By now, most readers will know about a trend in California
cheese-making called
”
farmstead cheese.
”
The term brings to mind a farmer on his three-legged stool,
milking his cows and then taking the milk and cream to the farmer’s
wife.
By now, most readers will know about a trend in California cheese-making called “farmstead cheese.” The term brings to mind a farmer on his three-legged stool, milking his cows and then taking the milk and cream to the farmer’s wife. She, and her four or five bonneted children, will make the farmstead cheese with an old churn and wooden molds, probably in an old red barn with a few cats roaming around.
Well, OK, not exactly. Though the term is decidedly old-fashioned, the industry is new and modern. A farmstead cheese is an “artisan” cheese that must meet certain standards: it must be handmade in small quantities and it must be produced on the farm using only milk from the herd located on that farm. The farmstead producer, in other words, directs the entire cheesemaking process, from choosing the cow’s feed through final aging of the cheese.
Another category is “artisan cheese” which must be made by hand in small batches from a reliable source of milk, often from a neighboring farm. Cheese makers must be careful to use the correct label for their cheese, and are inspected regularly to ensure they are meeting the requirements of either “farmstead” or “artisan” production.
In 1997, California had only three farmstead cow’s milk cheese makers. Today, there are 10 producers. At a time when the value of agricultural products is mostly staying even or declining, farmstead cheese makers are attempting to add value to their basic product: milk.
I spent a few hours with farmstead and artisan cheese makers in January at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. They are a varied and interesting bunch, proud of their work and happy to show it off. The American Cheese Society’s competitions and the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin have both posted several California winners in the last five years, a dramatic change from the past.
Here are some brands to look for as you’re out shopping for great cheese:
• Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese: The Hilarides family makes this cheese from the milk of their Jersey cow herd in the San Joaquin Valley. Their “Serena” cheese is produced only at Three Sisters. It’s slightly yellow, mild and lightly salted, with a medium texture that’s good for slicing or grating. It took third place in the American Cheese Society contest last year, among many other awards.
• Cowgirl Creamery: Marin County is the home of a creamery that’s turning out beautiful artisan cheese. They’re famous for their fresh organic cheeses, crème fraiche and fromage blanc, but those can be a little hard to find. Many gourmet shops carry their Mt. Tam soft ripened cheese, a firm and buttery cheese with an earthy mushroom flavor. It’s a triple cream and so smooth, available all year. In the fall, don’t miss the Pierce Pt. whole milk cheese which is washed in Muscat wine and rolled in dried local herbs. If you’re in San Francisco, visit the new Artisan Cheese Shop at Ferry Plaza, opened by the owners of Cowgirl Creamery. For more details, see cowgirlcreamery.com.
• Fiscalini Cheese: At the 2002 American Cheese Society Awards, the farm’s San Joaquin Gold cheese was voted Best Farmhouse Cheese in North America. The Fiscalini family is Swiss, with a dairy heritage reaching back over 300 years. Now, owner John Fiscalini has built a facility in Modesto exclusively to make cheese from the 1,400 Holstein cows the family owns. Go to www.FiscaliniCheese.com to locate the nearest retailer.
If you’d like to try a farmstead cheese, you’ll need to look in specialty cheese shops or gourmet grocery stores like Whole Foods, Mollie Stone’s, Draeger’s, Andronico’s and sometimes Trader Joe’s. Look for the California Milk Advisory Board’s seal of approval, as well as the seal for “artisan” or “farmstead” designations.
• Easy cheese hors d’oeuvre: This cheese recipe is a cinch to make, but gets rave reviews. Last time I served it, we ate outdoors on a deck and speared the delicacies off of a huge platter with our forks. Serve with sliced baguette rounds to mop up the balsamic sauce.
Aged Gouda with Balsamic Reduction
2 cups balsamic vinegar
8 tsp. sugar
12 small wedges of aged Gouda
12 tender spears steamed asparagus
Watercress or Italian flat-leafed parsley for garnish
In small saucepan over high heat, bring vinegar to simmer. Continue cooking until vinegar is reduced to 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Whisk in sugar; set aside to cool. For each serving, put three spears of steamed asparagus and three wedges of aged Gouda on a plate (or serve as above from a large platter). Drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction. Garnish with watercress or parsley.
• Love Gouda? Try this appetizer from the California Milk Advisory Board. Filled with pancetta, spinach and cheese, it could easily be dinner on its own. Just add a salad and a glass of good wine.
Gouda Stuffed Mushrooms
6 oz. pancetta
2 T. butter
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup packed fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups shredded Gouda cheese
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 T. chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste
24 mushroom caps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In medium skillet, sauté pancetta over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to a mixing bowl. Discard fat from skillet. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted. Add pancetta and allow to cool slightly.
Stir in cheese, bread crumbs and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms on baking sheet. Mound about 2 T. cheese mixture into each mushroom cap. Bake for 8 minutes. Serve hot.
• Jan McIntosh wanted me to repeat this simple pasta dish, perfect for summer – Million Dollar Pasta. The ingredient list is short and the ingredients – feta cheese and Greek olives – are some of my favorites. This recipe is from Armida Villalobos.
Million Dollar Pasta
2 to 3 lbs. Roma tomatoes
8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and torn
4 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped
25 Greek olives, pitted
1 lb. penne pasta
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Core, seed and dice tomatoes into a large bowl. Add the cheese and basil; mix gently. Add olives, garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar. Stir to coat all ingredients. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes while you cook the pasta. Drain pasta and return to cooking pot. Toss the sauce into the hot pasta; cover and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.
• The story of Dry Jack: During the First World War, a San Francisco cheese wholesaler, D.F. DeBernardi, had an oversupply of Monterey jack and left some in storage for a long time. When the war interrupted shipments of Parmesan and Romano from Italy, he remembered the stored Jack and discovered that it had aged quite well, acquiring a rich, nutty flavor. Italian-Americans quickly replaced Parmesan with Dry Jack. Today, it’s one of California’s most famous cheeses. ~ California Milk Advisory Board
Tip of the Week:
Use fresh plastic wrap each time you rewrap cheese. This ensures a tight seal that protects the cheese from air.
Notes from Jenny’s Kitchen
• Two out of three Bay Area restaurants now serve a cheese course, according to a survey by the California Milk Advisory Board. Now, the CMAB and its “Happy Cows” want California consumers to start serving cheese courses at parties and banquets. Their very practical guide, “The California Cheese Course: Entertaining with Flair,” is available on the web site www.RealCaliforniaCheese.com or by sending an SASE to CMAB at 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite D, Modesto, CA 95358.
• California produces more milk, ice cream and butter than any other state. It is the second largest cheese producer.
End notes: “Man cannot live by bread alone. But woman can.” ~ Victoria Estern
Happy cooking!
