Fleur Du Maquis, meaning "flower of the maquis", is a Corsican cheese made from the milk of the Lacaune ewes. It is also known by its other name; Brin d’Amour. This semi-soft cheese has a creamy, firm and a moist textured pate, which is covered by a natural, flavoured rind. It takes between 2 weeks to 2-3 months for the cheese to fully ripen.
During the making process, the cheese is covered with aromatic coating of rosemary, fennel seeds, juniper berries and the occasional bird's eye chili. It has a sour, citrusy taste and feels a bit mild in the mouth. With age, the cheese is dotted with blue-grey molds as the pate absorbs the herbal flavours of the rind. The strong characteristic flavours of the cheese are balanced by the delicate herbs. Because of its musty and nutty aroma, the cheese smells great too. Fleur Du Maquis matches nicely with Albarino, Riesling and Tempranillo.

Fleur du Maquis

A slightly different take on the traditional Manchego style, El Chamizo is made with a blend of both cow and sheep's milk, and the wheel is rubbed with pimenton as it ages to give it a reddish rind that deepens progressively in color.

The flavors are a bit more rounded than those of our Manchego, with a fruitiness from the sheep's milk that is balanced by the tanginess of the cow's milk.

El Chamizo

Esquirrou is a small Ossau Iraty cheese, holding the PDO seal (Protected Denomination of Origin). Crafted in the Basque region of France, with milk from a small area around Mauléon, our local cheesemaker carefully guard and preserve its authentic cheesemaking tradition.

The milk collected locally comes from about 300 farms in a 50 miles radius of the plant which is in accordance to the specifications stipulated in the PDO rules. Following the milk seasonality, the production goes from november to july.

Esquirrou means "Bell" in Bearnais, a local dialect, referring to the bell the sheeps are wearing around their necks.

Esquirrou

Savencia Cheese

Cornilly goat cheese is manufactured in the town of Berry, located in the Pays de la Loire region of France. The small wheels are usually aged for about a month, during which time; the cheese develops a delicate white and blue rind. Cornioking with Cornilly, it is best to keep the recipes simple.

The Cornilly goat cheese is wonderful crumbled over a salad or presented with some crackers as part of a cheese platter. Try pairing your Cornilly with a Burgundy or a Cote de Be aune, or a dry sparkling beverage. If you are a fan of beer, opt for a pairing with a strong wheat flavor.

Cornilly

Monte Veronese is the best known cheese of the Lessini Mountain region of the Verona pre-Alps, which is known for its lush pastures.  There are a total of 13 dairies in the consortium that are allowed to use the Monte Veronese DOP label. Production dates back to medieval times when the cheese was originally used for bartering.  It was awarded DOP status in 1993. DOP is a name control regulation similar to the French AOC used for food and wine.

The Monte Veronese DOP di Malga is the elder statesman of the Monte Veronese family, in that it is aged for at least two years before we get it.  The cheese is particularly interesting to us because it is made using milk from cows that have been feeding on the lush pastures of the mountainous Lessinia region.  This cheese is special enough to be entered into the Slow Food Presidia, which has a focus on preserving traditional foodways around the world.  We find this cheese has notes of tropical fruit, hay and a subtle sweetness that is at once nutty and fruity.  This cheese deserves its own place on any cheese plate, but it would work equally well as a grating cheese, or paired with a drop or two of balsamic vinegar.

Monte Veronese Malga

Every year Formaggio Kitchen travels to the Pyrénées region of France to walk the caves and taste with Christian Pardou, whose family has been aging cheeses of the region for five generations.

The Pardou Ardi Gasna is a medium sized wheel with a firm rind and a tightly knit paste.

This cheese has the most consistently likeable flavor profile, with balanced flavors of the sheep's milk, as well as a pleasing nuttiness and saltiness. As is typical of cheeses of the region, this cheese is made using the milk of the traditional breed of sheep: brebis Béarnaise.

Pardou Ardi Gasna

Formaggio Kitchen

This is a well-aged gouda has a deep amber color, with plenty of crunchy protein crystals throughout.

The smooth, firm paste offers a range of flavors that include sweet caramel-butterscotch note and a savory nuttiness, as well as a pleasant sharpness.

Pair chunks of caramelly aged Gouda with fresh fall fruits like crisp apples, sweet walnuts or salty almonds, and caramelly treats like Bureau's Maple Kettle Popcorn.

Boerenkass Grand Cru

These classic French Brebis or sheep's milk cheeses are made in the province of Bearn in the southwest corner of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

Local farmers still adhere to the ancient practice of "Transhumance", or the transfer of livestock from the lowlands in the winter, to lush mountain pastures in the summer.

Marie-Jose of Les Bergers du Haut-Bearn collects young cheeses from these farmers and ages them in her cave built into the former stables of the Chateau du Porthos, home of Isaac of Portau, French Guard and Musketeer. 

Mary-Jo's rich Ossau-Iraty designated brebis are made with the milk of Basco-Bearn sheep that graze on complex pastures of grasses, herbs and flowers including Alpine Clover and Thyme.

The paste of these 7 month-old cheeses is smooth and rich, not strong or pungent, but with a complex, sweet nuttiness and gentle herbal note. Pair Brebis du Haut-Bearn with the local jams made from fresh black cherries and (if you like) a dash of spicy Piment d'Espelette. 

Brebis du Haut-Bearn

The Italian cheese 'Bra' comes from the town of Bra in Cuneo in the region of Piemonte, Italy.
Though the production of this cheese now takes place in many different areas or regions, the one that is produced within the province of Cuneo is considered to be the most authentic. It is made from cow's pasteurised or unpasteurised milk but small amounts of goat or sheep's milk can also be added while manufacturing the cheese sometimes. While the cheese has small eyes, its rind generally is off-white or beige in colour and interior ranges from pale-yellow to dark yellow-orange.
The cheese comes in three different types namely Bra tenero, bra duro and bra d’alpeggio. While Bra tenero is tender or soft version which is aged up to six months, bra duro is a hard version which is aged one to two years or longer. Bra d’alpeggio, the third type is made only from cow's milk that graze in mountain pastures from June to October.
The types that are aged for a lesser time period are mild, slightly spicy and milky. Those aged for longer period of time are full flavoured and pungent.

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