Roncal Cheese A Distinctive Spanish Original

Roncal is produced in the Navarra province from the milk of the Latcha and Aragonesa breeds of sheep. Roncal gets it's name from the Roncal valley. The valley is in the Pyrenees mountains and home to seven villages that work cooperatively to make this cheese. The herdsmen from these villages allow their flocks to graze in the lush mountains during the spring and early summer. The milk that is produced is sweet and high in butterfat and creates an exceptionally wonderful cheese. In 1981 Roncal was honored by being the first Spanish cheese to receive the D.O. (Denominacion de Origen).

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Details:  Roncal is an uncooked sheep's milk cheese that has a pressed natural (inedible) rind. It is usually aged for a minimum of 4 months although, some are aged up to 8 months. The aging process yields cheeses with firm beige or reddish brown rinds that may have spots of gray mold on them. The interior paste is light yellow and will have small holes or what appear to be cracks. When cut and allowed to stand a bit of butterfat may weep out, this is not a sign of a cheese gone bad but is a sign of the richness of the cheese. The younger cheese will be moist with a smooth olive flavor, as it ages longer the paste will turn amber and will develop a more meaty flavor that is nutty and savory with a very slight tang. Roncal is available all year but if your cheese monger happens to get a fresh supply around October through December the cheese will have a wonderful aroma of cut hay. If you are getting bored with Manchego  Roncal is a perfect substitute, this is a great sheep milk cheese that will please your taste buds.

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When shopping for this cheese look for cheeses that are not discolored or dried out.  Please note that mold on the rind is perfectly OK but mold in the interior is a sign of a cheese that should not be purchased. You can find Roncal in both pasteurized and raw milk versions, we suggest purchasing the raw milk one because of its superior depth of flavor.

You can serve Roncal with fruit, raw vegetables and cured pork. It also works well as a grating cheese for soups, casseroles or pasta dishes.

Wine Pairing: Any Navarra reds, Rioja or Ribera del Duero for the aged cheese, and for the younger one a light Navarra , dry sherry, or a sparkling Cava.

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A quick Recipe For French Brie And Broccoli Soup

This Brie soup is warm and hearty and is perfect for the upcoming winter months. I think that this is a novel way to use Brie and it should open up  new directions for incorporating it into your meals. This soup can be served as a first course to a meal or as a meal by itself. 

Broccoli And Brie Soup

INGREDIENTS

  Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs of Broccoli florets

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1  fresh small yellow onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, grated

2 tablespoons of unbleached all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups of low sodium  organic chicken or vegetable broth

2 1/4 cups of whole milk

6 oz of Brie (use the best brand that you can find ie Rouzaire, Brie de Meaux, Isigny)

1/4 cup of heavy cream

COOKING

1) Finely chop all of the broccoli in a food processor. Then set the chopped broccoli aside

2) In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and season lightly with salt. Sweat the onions over medium heat for 2 minutes or until they just turn soft.

3) Add the broccoli and grated garlic to the onions. Season the mixture with salt and black pepper to taste. Lower the heat to low and cook covered for 5 minutes.

4) Remove the lid from the pot and stir in the 2 tbs of flour until it is completely distributed, Cook and additional 2 minutes while stirring continuously.

5) Add the broth and the milk. Raise the heat to high until the liquid begins to boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot again and simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli is completely cooked but not mushy.

6) Cut the rind off the Brie and then cut it into small pieces. Add the cut up Brie and cream to the pot. Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted. Use a whisk to blend the melted cheese into the soup. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Serve with garlic baguettes

Wine Pairing:  Big reds like Bordeaux or Burgundy

Grayson Cheese The American Taleggio

Grayson  is not a unique cheese but it is one of the excellent newer arrivals in the renaissance of American cheese making. It is produced by the Meadow Creek Dairy located in the southwestern mountains of Virginia. This area of Virginia is well known for its mineral rich soil, pure air and pristine water, these elements form the backbone of the dairy and agriculture production.

Details: Grayson is an American "stinky cheese" that is  strictly seasonally produced so the milking process begins in early March and continues until early winter with the last milking day being Christmas Eve. The raw milk used to make Grayson comes from a free ranging, closed herd of Jersey cows that graze on mixture of perennial grasses, grains and iodine rich Norwegian kelp.

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This cheese is based on the recipe for the popular Italian cheese Taleggio but it has its own signature due to its longer aging process (60 days) and the type of raw milk that is used to produce it. However like Taleggio it is formed into squares that weigh about 5 pounds. Grayson is a surface ripened, washed rind raw milk cheese so it will have a moderate stink factor however this will begin to disappear when the cheese is cut and allowed to breathe. Its edible washed rind  is well formed with a deep red color and is soft and pliant to the touch. The inner paste has a light yellow or straw color and when ripe will be bulgy or slightly oozy like brie. Grayson is a nice substitute for Brie and a nice introduction to Taleggio.

Flavor: Grayson's flavor profile is rich and beefy, slightly salty with a nutty sweet buttery finish.

Serve Grayson as a dessert course drizzled with honey, spread on crusty bread, or with dried fruit or sweet melons. It can also stand on its own so it can be used as a table cheese and can be substitute for Taleggio or Brie in your recipes. Please remember that this is a seasonally produced cheese so is may be hard to find, but when you do find it you will be rewarded with an excellent example of American cheese making.

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Store Grayson in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator wrapped in wax paper and placed in a zip lock bag. If any mold should form in its rind or inner paste simply cut or scrape it off .When shopping for this cheese do not purchase  any that look very runny or smell like ammonia another sign of abuse is a dried out looking cheese.

Wine Pairing: Malbec, Albarino, Cabernet or Gewurztraminer Grayson also pairs well with beer