Nettlesome cheese
Monday, August 27, 2007
A few days ago I bought a small chunk of Valley Shepherd Creamery Nettlesome cheese. It sat in my ‘fridge. I just couldn’t work up the motivation to try it. Stinging nettles in cheese? It just sounded...wrong.
But Nettlesome cheese is so, so right! This mixed milk cheese is really wonderful - it’s filled with dried nettles and has a great, grassy smell. The taste, too, has grass undertones. Not in an unpleasant way - in a very rich and interesting way. Coincidentally, I had this idea last night during my tasting - it would probably make a really great grilled cheese sandwich. It seems like it would melt really well, and the taste of the nettles would be really unique.
Interestingly, eating cheese with stinging nettles is pretty good for you. Aside from all the benefits of dairy, nettles have long been used in herbal medicines to treat disorders of the muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia. Who knew you could eat cheese and treat arthritis all in one shot?!
Valley Shepherd Creamery is located in Long Valley, New Jersey. And if you’re ever up that way, they do offer cheesemaking classes. Valley Shepherd Creamery is also the location of the 2007 Artisan Cheese and Food Festival coming up on September 29. It sounds like an amazing event for local food aficionados. Over 25 small farms and artisan food producers throughout the Northeast region will be there with American Cheese Society award winning cheeses and specialty foods.
Edited to note: Nettlesome cheese is available in the dairy case at the Fair Food Farmstand at Reading Terminal Market.
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A bit more Nettle info for you (because I know that’s all ya ever wanted).
Stinging Nettles have a long history of cohabitating with curd, originating in the UK several hundred years ago(maybe longer)and revived recently. You see Nettles (urtica gracilis) are one of the original vegetarian coagulants, not merely decorative or there to add a vegetal acidic edge.
Despite the proliferation of characterless/ engineered powder vegetable rennets in cheeses marketed for vegetarians, vegetarian cheeses are nothing new. A number of distinctive veggy rennets exist, some in use since Roman times such as fig bark, or in spain & portugal milk or cardoon thistle and of course in the english speaking world Nettle.
Nettle cheese pairs wonderfully with bitter ales and pear chutney (perfect for the fall). Cheers!