Barossa Valley Cheese Co. Le Petit Prince

You might recall the rather pretty label found on a cheese called La Petite Princesse, well here is it's other half

Cheese: Le Petit Prince Chèvre à Croûte Lavée (Washed Rind Goat Cheese)
Location: Cheese Cellar - 67B Murray Street, Angaston, South Australia

You might be able to work out the quote that's written on the side but if you don't it's by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry from The Fox and the Little Prince

It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important

This is quite the substantial block in the hand and one of the more pleasant aspects is to inhale deeply and enjoy the scent of this type of cheese. It's a clean, fresh smell just like walking into a cheese room.

Unwrapped you can immediately see the orange skin through the fine white mould.

It's quite an interesting type of patterning on the top and bottom - a quasi corrugation of sorts.

When sliced it's white curd confirms this is a goat cheese. It's still quite firm at this stage you can make out a bit of softness near the edges - keep in mind that this is basically straight out of the fridge - give it a little time to come to room temperature and it will continue to soften.

To best enjoy serve generous segments on roughly torn sourdough - this is a type of cheese that appreciates bread, please no wimpy water crackers for this one!

If you're interested in finding this cheese and live in Melbourne, I've found all three at Delicatess at Prahran Market.


Originally published here

Indigo Aged Gracefully

This is quite the bittersweet post. The cheese made by Paula Jenkin at the Indigo Cheese Company have been considered to be the best examples of goat cheese in the country so it's with much sadness that the news came this week of it's closure. Unprofitability the reason behind the decision.

This resonates with something my favourite deli owner told me as I searched for a new cheese to taste - Australians don't buy Australian cheese. It's a no-brainer then that if we don't buy it, they don't get stocked but if they aren't stocked, how can we buy them?

In compiling this series there has been a difficulty in finding a broad variety of cheese - there are many dairies I'd love to show but I'm unable to find their cheese. I can only be thankful to the various farmers' markets that have allowed me access to a greater number of cheese than can be found via traditional retail outlets.

This brings me back to Indigo Cheese Company - this has been one of those that I've found elusive - until today.

Cheese Maker: Indigo Cheese Company
Cheese Name: Aged Gracefully

There it was sitting unassumingly in the cheese cabinet of Leo's in Kew, almost lost amongst it's much larger companions. Aged Gracefully is a demure cheese, small in size but not in impact.

Freed from it's wrapper you see that it indeed has "aged gracefully". This is a matured goat cheese, made in the French style (Crottin).

It starts its life as another cheese made at Indigo called Grace (which is like a French Chabicou). Grace is sold as a youngster (about 2 to 8 weeks) but some are left to develop for 3-4 months. In this time the rind becomes covered with both white and blue moulds and it looses quite a bit of it's moisture. Where Grace weighed about 125 grams, Aged Gracefully weighs less than 80 grams.

Sliced you can see that the rind is quite thin and the cheese doesn't show any traces of moisture. It's a little crumbly when sliced and you might think that it could be a little dry or chalky.

It's most pleasant to find that it isn't - in fact it had a wonderful creaminess balanced with a tinge of acid in the form of subtle lemon overtones. It's a cheese that's satisfying and well worth savouring and spending some time with. Unfortunately once this is finished there will be no more.

Vale Indigo Cheese - We hardly knew you.


Originally published here

Tarago River Shadows of Blue

Tarago River Cheese was started in 1982 by the Jensen and Johnston families with 250 acres and 300 cows. Today they have grown to more than 850 acres and 800 cows. The dairy is located on the main road that links Neerim South to Mt Baw Baw. In fact during winter, most weekends we'd stop over here on our way to Mt Baw Baw for some of their fabulous cheese. Unfortunately, the cellar door isn't open any longer - the space was needed as demand for their cheese increased.

The cheese I'm looking at today is one of Paalo's favourites - just its name is enough to send him misty eyed.

Cheese Maker: Tarago River Cheese
Cheese Name: Shadows of Blue
Location: 2236 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South, Victoria

Shadows of Blue as the name tells you, is a blue cheese, made in the style of a Blue Castello. Penicillium Roqueforti cultures are used to produce this creamy but mildly flavoured cheese. The photo below clearly shows the injection marks.

Even though it looks like it would be heavily veined, it isn't.

This really is the type of blue that even an avowed blue hater should be able to eat. The mould acts to break down the cheese structure and leave it wonderfully creamy and almost spreadable.

This cheese usually disappears fairly quickly on a cheese board - it's the type that should be served on crusty bread and in generous portions. Other uses - savoury tarts, pasta sauces, pizza toppings or a wonderful companion to Prosciutto and figs.


Originally published here