Bijou

Bijou goat milk cheese is quite cute.

Some time ago, I reviewed an interesting cheese from Vermont Creamery called Bonne Bouche, an aged goat's milk cheese with ash on its surface. In sharp contrast to the intimidating look of a deeply wrinkly cheese covered in black soot that accentuates the crevasses, Bijou is an angelic petit white button that's sold in pairs, two perfect twins sitting side-by-side nestled in a small carton. It's only with an up-close viewing that the small wrinkles on the surface of this cheese are apparent. From afar, the fromage is inviting, pretty even. It's not surprising that a cheese this good-looking was born in the beautiful state of Vermont. 

Here in Colorado with over 50 mountains exceeding 14,000 feet, we look at 4,000-foot formations, as beautiful as they are, more as hills than mountains, but Vermont Creamery sits in what's called the Green Mountains, which really are green or look so, even in the winter. Founded in 1984 by Allison Hooper and Bob Reese, the creamery became B Corp certified in 2014. Not only is it considered one of the best places to work in the state, voted by Vermont Business Magazine, it supports family farms in the area and promotes sustainability.  The company has won over 100 awards for its cheese-making skills, and in 2019, Bijou took top honors at the American Cheese Society Competition where Vermont Creamery took home a total of six awards. 

 From their website:

Allison learned how to make cheese during an internship on a farm in Brittany, France. Bob was working for the Vermont Department of Agriculture and charged with organizing a dinner featuring all Vermont-made products. When a French chef requested fresh goat cheese, Bob scrambled to find a local producer. He asked Allison, who was working in a dairy lab and milking goats in Brookfield, to make the cheese. The dinner was a success and the cheese was a hit; Vermont Creamery was born that night.

In the 34 years since the improbable business partners made their first goat cheese, a lot has changed. But the more things change at Vermont Creamery, the more they stay the same.

We’re still here in Vermont, making consciously-crafted, delicious dairy that reflects who we are and what we care about; we’ve taken the time to perfect every detail of what we make. Our cheeses and butter have won hundreds of national and international awards, our team remains our most valuable resource, and we still put taste above all. You’ll never eat anything we don’t believe in.

The surface of Bijou is wrinkly.

Bijou means "jewel" in French but has come to mean "small and elegant" in English. Each two-ounce button is made using fresh pasteurized goat's milk and microbial rennet. Once the curds have separated from the whey, they are ladled by hand and allowed to coagulate and slowly drain overnight in cheesecloth, a traditional method of cheese making. This Crottin-style cheese is then aged. What so many reviews leave out regarding Bijou is that this is a Geotrichum-rinded cheese. The wrinkles that develop during the aging process are due to the addition of Geotrichum Candidum, which usually comes in a mold powder. Geotrichum is a genus of fungi that includes over 100 species, many of which I'm sure you would rather not hear about and should probably avoid. It was recently discovered that Geotrichum Candidum always clusters with yeasts, but when it comes to cheese, Geotrichum Candidum behaves more like a mold, producing lipases, enzymes that bind to fat globules and then break them down, releasing fatty acids. This reaction is what causes all the fun stuff to happen in cheese. It's associated with the aroma that people either love or hate, the interesting texture, and, of course, the taste of the cheese. Geotrichum-rinded cheeses are distinct because they have a wrinkly surface. 

While this button of cheese is tres petit and doesn't give off any overly strong aromas, it packs a good flavor without knocking you out with the tang of the goat's milk. This soft-ripened cheese is mild with definite milky notes. Early in the aging process, it tastes sweet, very slightly nutty, yeasty, and tangy. Under the thin, wrinkly rind, the center is firm and has a pasty mouthfeel. As the product ages, the flavors intensify, and hints of hay and wild mushrooms emerge. There's a noticeable dash of salt that's not unpleasant. Overall, it's well balanced and intriguing. Past its prime, like most soft-ripened cheese, it will develop a slight ammonia flavor. 

It's very tempting to eat this cheese in one or two bites, but it's soft enough that it can be spread on a warm crusty baguette or served on Raincoast rosemary and pecan crackers. It's versatile enough to pair well with either sweet or savory accompaniments. Try it cut into wedges in a green salad or serve it on a cheese board with fresh fruits and roasted nuts. Though it takes away from the cuteness factor, it's a great cheese on grilled sandwiches and can be used in other baked dishes. A way to keep the cheese looking adorable is to bake it in a mini crust and serve it with cherry preserves or fig jam. 

Pair Bijou with Chardonnay, Viognier, Sangiovese, Syrah, Rose, Blanc de Blanc Champagne, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, or a not too sweet ruby Port. Vermont Creamery suggests an apple cider beer, which sounds perfect, but you can also try it with an IPA or wheat beer. 

Try Bijou with Cabernet Franc.

