As the ancient constellations wheel through the winter night sky, we enter the House of Aquarius – dominion of those conceived in the merrie month of May and birthed in the dead of winter. Each year, a group of my friends gathers to celebrate the birthdays of the two water babies in the group – one of whom is me. As pastry chef, I would create the requisite cake. Yet now, as cheese aficianado, I provide the cheese course. And since all great fetes begin with champagne, I bring a bottle – or two – of the liquid stars.
My choice for the champagne was a bit eccentric. The Egly-Ouriet Brut Premier Cru “Les Vignes de Vrigny” is 100% Pinot Meunier, not one of the typical choices for a single varietal champagne. Egly-Ouriet is one of the premier estate grown champagnes and is featured in Andrew Jeffords’ survey The New France. The wine is fresh, fruity, rich and full-bodied. Each label specifies the time the wine spent on its yeast – in this case, 37 months – and when the wine was disgorged – August 2009 for this bottle. Opinion was mixed on this wine – some loved it, some put off by its eccentricity. We moved the celebration forward by uncorking a Camille Saves Brut Premier Cru “Carte Blanche” – a blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay - a lighter, more traditional wine. Smiles all around. (Katrin has previously written about this wine. Her review can be found under “Wine Reviews”.)
After lamb kabobs, baby purple and red bliss potato skewers and romaine and red onions tossed with citrus dressing, it was time for the birthday cheese. One of my usual conceits for setting up a cheese plate is “ cow – goat – sheep” – one cheese representing each animal. I further refine the selection by varying the textures – some soft cheeses, some hard, some in-between. And so, the Birthday Cheese.
- My first pick was “Caspian” from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont. Described by the cheese maker as “limited time fun thing”, this is a small format robiola-style cheese wrapped in grape leaves that have been soaked in Eden Vermont Ice Cider, the whole package tied with raffia. How pretty! The cheese was white, smooth and silky with a clean yet slightly sour flavor. (Sour is good.) For “a little experiment”, this was a winner.
- I already had my “cow” but the shop had just received a cheese that I wanted to try -” Mountaineer” from Meadow Creek Dairy in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The cheese, modelled after a European alpine cheese, was golden hued with a beautifully rich aroma, supple and smooth with a buttery flavor.
- For my “goat”, I chose the award-winning, highly praised “Manchester” from Consider Bardwell Farm in Vermont. This raw goat milk tomme is made by cheese maker extraordinaire Peter Dixon. The cheese was deep ivory, dry and quite firm. For me, it was a bit past its prime – a somewhat unyielding texture overwhelming the taste.
- From Extremadura, Spain, came the sheeps’ milk cheese, Torta Serena. This beauty is wrapped in a lace ribbon. When fully ripe, the cheese can be eaten with a spoon – it becomes so soft. The cheese was off-white, soft; the cardoon thistle used to coagulate the cheese gives a slight vegetal aspect to the flavor.
These cheeses were bought at Central Bottle & Provision with the assistance of David, the affable and knowledgeable cheesemonger.
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