Like shopping for any artisan food, buying cheese can be troublesome outside of major urban areas. Certain cheeses may be well past their peak or nowhere near it, or the selection can be limited based on a small supply being targeted to as many eyes as possible. Yesterday, I came across some cheese from Sprout Creek, a Poughkeepsie creamery with some great artisanal products at one of the Whole Foods in NYC. I'm familiar with Sprout Creek only by Batch #35, so it piqued my interest when I saw several smaller format cheeses. I happened to be with my daughter, so the one I chose coincidently was named Sophie.
Sophie is a goat's milk camembert style cheese that retails for a whopping $39.99 a pound. It's almost impossible to capture all the nuances of this cheese in just one taste. The first taste revealed a mild, slightly salty buttery flavor. A second uncovered a traditional camembert's underlying notes of mushrooms, hints of garlic and even a bit of nuttiness. So give in to temptation, and keep eating - it's the only way to fully appreciate this beautiful cheese. I'm imagining this cheese would pair well with melons, grapes, sweet berries and sun-dried tomatoes. Its soft, creamy, interior and thin, edible crust are ideal for spreading onto baguettes and crackers. Serve it at room temperature, it makes a big difference with this cheese. 
No comments:
Post a Comment