DC 2009 Beer and Cheese Week

cowgirl-081809_22

It’s Beer week in DC, and we thought about attending a cheese/beer tasting at Cafe StEx.  They were featuring Brooklyn Beer (a favorite of  TT and I) and Cowgirl Creamery cheese.  We’ve mentioned free tastings before and we were up to checking out the bar.  Last night we discovered it would cost $20 each, and so between the time and money, we could create our own DC beer week…and so we did.

I walked over to Cowgirl after work with ideas of what to buy in hand.  I tried many and ended up with 4 (at least 2 more than planned).  The “cow” cheese ended up being the Bellwether Farms’ Carmoday from Sonoma but made from Jersey milk.  It’s “a firm cow milk cheese with buttery intensity.”  I moved to the “sheep” cheese next, and picked another from Bellwether Farms.  Pepato is a cheese with peppercorns in it, and is salty like a Manchego with the spice of the pepper.  Finally, I was convinced to round out my cheese plate with a “goat” cheese.  Midnight Moon is essentially a Gouda from Holland.  The Goat is not overwhelming so W and I agree it’s good.

Not so finally, I was there, and the infamous Pt. Reyes blue was there, so I was “forced” to buy the standard quarter pound.  This year has a slightly different flavor, as it’s a bit more harsh.  We’ve learned though, different seasons produce different cheese.   Maybe we should just buy 3 pounds of it every winter.  The Buttermilk Blue from Wisconsin is in the running for “Top Blue” cheese these days but I’m told the Pt. Reyes has a Reserve (we are yet to find or taste).

Tonight’s cheeses were great all around and are suggested if looking for a variety of cheeses that have good flavor and are not overwhelming.  Oh…and Pumpkin beer is already out in select stores, so buy it while you can!

new cheesemonger in Alexandria

zamorano and buttermilk blue
zamorano and buttermilk blue

The new cheese store in Alexandria opened recently. It is La Fromagerie, about half way between US1 and the metro stop.

Zamorano
milk: Spanish sheep

Very much like Manchego, but aged longer and thus a bit harder.

Buttermilk Blue
milk: Wisconsin Jersey and Holstien cows
maker:Roth Kase

A very good blue cheese. MS said it was second to Pt. Reyes Blue. It was winner of the American Cheese Society “Best of Show” award in 1999.

Aged Cougar Gold

aged cougar gold
aged cougar gold

Due to the recent family reunion, we asked JT to courier Cougar Gold from WSU. She brought one can of regular, and one of specially aged Cougar Gold. TT really liked the aged version. When it got back here, we tried it, but weren’t able to do a side-by-side comparison of the regular vs. the aged. Anyway, it was very good.

The last of our Valley Shepherd

first slice
first slice

My sheep cheese that I made at Valley Shepherd finally arrived! We all (at, wt, ms, na, a?) thought it was very good. It was not as firm as some of the other wheels, and a bit more earthy than the others.

small market town cheese

Morbier” means “small market town” in French.  Morbier (full name Morbier du Livradois) is a mild-tasting cheese with a white pine ash layer in the middle of it. The cheese has a golden-brown rind. Inside, it is pale yellow, and semi-firm yet creamy and supple. It is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. The milk is heated, then curdled. Traditionally, Morbier Cheese was made from leftover curd that wasn’t wanted for other cheeses or uses. The curd was put into a mould, then ash put over it to stop it from drying out and forming a rind until the next day, when there would be more leftover curd, enough to finish filling up the mould. Today, small producers will make the bottom layer from the evening’s milk, then the top layer from the next morning’s milk. It is then salted and pressed by law, it has to be aged a minimum of 45 days. Many, though, age it for two months. After this initial aging, it is then washed with brine, then aged another two months. Brought at local Brookville. It’s softish, and I was afraid a bit stinky at first — but it is actually pretty mild. They don’t know how cheesemakers learned to start adding the ash.

Morbier
Morbier