Les Petites Fermières – Goat Cheese Medallions

Chèvre or goat cheese is white colored and somewhat tart in flavor. The West has popularized cow’s milk whereas in the rest of the world goat’s milk is preferred. As a rule, because it is usually manufactured in areas with little refrigeration, it is preserved with salt. As a result, most people believe that goat cheese is naturally far saltier than cow cheese. Perhaps the best known goat cheese in the US is Feta, which is qite salty as a result of being brined, having tasted the latest offerings from Les Petites Fermières, I can assure you that goat cheese also comes with more subtle flavors. The higher proportion of fatty acids such as capric acid present in goat’s milk, gives it that characteristic tartness.

I tasted all three of their available flavors: Goat Cheese Medallions with Fine Herbs and Garlic, Goat Medallions with Cranberry and Maple Syrup, Goat Cheese Medallions. My favorite was the last one, though I thoroughly enjoyed the other two as well.

I came up with the following easy recipe to go with these type of cheese:

Herb and Garlic Goat Cheese and Onion Dip

Ingredients

• 2 packages Les Petites Fermières Goat Cheese Medallions with Fine Herbs and Garlic
• ⅔ cup low fat sour cream
• 3 onions, chopped

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
2. Pulse 1–2 minutes until well combined but not completely pureed.
3. Refrigerate several hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.
4. Adjust salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Makes about 1¼ cups.

I also crumbled some of these cheeses into a salad and enjoyed it with a Baron Herzog Sauvignon Blanc 2008. When CS had the cholov Yisroel Chèvre from N&K, he paired them with a Chilean Alfasi Malbec-Syrah 2009, a perfect and inexpensive choice for someone who grew up on the Northern shore of the Rio de La Plata (River Plate, for us gringos).

SYR

The World of Kosher Cheese – part 2b

Aside from Pomegranate‘s great selection of specialty cheeses, they have the biggest display of prepackaged cheeses I’ve seen anywhere.

Lots of choices!

From such small producers as Karen’s Bracha’s Cheese Co’s, Twisted Mozzarella with Zahatar; or Susan Gourmet’s selections of foreign styled cheeses to major producers such as Anderson International Foods cholov Yisroel Natural and Kosher line, their non-cholov Yisroel Les Petites Fermières to Fresh and Healthy, to Tnuva, you’ll find them all here.

Closeup of various cheese shelves

Sugar River Cheese Co.’s choices are among SYR’s favorite American made cheeses, Les Petites Fermières’ imported Camembert and Brie are her favorite imports. I’ve tried some of Fresh and Healthy‘s Capriccio collection and liked them all. The Cheese Guy also has some delicious cheeses but the company’s hechsherim vary by the cheese, be sure to check to make sure the individual hechsher is acceptable to you. Cholov is another company that produces an all time favorite like the Chevrai line of goat milk cheeses.

As a foodie, and expanding on Elizabeth Bland’s own blog, I could spend a whole day going and admiring the cheese choices with the same fervor, with the same passion, with the same delight with which I could through a museum filled with masterpieces! But… if you are a regular reader of this blog you already know that, of course.

Whether you are new to the world of cheese, whether you are connoisseur, whether you like raw milk, cow’s milk, or goat’s milk cheese, Pomegranate‘s got them all.

CS

The World of Kosher Cheese – Part 1

I, Vasco de CS – your intrepid kosher Conquistador – in an effort to bring all that’s kosher and great to The Kosher Scene, set about on an journey to find the variety of kosher cheeses available in New York City. Accompanied by Elizabeth Bland a world class cheese expert whom I interviewed last week, (you can hear the recording here) we toured the kosher cheese sections (on Monday afternoon)  sections at Zabar’s on Broadway and 80th – in Manhattan – and at Fairway on Broadway and 74th.

Interesting store with a big selection of kosher items

Ms. Bland’s encyclopedic knowledge of all things cheese was immediately evident as she explained  the various types of kosher cheese and hechsherim from around the world.

