Pennsylvania Noble
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
When I contemplated starting to eat locally made food, my first thought was ‘What about the cheese?’ Oh sure, I know where to buy locally made mozzarella...and I can make my own ricotta cheese and fromage blanc...but what about cheddar? What would I do to satisfy my craving for good cheddar?
As luck would have it, I was running around Reading Terminal Market one day when a man from Green Valley Dairy was pimping some of his Pennsylvania Noble. From that day forward I knew I would never have to worry about my cheese cravings. While it’s not super sharp, the “cheddar style” cheese has a slight nuttiness and a good strong taste going for it. Plus, it’s organic and made from the raw milk of grass fed, pastured cows. And cave aged for seven months. It’s absolutely fantastic with slices of apple or pear and a glass of Shiraz.
In addition to being available at the Fair Food Farmstand at Reading Terminal, you can also find PA Noble at DiBruno Bros., Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop, and online at Green Valley Dairy.
On a related note, I see that Green Valley will soon have a Brie de Meaux-style cheese available. I can hardly contain my excitement! One can only hope it emits the eye-watering stench of dirty feet of real Brie de Meaux. Be still my heart!
Next entry: The Greengrocer
Previous entry: CSA Weekly Report: Red Earth Farm
I have high doubts for anything local remotely approaching a ripe brie de meaux. Local cheesemakers have yet to rise to the sophistication of their counterparts on the west coast or in the old world. That, and we are working with the distinct disadvantage of terroir - Lancaster, whilst beautiful, isn’t exactly bursting with the diversity of caves with the vast variety of distinct molds that form on those classic bries, camemberts and St-Nectaires. European cheesemakers also have the edge of eons of understanding of their product - for ex. cheddar has likely been made in it’s home of Somerset UK for around 850 years. Take Green Valley and compare it to Monty’s or Keen’s farmhouse English cheddar and I think the difference will be clear.
That said, and perhaps partly due to lacking the burden of such a long history with the product, American farmhouse cheese has come leaps and bounds in the past twenty years.
You should try out Birchrun Blue. Wonderful and like a true farmhouse cheese, a bit of a gamble in predicting flavors from wheel to wheel, season to season. It can range from something like a creamy mild french blue (Montbriac) with sour camembert notes to something quite a bit more solid in texture accompanied by nutty, walnut flavors with touch of bitterness on the end palate. Either way, ideal with a floral honey on some toasted baguette. Birchrun blue is made in chester county and available at FF Farmstant in RTM, Di Bruno Bros, and straight from the cheesemaker at Headhouse Market.
Now that I’m through with that commercial, I’d also wholeheartedly endorse the local goat made by Pipe Dreams Fromage (PA) and the Pyrenees styled sheep’s milk cheeses made by Valley Sheperd (NJ). Particulary the mold covered goat log (think St. Maure) and crottin from Pipe Dreams and the Oldwick Shepherd from V.S. I’ve also heard great things about Bobolink Dairy in North Jersey but have yet to taste a morsel. But for those enthusiasts eager to check out everything dairy the region has to offer, Valley Shepherd is hosting a cheese festival late next month. You can check it out on their website (http://www.valleyshepherd.com).