Wood River Creamery Black Truffle

Gruyere Cheddar with back truffles is full of flavor.

Right from the first bite, this cheese is intriguing. There are a lot of flavors present all at once, but after the initial confusion passes and with a second nibble, more distinct flavors begin to emerge: nuts, lightly sauteed garlic, button mushrooms cooked in butter, and a familiar tang of cheddar cheese. Initially, this unusual product is interesting, but it can easily and very quickly go from a little bit odd but pleasant to very tasty and downright addicting. 

This was the first time I had ever heard of a Gruyere Cheddar cheese. I'm not talking about combining cheeses in cooking, on a four-cheese pizza, in a blend in mac & cheese, or shredded to use on tacos or sandwiches, for example. This was my first experience with a marriage of two kinds of cheese in one solid block. It's a bold move to merge two classic cheeses. Until you try it, you wonder who the heck would do that and why. Swiss or Alpine cheese and Cheddar are two completely different animals. It's like pairing white and dark chocolate, only instead of melting or mixing two separate products into one, this cheese is made using specific bacteria that produce enzymes that allow all the magic in cheese to occur, and with a bit of magic, the final product comes together quite nicely. As far as taste, it all makes sense. You get the robust sharp tang of Cheddar cheese paired with the mild nutty, earthy flavors associated with Gruyere. And then there are the black truffles. Oh, those truffles! 

Wood River Creamery is part of the Burnett Dairy Cooperative in Wisconsin, located in the north-western part of the state. Some might remember the terrible fire that destroyed part of the over 100-year old building in the summer of 2020. Fortunately, with some heart-warming community support, the dairy was back up and running to almost full capacity by the fall of that same year. The Wood River Creamery is one of the oldest in the state, dating all the way back to 1896! With such a rich and long history, it's not surprising that Burnett Dairy Cooperative has received top honors and awards on the world stage over the many years they have been in operation. 

From their website:

Burnett Dairy Cooperative is a farmer-owned cooperative based near Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Founded in 1896, we are one of the few remaining full-service cooperatives producing cheese today. With the guidance of our Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker®, our award-winning cheeses are Masterfully Made™ with inventive flavors and inspired quality for retail, deli, foodservice and private-label customers.

Many of our retail cheese products are sold in grocery stores throughout the United States, online at burnettdairyshop.com, and at our retail Cheese Store & Bistro in Grantsburg, Wis., and Cady Cheese in Wilson, Wis.

Burnett Dairy Cooperative provides farmers with a full range of agricultural services needed for farm management. We provide agronomy services, fuels, grain, feed, animal health and nutrition services, and a General Store with farm supplies.

A great gift idea is a box of assorted cheeses!

Made in small batches, Wood River Creamery cheeses are distinctive in both how they are made and aged but also because of the unique flavors added to their beautifully crafted cheeses, especially the Cheddar Gruyere varieties. The Creamy Black Truffle cow's milk cheese is aromatic, nutty, tangy, and earthy. It's both slightly sweet and savory, a product of the two different styles of cheese in one. With the added truffles, garlicky notes are prominent. Despite what might seem like a mess of conflicting flavors, everything comes together perfectly. The very next day after I first sampled this cheese, I actually craved it and thought about it, that next lovely bite, as I was making my way home from work, excited to dive in when I got the chance.  

Wood River Creamery Black Truffle is excellent on its own or in cooked dishes.

This is a great cheese to eat on its own, but it is fantastic in baked noodle dishes, mac and cheese, for example. Cooking softens the sharper flavors. It's wonderful on grilled or cold sandwiches. You can serve it with crackers, on a baguette, or in a fondue. Winter fruits, dried or fresh, are also a nice accompaniment to this truffle cheese.  

If you're looking for a good wine pairing, try Wood River Creamy Black Truffle with a sparkling  Lambrusco. It also goes well with Pinot Noir, Syrah, Riesling, or a blanc de noir or rose Champagne. For a beer selection, try it with a Pilsner or wheat beer. 

Lambrusco wine pairs well with truffle cheeses.

Dirt Lover

 

Dirt Lover cheese in its cute wrapper.

Dirt Lover sheep's milk cheese is a curious little nugget of tastiness. I found it difficult to review this product immediately after having sampled Kinderhook Mini. I kept comparing the two instead of simply enjoying what was on my plate. Both are made from sheep's milk, and both have a bloomy rind. That said, compared to Kinderhook Mini, Dirt Lover is drier and sharper with a more pronounced tang. It's also a tiny bit saltier, but not in a bad way. 