Two partial views of Zabar's Kosher Cheese showcase

There were selections from Israel, France, Spain, Italy, UK, New York State, Wisconsin, etc, etc….. She had tasted every one and had much to say about each. The rich selection was comprised of both cholov Yisroel and non cholov Yisroel types. Made from cow’s milk, goat milk, raw milk, some were very pungent, some were very sharp, some were mild in taste and smell.Elizabeth clarified some major differences amoungst the manufacturers, their aging processes along with those individual aged cheeses that require the halachic  six hours waiting time before eating meat. It was great to find certain cheese companies listed how long the individual cheese had been aged, unfortunately, this is not a universal practice, but it certainly should be! It would make it faaaar easier to determine whether one is required to wait six hours or not.

Elizabeth Bland holding up a cheese by one of her favorite manufacturers, Sugar River Cheese Co.

We then trekked six blocks south to Fairway. It was my first visit to Fairway (we don’t have one in Brooklyn) and while more crowded and with narrower isles than Zabar’s, I found the variety of foods abundant and the clientele diverse. They too had a great selection of kosher cheeses from around the world, and we discovered some that we hadn’t seen at Zabar’s and some were not present here.

There’s nothing like traveling with a seasoned navigator; my outing with Elizabeth was educational  and informative; we plan a follow up with a trip to Brooklyn’s Pomegranate to compare their cheese section with those we visited in the city.

CS

Elizabeth Bland’s post

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Les Petites Fermières Plus Organic and Kosher

Naturally Kosher

Les Petites Fermières plus Organic and Kosher

A small selection of Les Petite Fermieres and Organic And Kosher cheeses

I like cheeses, as does CS, I use them in cooking, I use them in sandwiches and even in between wines at wine tastings. Thus I was happy to find that Les Petites Fermières (distributed by Anderson International Foods in Mineola, NY), has an interesting collection of available cheeses and most can be found at supermarkets and kosher groceries throughout the US and Canada. Some of my favorites include Gouda, Fontina, Havarti and Havarti with Dill.

Gouda is a distinctively flavored cheese, first developed in Gouda (Netherlands), as it ages it develops a slight caramel like taste.

Fontina, like Gouda, is made from cow’s milk and it originated in Italy’s Valle d’Aosta. Today, however it is also made in the US, France, Denmark and Sweden. Les Petites Fermières’ selection is softer and creamier than its fully aged, darker, Italian sibling.

Havarti was first made in the mid 19th century in an experimental farm, just north of Copenhagen, Norway. It has a subtle flavor that makes it perfect for slicing, grilling or melting. I also like its sibling Havarti with Dill, which has a somewhat stronger yet delightful taste due to the herb.

When I want something sharper I go for their Cheddar or the Mediterranean Jack. Frankly, I found all of them delicious! I like a cheese omelette for breakfast, so I made one using various cheeses.

CS’ Simple Cheese Omelette

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup of Les Petites Fermières Chef’s Blend (natural cheddar and pizza style blend) Shredded Cheese
• 1 slice of Mozzarella
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Roland Oven Roasted Tomatoes (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt the butter in an 8” inch skillet, over a medium flame, until it starts sizzling. Tilt skillet until bottom is completely covered.
2. Drop in the two eggs and tilt the skillet to cover as much as much of it as possible.
3. Sprinkle the Chef’s Blend cheese on top of the eggs liberally. Within a few seconds it will melt.
4. With a spatula reach under the omelette and fold it over itself.
5. Immediately cover the top with slice of Mozarella.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. I also added a couple of oven roasted tomatoes over of the Mozarella. Do not overcook.

Sometimes I also add other spices, when I mix the eggs, prior to folding them into the skillet. Delicious!

For those of you who prefer organic food, Anderson International Foods also distributes Organic and Kosher. If you love cheese you’ll notice the difference between organic and regular cheeses. I did and absolutely liked the difference.

SYR

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