Tuesday 4 December 2007

Yarra Valley Dairy Persian Fetta

During this festive season there are many functions happening that you might well be looking for something for your cheese plate and I suppose that it is appropriate that I resume this cheese series with a cheese from my home state.

Yarra Valley Dairy Persian Fetta© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Yarra Valley Dairy
Cheese Name: Persian Fetta
Location: McMeikans Road, Yering, Victoria
Open Daily: 10.30am - 5.00pm

Inside this can is a silken prize and one of my favourites - cows milk fetta marinated in a blend of extra virgin olive oil, herbs and spices.

Yarra Valley Dairy Persian Fetta© by Haalo

Open the lid and a wonderful aroma wafts up - a mix of herbs with just a touch of garlic to round it off.

Yarra Valley Dairy Persian Fetta© by Haalo

The fetta itself is incredibly creamy, some fetta can be a little dry but this just dissolves and clings to your tongue. This is a cheese you can gladly eat just with some good crusty bread, it really doesn't need anything else. Beware, once opened one of these cans will disappear quickly so you might well need to get two!

If you must you could add it to salads, sandwiches or bake it in a savoury tart or pie. Don't throw away the oil, use it in salad dressing or toss vegetables through it before roasting them for extra flavour.


Originally published here

Sunday 9 September 2007

Maffra Glenmaggie Blue

Maffra Cheese Company is located in Gippsland, an area here in Victoria that is well known for its Cheese producers just as Jindi and Tarago River.

The cheese is made using only the milk from their herd of Holstein Friesian cows - this classes them as a farmhouse producer. Non animal rennets are also used.

Maffra Glenmaggie Blue© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Maffra Cheese Company
Cheese Name: Maffra Glenmaggie Blue
The dairy is not open to the public but contact information and details on where you can buy the cheese can be found on their website.

Maffra Glenmaggie Blue© by Haalo

This is the Maffra Glenmaggie Blue named after Lake Glenmaggie that is located nearby. It's made in a "Stilton style".

While it looks quite fierce it has a creamy texture that offsets its sharp bite. As it ages it will break down and more sweeter flavours will emerge.

I wouldn't recommend it for the bluecheeseaphobics, solely based on its appearance but if Blue Cheese is your thing, then do give this a try.


Originally published here

Monday 3 September 2007

Donnybrook Farmhouse Pastorello

One of the great things about the recent Australian Specialist Cheese Show was finding new cheese makers and getting to taste their wares.

Donnybrook Farmhouse are very much a family concern making traditional style cheese using the milk from their own herd. They produce quite a large range from Brie to Pecorino as well as yoghurt and butter.

For this post I'll be looking at their Pastorello

Donnybrook Pastorello© by Haalo

Cheese: Donnybrook Pastorello
Location: 915 Donnybrook Road, Donnybrook
Open: Tues-Sun 8am-5pm (Closed Mondays and Public Holidays)

Donnybrook Pastorello© by Haalo

Pastorello is a blend of cow and ewes milk. Covered in a brown skin the cheese is full flavoured with a distinct nutty taste, very much in the vein of cooked cheese such as Parmesan.

Donnybrook Pastorello© by Haalo

It grates fairly easily and tends to split into thick shards when sliced - sprinkle it over your pasta or enjoy it on a hunk of crusty bread.



Originally published here

Monday 20 August 2007

Grandvewe Primavera

Time for another cheese - this time I'm featuring another sheeps milk cheese from Tasmanian Dairy, Grandvewe

Grandvewe Cheese Primavera© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Grandvewe Cheese
Cheese Type: Primavera
Location: 59 Devlyns Road, Birchs Bay Tasmania
Open:
September - June: 10am-5pm, 7 days excluding Christmas day
July - August: 10am-4pm daily except Tuesdays

Grandvewe Cheese Primavera© by Haalo

Primavera is made in a Manchego style. Only milk from Spring is used to make this cheese and it's matured between 2 and 8 months.

Grandvewe Cheese Primavera© by Haalo

Primavera is a semi-firm cheese, it won't crumble when cut but it's soft enough to be broken into pieces by hand. Creamy in the mouth with that typical sweet sheep milk characters. It is not a sharply flavoured cheese and is fairly mild - it is very pleasant to eat just on its own.