I was trying to find the word to describe the cute little shape of this cheese. In more popular terms, it's known as a cylinder, but I kept thinking there was another word like crottin or crotte that described the extra petite barrel. Crottin is actually a different cheese, similar in shape to Chabicou and le Chevrot. All of these cheeses have a similar form that's small, round, and not too tall. When I learned that crotte is French for poop, usually of the horse or farm animal variety, I couldn't help but laugh. I'm not going to show images, but, regarding shape only, sometimes the little nuggets of cheese sort of do look like something you might accidentally step in at the barn. Try not to think of manure when sampling this cheese because, when it comes to taste, they have nothing in common. 

The little nugget of cheese is intriguing.

 

There's so much to love about the birthplace of this cheese, Green Dirt Farm, founded by Sarah Hoffmann, a woman who wanted to raise her children on a farm where they could enjoy spending time outdoors in the fresh air. But Sarah wasn't moving to the country in Missouri just for herself and her family. She had an idea to create an environmentally sustainable sheep dairy where the animals would be treated humanely. From there, it took a few years before she was ready to begin selling cheese. She had to learn the cheese-making process and then think about the production end of the business first, but after six years, everything fell into place. Once the cheeses landed on the market, it's no surprise that Green Dirt Farm products started winning a variety of awards. These days, Sara and her daughter, Eliza, work with a small team to keep the business running smoothly and ethically. 

From the Green Dirt website: 

As the ewes munch on this rich smorgasbord of grasses throughout the seasons, the flavors in the milk changes, and so do the flavors in the cheeses. We celebrate these unique flavors as they reflect what the sheep are eating in the moment and remind us of the seasonality of life on the farm.

In addition, the milk of grass-fed ruminants naturally contains more omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamins E & A. This enriched nutritional profile means our grass-fed sheep’s milk products are both healthier and more flavorful.

But you don’t have to take our word for it, we are proud to be Animal Welfare Approved. This means that we raise our animals humanely, outdoors on pasture, allowing them to behave naturally and socialize freely. We are audited yearly to ensure that we are maintaining Animal Welfare Approved’s strict standards.

Similar to Selles Sur Cher but not as dark, Dirt Lover is coated with ash. Selles Sur Cher is coated with wood ash whereas Dirt Lover is covered in a light coating of vegetable ash. Vegetable ash is exactly what it sounds like, vegetable matter that has been dried and charred until it's turned into ash. Ash doesn't typically have much flavor and is sometimes added simply for show, but it is also used in cheese making for several functional reasons. Folklore claims that a light dusting of ash on the evening curd kept the flies from sampling the goodies when folks were making cheese, and then more curd was simply added on top of the ash the next day. These days, increased production is such that most cheeses are made from one milking, and the reality is that ash was probably added because it keeps the curds from spoiling by soaking up excess moisture without adding much flavor. Whether of the wood or vegetable variety, ash is mostly carbon, and it neutralizes the acidic surface of developing cheeses. A lower PH encourages the right kind of mold, specifically penicillium candidum and geotrichum in bloomy rinds, to develop while keeping unwanted mold, especially blue, black, green, or red, from forming. 

With added ash on its surface, Dirt Lover more easily forms a thin rind as the 100-percent pasteurized sheep's milk cheese ripens for about two weeks. As with other "live rind" cheeses, fats and proteins break down over time and create a gooey texture just inside the rind of Dirt Lover, but the majority of the cheese is a wonderful firm texture. In the same way that wines can be dry and wet at the same time, so is this fromage. The dryness is no mistake, and don't worry because the finish is creamy on the palate. The paste itself isn't as creamy as most Brie-like cheeses, but the overall mouthfeel is smooth. It's the kind of cheese that makes you smack your lips with a great flavor that's balanced nicely. 

The Dirt Lover interior is white.

 

Despite a lack of any strong mushroom smell, Dirt Lover has a lovely earthy flavor that's rich, nutty, and buttery. The obvious tang from the sheep's milk isn't overwhelming or overly sour and makes this more interesting than other more traditional bloomy rind cheeses. In the early stages of aging, this little appetizing button has hints of citrus as the paste lingers on your tongue. In the later stages, notes of hay and the barnyard stand out. I can see why the cheesemonger who sold me this little gem was excited about it.

It was hard for me to pair this cheese with anything. I wanted to just keep eating it plain and savor the wonderful complexities of this intriguing dairy product, however, it does go exceptionally well with crusty French bread, which is no surprise since it's modeled after some of the old European cheeses that made the use of ash in cheese making popular. It looks and tastes great in salads, on cheese boards, and with fruit platters. Although it takes away from the attractive look of the cheese, it can also be used in cooked dishes or baked in a crust like Brie. 

As far as wines, you can be daring and try this with a Sangiovese blend that will draw out the complexities of this cheese. It's also great with rose, Merlot, an unoaked Chardonnay, Sancerre, Chenin Blanc, Prosecco, and even tawny port. If it's beer you're into, go with a pale ale, wheat beer, or an IPA.