We don't need any excuse to tuck into a table of cheese—we'll eat it any time, any place. We've recently been introduced to Nordic cheeses but we also have plenty of hometown pride for the creamy stuff made a little closer to home. Luckily, October is American Cheese Month, where we have even more reason to celebrate the delicious dairy delights made in these United States.
With so many great cheese shops here in NYC, we're lucky to get a wide variety of cheese right at our doorstep. For guidance on what cheese we should be devouring this month, we reached out to the fromage fanatics at Beecher's and Stinky Bklyn for their expert opinions. Below, four American cheeses to seek out this month.
HARBISON BY JASPER HILL FARM: "A beautiful presentation, this bloomy rind, cow's milk cheese from Vermont is wrapped in spruce bark, giving it bright and grassy flavors with a subtle undercurrent of pine," says Julie Riendl of Beecher's. The spruce trees in the farm's woodlands provide the bark that holds this runny masterpiece together. When you serve it, make sure to let it come to room temperature for maximum creaminess.
LORENZO BY MEADOWOOD FARMS: "Made right in New York, Lorenzo is a semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese with a buttery texture. The cheese is washed in cider, giving it a mildly funky odor and layers of nutty, sweet, and earthy flavors. Along the lines of Raclette, Lorenzo melts smooth and tastes delicious on top of young potatoes, pearl onions and charcuterie," explains Riendl. Pair it with a crisp cider, the natural choice here, a lambic-style beer or a sweet riesling.
Flagship Reserve by Beecher's Handmade Cheese
FLAGSHIP RESERVE BY BEECHER'S HANDMADE CHEESE: "Flagship Reserve is the cloth-bound version of our original Flagship cheese. The Flagship Reserve is made right in our store in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and is a cross between a cheddar and a gruyere. Aged in an open-air cave, Flagship Reserve is both drier and nuttier than its original counterpart. Flagship Reserve pairs well with both red and white wines, which is why we call it wine's best friend! Enjoy it with Beecher's pickled fennel stems for a real treat for your taste buds!" - Rachel Goldman, café manager at Beecher's Handmade Cheese.
Ouleout by Vulto Creamery
OULEOUT BY VULTO: "This soft and creamy beauty is a raw cow’s milk cheese made in a Reblochon style. Its rind is slightly washed which lends the cheese a pleasant funkiness that just enhances the nuances of the high quality milk from upstate New York. Jos Vulto recently opened his official cheesemaking facility in Walton, NY after making and aging cheese in his Brooklyn home and workshop for years. This cheese is truly a labor of love from a very passionate cheesemaker who exemplifies what is great about American cheesemaking today: DIY spirit, elbow grease, and a homegrown twist on Old World cheesemaking traditions." Erin Amey, Cheese and Charcuterie buyer for Stinky Bklyn.