Originally published here

Wednesday 1 August 2007

King Island Dairy Discovery Brie Rolle

For this next cheese I'm heading back to King Island and featuring a featuring a new product from their Discovery line: King Island Dairy Discovery Brie Rolle

King Island Dairy Brie Rolle© by Haalo

It's a Brie but presented in an unusual way - as a long roll

King Island Dairy Brie Rolle© by Haalo

It still has that traditional covering of white mould shielding a butter-coloured interior

King Island Dairy Brie Rolle© by Haalo

This hasn't been out of the fridge for very long and it's still a few weeks away from being fully ripe so it is firm but there are hints of a creamy interior visible .

It's evident that it's been designed to fit neatly on a cracker, even so, it shouldn't be dismissed on the basis of a marketing ploy. I found the cheese to be quite rich with excellent levels of fat that give you that enjoyable creaminess in the mouth. The rind is delicately flavoured with earthy scents.

Since King Island Dairy is a larger brand, you should be able to find this at larger supermarkets.

Check out their website for more information: King Island Dairy.


Originally published here

Tuesday 17 July 2007

Hunter Belle Goldenbelle

Hunter Belle, as the name suggest, comes from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. They source their milk solely from Swiss Brown Cows and believe in allowing seasonal variations to come through in their cheese.

Hunter Belle Goldenbelle© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Hunter Belle
Cheese Type: Goldenbelle
Location: New England Highway, Muswellbrook
Open: Seven Days 10am-3pm

Hunter Belle Goldenbelle© by Haalo

It's saffron coloured skin probably tells you that this is a washed rind cheese and if you happen to be in it's presence, it's pungent aroma leaves you without any doubt.

Hunter Belle Goldenbelle© by Haalo

I found the skin to be somewhat tacky to the touch and compared to previous washed rind cheeses, this one is not for the faint-hearted.

Hunter Belle Goldenbelle© by Haalo

This hasn't been out of the fridge for too long but you can see that it's started to soften - the cheese has a creamy mouth-feel but it's quite strongly flavoured, along the line of a blue cheese. Even after three hours there's still quite a strong ammonia scent.

I'd recommend this for those that like their cheese with attitude.

*For Melbournites - I found this cheese at Leo's in Kew, they also stock a few others from their range.

Originally published here

Tuesday 26 June 2007

Shaw River Lady Julie Cheddered Buffalo Cheese

Shaw River is Australia's only Water Buffalo Dairy and it's located in western Victoria, near the town of Yambuk. The herd is made up from both Italian Riverine Buffalo and Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo.

They are probably more well known for their mozzarella and yoghurt but this cheese is a bit on the unusual side.

Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Shaw River Buffalo Cheese
Cheese Type: Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese
Location: Princes Highway , Yambuk

Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese© by Haalo

This cheese is a bit hard to come by as it takes about 2 years to make - it's a cheddar made with buffalo milk. It carries the characteristic of buffalo milk in it's whiter colouring.

Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese© by Haalo

Though it feels quite dense, it cuts very smoothly without crumbling. It's taste is quite pronounced and packs a punch like a great aged cheddar should. The sweetness of the milk comes through along with that lovely nuttiness. It may look meek and mild but this is for those that love their cheddar to bite back.


Originally published here

Saturday 16 June 2007

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde

I do get quite excited when I find a new cheese to taste and I must say I am extremely impressed with this offering from Tasmania.

Grandvewe Cheese is located in the picturesque Huon Valley overlooking Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island and was established in 2001. They are a family run business that specialise in Sheep's milk cheese sourced from their herd of East Friesland (Friesian) Sheep. They are also organically certified and have a range of Organic Wines to complement their cheese.

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Grandvewe Cheese
Cheese Type: Birchs Bay Blonde
Location: 59 Devlyns Road, Birchs Bay Tasmania
Open:
September - June: 10am-5pm, 7 days excluding Christmas day
July - August: 10am-4pm daily except Tuesdays

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

Before you even remove it from it's wrapper those wonderful mushroom aromas are coming through - this is the type of cheese I just love to breath in deeply.

The shape is classical - barrel shaped with a wrinkled rind that you might recall seeing in some of the mature goat cheese I've featured in the past.

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

I have, contrary to my own advice, sliced this before it's achieved room temperature - but you should see the different layers. Just under the fairly thin skin is a creamy and as it warms, runny section that surrounds a whiter and more chalky core.

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

To eat, it's soft on the palette, the flavour filling your mouth - there's no bitterness or tartness at all. It's just well balanced and absolutely moorish.

