How To Safely Store Your Cheeses

Once again these tips for storing cheese are not hard and fast rules but we find that if they are followed both you and your cheese will remain happy for a longer period of time. So here we go.

Plastic wrap has been frowned upon as a method of cheese storage by some purists but we have found it to be a safe and versatile tool if used properly.

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1) Each time a cheese is used it should be wrapped in a new sheet of wrapping material. This is one rule that you should always try to follow.

2) Hard, semi-hard, soft, and semi-soft cheeses should be loosely wrapped in waxed paper then covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano, Hirtenkase, Manchego etc. should be rubbed with a light coating of olive oil to help prohibit the growth of mold and then wrapped. With these cheeses any mold that does appear can just be scraped off.

3) Soft ripened cheese with bloomy rinds such as Brie and Camembert. Fresh goat cheese and triple cremes like Briliat Savarin can be wrapped in plastic wrap or cover it  with cheesecloth so it can breathe.


4) For blue cheese you will get good results by wrapping it in aluminum foil then putting it in a plastic zip-lock bag and placing it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. This process will also limit the possible transfer of blue cheese molds to your other cheeses or your food.

5  Write the type of cheese and the date it was purchased on the wrapping material.

6) Any cheese that is wrapped in plastic wrap should be opened and allowed to breathe every few days. Once opened you are more likely to eat some so this is a good policy for all cheese lovers!

3 Holiday Goat Cheese Recipies

 Fresh goat cheese (Chevre) is very versatile in the kitchen. It can be melted over vegetables, added to salads, just spread on bread and crackers for a quick appetizer. Goat cheese is great for anyone who is lactose intolerant. So we would like to present three goat cheese recipes for you to try and enjoy. These are NOT our original recipes. Please visit the websites listed below each recipe to see many other great cooking ideas. We are not affiliated with any of these websites. Enjoy!

ZUCCHINI AND GOAT CHEESE ROLL UPS RECIPE

Make these ahead, refrigerate them if you like, and broil them briefly before serving. Serve with a first-course green salad or as a side to grilled meat, or as part of an antipasto. Yields 8 to 10 roll ups.

Ingredients:
Suggested goat (chevre) cheese to use in this recipe: Montrachet or Laura Chenel plain or herbed, melts great

3 oz. goat cheese, at room temperature1/8 tsp. kosher salt1 Tbs. finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, well drained1 tsp. olive oil Heaping 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped3 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick lengthwise strips grilled2 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the goat cheese, salt, sun-dried tomatoes, oil, and thyme. Spread 1 heaping tsp. of the filling thinly over one side of each grilled zucchini strip (use a mini spatula or your fingers to spread). Roll up the zucchini (not too tightly; this is more like folding), and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Refrigerate if not using within an hour, but bring back to room temperature before broiling. Heat the broiler. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmigiano and brown goat cheese the-broiler, about 1 min.

This recipe is from the Fine Cooking website. This is a great site for all types of recopies.http://www.finecooking.com/

A NICE HOLIDAY GOAT CHEESE SIDE DISH

Delicious, healthy veggie side dish 50 Minutes to Prepare and Cook.

Ingredients:
Butternut Squash, Beets, Greens (any green will do such as spinach, kale etc.), olive oil, fresh goat cheese, salt and pepper, walnuts (1/2 cup chopped mint is optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on 2 sheet trays, drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and distribute evenly. Place in oven and bake until softened and golden. Wash beet greens and de-stem and chiffonade greens. Toast walnuts in a medium skillet over medium heat. Remove squash from the oven and toss in beet greens, mint and goat cheese. Top with toasted walnuts. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm. You can substitute Feta cheese if you don't like goat cheese. Number of Servings: 4

This recipe is from the Spark People website
This is a nice website where members can submit a recipe to the site http://www.sparkpeople.com/

PASTA, VEGGIES AND GOAT CHEESE RECIPE Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil. 2 or 3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed. 1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes, seeded and diced (or 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced). 1/4 teaspoon sugar. salt to taste. 1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil. freshly ground pepper to taste. 12 ounces fusilli, penne, or other pasta such as shells or wheels. 1 pound broccoli, broken into florets, stems peeled and chopped. 3 ounces about 1/3 cup) crumbled goat cheese.

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy- bottomed nonstick skillet over medium- low hear, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until it begins to color, 30 seconds to a minute, then add the tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Raise the heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down, smell fragrant, and are beginning to stick to the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and pepper. Adjust the salt. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add 2 to 3 teaspoons sale and the pasta. Stir until the water comes back to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite (al dente), about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. About 5 minutes before the pasta will be done, drop the broccoli into the boiling water. Drain the noodles and broccoli together when the pasta is al dente, and toss with the tomato sauce and the goat cheese. divide at once among 4 warm plates. Serves 4.Per serving: Calories 495 (22% from fat), Fat 12 g (5g saturated), Cholesterol 17 mg, Sodium 855 mg

This recipe comes from the Westfield Farm website
www.chevre.com
Westfield Farm produces and sells their own line of goat cheese, check them out.

10 Great Gourmet Cheeses You Need To Try

This is not meant to be a gourmet cheese rating list but just my personal opinion. As with any opinion there will be dissenting opinions so, any and all comments are welcome. Feel free to add any of your favorite cheeses to our list or compile your own cheese list and post it here. As you read the list you will notice that it covers gourmet cheeses from around the world that are made from goat, cow and sheep's milk. Each of these different milks imparts its own character on the cured cheese. The method of production impacts the flavor and aroma of the cheese.

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1) France: Bleu du Bocage is a great goat's milk blue cheese with explosive flavor and aroma. Unfortunately this cheese is no longer being exported to the United States. So if you travel to France search this one out, you will be glad that you did.

2) Italy:Vento D'Estate is an aged cow's milk cheese that must be tasted to be believed.

3) Holland: Goat Gouda try this and you will not believe your taste buds, it is excellent.

4) Spain: Idiazabal is a wonderful raw sheep milk cheese with a great smoky buttery taste.

5) England: Appleby's Cheshire is a raw cow's milk cheese that is not as acidic as many other Cheshires .

6) Portugal: Dom Vilas is a pasteurized cow's milk cheese made the old traditional way. This cheese is Superb.

7) Germany: Hirtenkase is a cow's milk Mountain type cheese. Great with beer for Oktoberfest.

8) Switzerland: Tete de Moine is a masterpiece as are most things form this country.

9) United States: Kunik is a great goat's cheese from New York state. Very creamy.

10) Spain: Aged Manchego is a sheep's milk cheese, this is obvious but it is truly a great cheese.

So there you have our cheese list.
Happy eating !