“Raw Milk Appreciation”

In honor of Raw Milk Appreciation day on April 22^nd!

Raclette de Savoie – Joseph Paccard, Rhone-Alps Region, France

Raw, Cow’s milk

About: “Raclette was invented in the Middle Ages by shepherds who consume it mainly in summer, in the open air, once they took the cows to graze.  At the time, it was called “cheese roast,” which consists of melting a half wheel of cheese in front of a wood fire.  It was only over time that the name Raclette appeared, referring to the action of scraping the melted surface of the cheese and depositing it on potatoes.

From the middle of the 20^th century, the Raclette with wood fire gradually gave way to the first electric appliances, first family style appliances then to individual pans.” www. reblochon-paccard.fr/fromages/la-raclette-de-savoie.html

Pairings: Raclette would be delicious melted and served with potatoes, charcuterie, pickles, onions and tomatoes.

Gorwydd Caerphilly – Maugan and Todd Trethowan, North Somerset, England

Raw, Cow’s milk

About: “Caerphilly cheese, as it has come to be understood today, is a mold-ripened, aged cow’s milk cheese typically sold at three to four months. The style takes its name from a small town in the South of Wales, in the west of the British Isles. Early Welsh producers made this cheese on a very small scale and it became popular with miners at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution as a cheap but rich food. As the demand for it grew, Cheddar-makers in the lush pasturelands of Somerset were happy to use the surplus milk to produce a fast-maturing cheese, to generate a quicker financial return on their milk. Thus, by the end of the nineteenth century, most of the Caerphilly eaten in South Wales came from Somerset.

Todd Trethowan, a former Neal’s Yard Dairy cheese-monger, learned to make Caerphilly from Chris Duckett, a descendant of these original Somerset Caerphilly makers, but by the 1980s the last survivor of this famous tradition. When Todd went back to Wales, he built a cheese-making facility on his parents’ farm near the town of Llandewi Brefi and began to make cheese. He was later joined by his brother Maugan and sister-in-law Kim, another former Neal’s Yard Dairy cheese-monger. With the intention of improving the quality of their cheese, and after a lengthy search for ‘the best possible milk’, in mid-2014 the Trethowans moved to Somerset. Partnering with a farm whose milk supply showed great potential enabled them to have more control over the raw material and consequently, on the final cheese.” www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/product/our-cheeses/gorwydd-caerphilly/

Pairings: Caerphilly pairs wonderfully with Viognier and Chardonnay.

Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar – Mariano Gonzalez, Modesto, CA

Raw, Cow’s milk

About: “Fiscalini’s Extra Mature Bandage Wrapped Cheddar is their most popular and highly awarded cheese, the reason for Mariano Gonzalez’s fame within the industry.  The cheese is made in traditional 60lb wheels, bound in cheesecloth to protect the cheese during aging, and hand-turned daily for the first two months.Bottom of Form

Fiscalini Bandaged Wrapped Cheddar has been distinguished as the World’s Best Cheddar at the World Cheese Awards in London 3 times, and remains the only American Cheddar to win the award.

Aged 14 months, this cheese is firm, crumbly, straw-colored and has a nutty, slightly smoky, earthy and more round finish than most aged cheddars.” www.fiscalinicheese.

Pairings: Fiscalini Cheddar would pair nicely with a Stout, IPA or Porter on the beer side or a Zinfandel, Riesling or Port on the wine side.  We’ve also found it quite enjoyable with the Raspberry cider from Stem Ciders, made right here in Denver.

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For those of you with the added Charcuterie of the Month:

Landjäger – A dried Swiss beef stick. A delicious and great snack while enjoying the outdoors or sliced thin on a charcuterie board.  Landjäger can also be boiled and served with potatoes and fresh greens for more of a meal option.