Tony & Maura came to visit this weekend and brought some nice sheep cheese from a creamery in northern New Jersey. Although Maura thought we took too much preparation time, they enjoyed it a lot, and the cheese event was very nice. (In Maryland it is illegal to sell raw milk, so we have to depend on out-of-staters to smuggle in raw milk cheese!)
Cowgirl Triple Creme
(left over from the tasting at Melissa’s, still very good)
Baby Shepherd
raw sheep’s milk
type: 1lb wheel, semi-soft
New Jersey, Valley Shepherd Creamery
A small 1lb wheel of sheep’s milk cheese. Very real cave aged farmstead cheese.
at, mt, tt, ms, wt: good
Oldwick Shepherd
raw sheep’s milk
type: hard
New Jersey, Valley Shepherd Creamery
A cave ripened, raw milk cheese that develops a brownish–white mold exterior during its 3-4 month stay in our cave. Great earthy aroma, nutty smooth finish. Just a wonderful Pyrenees style sheep’s milk cheese.
at, mt, tt, ms: good; wt: very good
Shepherd’s Basket
raw sheep’s milk
type: hard
New Jersey, Valley Shepherd Creamery
A mold ripened traditional Basque raw milk cheese aged a minimum 4-5 months in our cave. The basket imprint may remind you of a Manchego but the flavor is deeper.
at, mt, tt, ms, wt: good
Blue d’Auvergne
cow
France, Calvert Woodley
We just needed a blue to round things out.
at, mt, tt, ms, wt: good