At this stage, the rind is perfectly edible (it's slightly moist) though as the cheese matures the rind will become harder. The true testament to the cheese is that on a cheese board with three others, it was the first to disappear.

Unlike so many other cheese makers, Grandvewe has set up a really great website where you can find out more about the sheep, their cheese and wine and you can even order it online! I do believe they even ship overseas.

For those in Melbourne, I found this at Leo's in Kew.

Web: Grandvewe

Originally published here

Friday 8 June 2007

Holy Goat La Luna

Holy Goat have done it again - producing what is probably a one-off but certainly something I just couldn't pass by.

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Holy Goat
Cheese Type: La Luna Baby wrapped in Chestnut Leaves
Location: Sutton Grange Organic Farm, Victoria

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

Now you understand why I just had to have this.

Wrapped in chestnut leaves is a round of their La Luna Baby. It's quite a delicate package, the scent is just intoxicating - those intense mushroom notes floating off the leaves.

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

Carefully peeling the leaves back you are rewarded with quite an oozing cheese - it's at it's peak ripeness and will be perfect on the cheese platter tonight.

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

La Luna is a goat cheese with a wrinkled yeast rind - there are similar aromas to that found with washed rinds. At this stage, it's extremely creamy with an lingering flavour, somewhat nutty coupled with slight citrus.

Usually La Luna is available in three forms - Baby (this one without the leaves), Full Moon (a barrel shaped) and La Luna Ring (similar to a ring donut). It's interesting to note how the flavours do alter depending on the shape.


Originally published here

Monday 4 June 2007

Jindi Supreme Triple Cheese

Jindi Cheese was started in 1985 and it's another one of our all time favourites - located in Gippsland, here in Victoria, in the town of Jindivick. Through the years they have achieved international success, the most recent being the 2004 award for the Worlds Best Brie.

Jindi Supreme Triple Cream© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Jindi Cheese
Cheese Name: Supreme Triple Cream

Jindi Supreme Triple Cream© by Haalo

As the name suggests, Triple Cream, this is quite a rich and luscious cheese and requires an average 35% fat content. The milk is sourced from predominately Jersey cows. The cheese is shrouded in a soft white mould and maturation time takes about 5-6 weeks.

Jindi Supreme Triple Cream© by Haalo

A look inside and you are rewarded with a intense buttery cheese with an eye-catching golden hue. You don't just eat this cheese, it melts in your mouth. If you are fond of brie and Camembert, then this is a cheese you must try.


Originally published here

Wednesday 23 May 2007

180 Acres Chevre

This next cheese has been sitting, languishing in a unfinished post for a little while now - the problem, a total absence of information on this particular cheese-maker. Thanks to a small paragraph in the local paper I now know that Andrew Gray from food distributor Raw Materials is the person responsible.

180 Acres Chevre© by Haalo


To be honest, this is one cheese I've bought in spite of it's label but I'd be missing out on quite a good Chèvre if I had succumbed to my initial reaction.

180 Acres Chevre© by Haalo


Removed from it's wrapping, it has a moist exterior but isn't particularly soft - handling it isn't a problem.

180 Acres Chevre© by Haalo


When slicing it will tend to crumble in what I'd class as relatively large shards - similar in fact to both the Udder Delights and Westhaven Chèvres.

Tastewise, it's nicely balanced with a bit of tang (I noted a slight lemon flavour) and a good creamy mouth-feel and worked quite well in a revisit of my roasted mushroom dish.


Originally published here

Tuesday 15 May 2007

Holy Goat Piccolo

I first had the chance to sample this next cheese back in November at the Slow Food Farmers' Market - unfortunately as it was only a one-off at the time I really couldn't post about it.

It was indeed a happy moment when at the recent market, the cheese is now in commercial production and when you see them you'll know why I loved them at first sight.

Holy Goat Piccolo© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Holy Goat
Cheese Type: Piccolo
Location: Sutton Grange Organic Farm, Victoria

Holy Goat Piccolo© by Haalo

Sold in a rather uninspiring but practical plastic container, 10 to a box, are these thimble-sized goat cheese bites.

Holy Goat Piccolo© by Haalo

Only weighing around 6 grams (0.2 ounces) they are resplendent in a soft,white mould which tends to become fuzzier the longer they sit.

piccolo

Besides just eating them as is, they are the perfect size to stuff into zucchini flowers - something I hopefully will be able to repeat come the flower season.


