French Bleu d'Auvergne Blue Cheese

Bleu d'Auvergne is a wonderful pasteurized cow's milk blue cheese produced in the Auvergne region of France.   Bleu d'Auvergne is an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlle) name controlled cheese and this assures the quality and production methods that are used to produce it.

Details: The cows in the Auvergne region graze in verdant pastures and produce large quantities of top quality milk. The method and recipe for producing Bleu d'Auvergne is centuries old and has changed little over time but there are now large producers so this blue cheese is available almost everywhere. The cheese is made into six pound wheels and is wrapped in foil. The outer surface is not really considered to be a true rind so it is edible but it is quite salty The interior paste is white or tending to light beige and will have a high concentration of blue veins.

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Flavor: Bleu d"Auvergne is a mild blue cheese so it is not nearly as sharp as Roquefort or Spanish Cabrales. You will be able to pick out hints of grass and to a lesser extent a nutty undertone.

When shopping for Bleu d'Auvergne do not purchase any that show signs reddening, browning or cracks in the outer surface. In addition ask for a small sample, if the cheese feels overly soft or has a rancid or any other odor not buy it.

If you can not find Bleu d'Auvergne good sustitutes are Maytag Blue, Spanish Picon or Fourme d'Ambert.

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How to serve Bleu d'Auvergne: It is a great addition to garden salads or blended into a vinaigrette or made into a salad dressing. It is also wonderful as an after dinner cheese served with sweet fruits.

Wine Pairings: Full bodied Rhone reds, fruity whites, sweet Sauternes, Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc

French Saint Marcellin Cheese

Saint Marcellin is a magnificent cow's milk cheese produced in the Dauphine region of France which is located above Provence. There are two versions that are produced, pasteurized and unpasteurized. The finished cheeses are small round 3oz disks. Both versions are excellent but when given a choice purchase the unpasteurized one.

Details: Saint Marcellin may come wrapped in chestnut leaves that have been dipped in white wine and tied with ribbon or raffia. The leaves are used to help ripen the cheese and they impart a fruity flavor to it. Most of the Saint Marcellin you will find in the US come without the chestnut leaf wrapping. It often comes in a ceramic or earthen crock type dish covered in plastic wrap with a label. When the cheese is young it will be crumbly and if it is wrapped the chestnut leaves will still be green. Many people enjoy it at this stage but an aged cheese will produce a much more pleasurable experience. As Saint Marcellin ages its  leaf wrapping will turn darker and become somewhat wet as the whey begins to weep out of the cheese. During this process it begins to soften and liquify but does not get runny.

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Flavor: Saint Marcellin is imported to the US as fresh or aged. If eaten at its fresh stage the flavor will be tart and somewhat sour and the paste will be somewhat crumbly. As the cheese ages and the leaves lose their green color it makes an exceptional transformation.

Saint Marcellin at this stage will have developed a creamy texture and a wonderful  fruity and nutty walnut flavor. It may also have acquired a few spots of blue mold, this not a bad thing, it is a sign of a mature cheese that is ready to be enjoyed..

As wonderful as the wrapped cheeses are the unwrapped variety is truly spectacular.  They have a very slight crusty cover which may have some blue mold on it.  As noted above this is not a sign of a cheese gone bad. Some Saint Marcellin will be labeled "cremier" these are produced  by small local dairies in small batches and may be hard to find in the US. Most of the Saint Marcellin found in the US is labeled "affine" indicating that it is aged or ripened.  Always try to find these versions, you will be amazed by their silky texture and strong walnut flavor, they are cheeses to be truly savored.

Serving and Storing: Saint Marcellin is wonderful as an appetizer with French olives and ham. It also preforms well with most salad courses and  as a dessert cheese with fresh sweet fruits. 

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When purchasing Saint Marcellin in the small crock press down on the plastic wrap to see if the cheese is soft or hard and buy accordingly. Always remove the plastic wrap as soon as you get it home. If you purchased a young cheese and want to let it age you can keep it in the crock but wrap it loosely in waxed paper or tin foil and store it the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.  If it is aged follow the same procedure if you do not plan to eat it right away. Saint Marcellin is usually quite easy to find in most good cheese shops and at Wegmans or Whole Foods.

Wine Paring: Sweet dessert wines or any Rhone reds