2lb cryovacked chunks. Most cheese shops should be carrying this cheese or you may always order it from the Jasper Hill website. Any good cheesemonger should be able to source this cheese. It is distributed all over the country. Oh! and for you lactose intolerant babies, this cheese IS lactose free.

As for the cider, wine and accoutrements you may have to use your imagination a little bit and explore what's available locally. Woodchucks cider should be available anywhere with a half-decent beer selection. You may have to special order the Granny Smith flavor but it will be worth the wait for the treat. In the meantime, enjoy what all their websites have to offer.

Cheese name: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Producer: Cabot

Where: Vermont

Size: 32lb wheel but available in a variety of cuts

Cheese category: Semi hard cheddar

Milk: pasteurized cow's milk

Special attributes: lactose free

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS

Jasper Hill Cabot Clothbound

Cabot Creamery/ Kempton Farm

Woodchuck Cider

Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps

Willoughby by Jasper Hill Creamery

Endearingly referred to as "a pudgy little washed-rind" and named after Vermont's beautiful Lake Willoughby, this cheese was first made at Ploughgate Creamery. Production of this cheese stopped after a fire burned the creamery and Jasper Hill, naturally, continued to produce and develop it.

This cheese has a succulent and buttery interior texture which makes for a delicious balance to it's earthly peat, onion and roast beef aromas. On the inside it is soft and sticky becoming creamier with increased ooziness as it ripens. The rind is lightly washed in the cellars during affinage. However, it does not becomes totally oozey or soupy. Willoughby is aged in the Jasper Hill Cellars for 3-6 weeks and released basically when it is ready. It reaches its peak at about 9 weeks but may still be consumed upto about 12 weeks after production. This cheese does become very ammoniated when it is overripe. When you get strong ammonia aromas and flavors, throw it out.

Jasper Hill does a really good job at labeling their cheeses with production dates for consumers to use as a guide for when to eat. Cheese continues to ripen (mature) as it gets older. This means the flavors and aromas will become more pronounced,  but it will not make you sick. Using expiration dates on the label from the sellers as a guide for when to consume is not always recommended. Always follow the producers guidelines for cheese, whenever it is provided.

WHAT GOES WITH MY CHEESE

I love serving Willoughby with charcuterie but especially the Piccante Prosciutto from La Quercia. It is covered with fennel, red chilli and sea salt during it's curing stage. This lends the cheese a spice and flavor kick that complements it's earthly qualities beautifully.

In general I prefer to serve washed rind cheeses with savory foods. I find their "funk" works especially well with briney, pickled and salty foods like olives, pickled veggies and cured meats. If you can't find the La Quercia prosciutto, serve with a dry spicy salami and cornichons.

The most natural and perfect drink to serve with Willoughby is a funky Saison (farmhouse ale). If you can get your hands on Anna from Hills Farmstead, it is the absolute most heavenly match. This beer is made about 1 mile up the road from the Jasper Hill Creameries in Greensboro, Vermont. However, any Saison should work.

If beer isn't your thing and you prefer wine, try Willoughby with an off-dry Riesling from Alsace, France. The wine's fruit minerality and the cheese's earthy richness contrast and complement each other in all the right places.

You should be able to find Willoughby at most Whole Foods Markets throughout the country. However, any good cheese counter and cheesemonger should be able to source it. You can always visit the Jasper Hill website and order it directly from them. You should check out the Jasper Hill website for information on what they do.  If you don't know them, get to know them,  NOW! They are doing some great cheese work in Vermont.

Cheese name: Willoughby

Producer: Jasper Hill Creamery and Cellars

Where: Greensboro, Vermont

Size: 8oz

Cheese category: soft washed rind

Milk: pasteurized cow's milk

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS

Jasper Hill Farm

Hill Farmstead Brewery

La Quercia