Originally published here

Tuesday 8 May 2007

Tarago River Strzelecki Goats Blue

So far in this series I have only mentioned two blue cheese, both made with cows milk. Today I change that and present a Goat Blue - it's from Gippsland (which is here in Victoria) and the Tarago River Cheese Company well known for producing sublime blue cheese such as Paalo's favourite, Shadows of Blue.

Strzelecki Goat's Blue© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Tarago River Cheese
Cheese Name: Strzelecki Goat's Blue
Location: 2236 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South, Victoria

The cheese is made in 2kg rounds and this is just of piece from that. As you can see it has quite a rustic look to the rind.

Strzelecki Goat's Blue© by Haalo

Maturation takes 8 weeks and as it ages the texture changes from being slightly chalky to a soft and creamy consistency.

Strzelecki Goat's Blue© by Haalo

The veining is distinct but well spaced - the colouring varies from a light to dark green.

Strzelecki Goat's Blue© by Haalo

On face value you might take it for a fearsomely flavoured blue but you'd be in for a surprise. It's not highly scented, the goat milk adds a sweetness to the cheese and the blue just brings in another flavour. It's quite sticky and creamy in the mouth, with a pleasant lingering flavour.

Besides enjoying it as it, this cheese is well suited to be added to salads.


Originally published here

Thursday 3 May 2007

Milawa Goat Camembert

We head to the north-east of the state - an area well known for it's wine, it's also home to the Milawa Cheese Company. Founded in 1988, in the old Milawa Butter Factory, they follow traditional farmhouse methods which include using non-animal rennets and no preservatives.

The cheese I'm showing today is a seasonal one, the Milawa Goat Camembert

Milawa Goat Camembert© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Milawa Cheese Company
Cheese Type: Goat Camembert
Location: Factory Road, Milawa Victoria
Open:
Cheese Tasting Room - 7 days 9am-5pm
There is also a Bakery and Restaurant on site.

Milawa Goat Camembert© by Haalo

When you hold this cheese still in it's wrapper you'll be able to feel it's softness, very similar in feel to the Udder Delights Goat Camembert.

It's important to let the cheese come to temperature as that will dispel the ammonia scent coming off the cheese. As you unwrap you'll notice that the the white mould is still active and some areas will appear quite furry. It's an excellent sign as it means the cheese is alive and maturing.

Milawa Goat Camembert© by Haalo

This is truly the type of cheese that I love - slicing through the rind and that wonderful molten and sticky core begins to ooze out.

Milawa Goat Camembert© by Haalo

It's almost elastic. Between these two photos, you can make out that the cheese is soft to the core - it is at it's peak to eat.

Milawa Goat Camembert© by Haalo

The cheesemaker notes the taste as follows
a marriage of spicy and salty flavours with a hint of mushrooms
I can only concur. It's nicely in balance, the rind brings in those mild mushroom flavours, the cheese is low in acidity with excellent mouth feel.

I must make mention that unlike so many cheese-makers they have an excellent website where you can find out more.


Originally published here

Thursday 26 April 2007

Woodside Cheese Wrights Vigneron

It's back to South Australia to sample a most interesting cheese from Woodside Cheese Wrights.

Woodside Cheese Wrights Vigneron© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Woodside Cheese Wrights
Cheese Type: Vigneron
Location: Woodside, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Retail Outlet: 7 Henry Street, Woodside, South Australia
Open: Monday - Sunday: 10am - 4pm

As mentioned in an earlier post, Woodside is now owned by Coriole Vineyards and this cheese is very much a product of that relationship.

From the label we are told
This cheese is the result of a challenge from the winemaker at Coriole Vineyards "make us a vigneron's cheese" he said. We gently wash the cheese in Adelaide Hills Chardonnay and wrap it in vine leaves selected from the vineyard
Woodside Cheese Wrights Vigneron© by Haalo

This is a white mould goats' milk cheese.

Woodside Cheese Wrights Vigneron© by Haalo

There's quite an earthy scent coming from this cheese with an undertone of piquancy from the vine-leaf. Appearance wise, it's certainly one that will be sure to gain attention.

Woodside Cheese Wrights Vigneron© by Haalo

Inside, it has that typical goat cheese "whiteness" - this still has a couple of weeks to go to reach peak maturation. The centre is quite creamy but mild and as you move out the flavours develop - the vine-leaf adds a sharp, acidic quality which cuts across the creamy core. I would class this as a cheese for the more adventurous.


Originally published here