Cheese Made In Québec

Québec has hundreds of artisan cheese makers who produce small quantities of cheese using raw or pasteurized cow, sheep, or goat milk (or some combination) from local or regional farms. An artisanal cheese is made by hand, sometimes without modern technology in the traditional way but often combining modern equipment but with attention to the terroir, and with an emphasis on traditional cheese-making methods. The result is a diverse range of cheeses with complex flavors, textures, unique appearances, and aromas that set them apart from mass-produced cheeses. Cheese making has a long history in Québec. It was already well established in the time of New France. With the Conquest of 1760, cheese production became focussed on Cheddar, which gave rise to certain well-known products, such as Perron Cheddar in 1885. Cheese making has come a long way since then! Here are some examples of Quebec artisan cheeses: Grey Owl: A soft cheese with a bloomy rind and a slightly sweet taste La Sauvagine: A soft cheese with a washed rind and a creamy texture Alfred Le Fermier: A raw cow's milk cheese from Compton, Quebec with a supple texture and a smooth, washed rind. It has notes of blueberries, malt, bread, and hazelnuts, and won Gold and Bronze at the World Cheese Awards in 2017 You can learn more about Quebec's artisan producers and their cheeses at Fromages du Québec, which has an impressively organized and informative website. And if you get a chance to travel to Québec, bring back some cheese!

Cheesemakers I have Known

The sub-title of this should be "and loved". Pictured are Eric Randu from Montbardon, and Sarah Hoffmann from Green Dirt Farm. This summer I spend a week in the Haute-Alpes region of France visiting fromageries with Sarah and we met Eric through a friend of a friend.
The week did not represent the most cheese that I have ever eaten--that record goes to the time I attended the American Cheese Society's annual meeting. I would never have predicted that I could ever be sick of cheese, but at the end of the first 24 hours my palate was flagging and by the time I went home, I was glad to have the opportunity to buy many artisanal cheeses at the blow-out, end-of-meeting sale so that I could go home and taste them on my own schedule, doing them justice.

It was my third time in the mountains of France, but it was the first time I spent more time with animals than historic sites. The cheese of interest was Tomme de Savoie, and the very best we tasted was made by Eric Randu. His tomme was nutty and creamy, without any off flavors. Which is how I could also describe the cheesemaker. A man who has gusto and elan, fun to be with even when he is being very serious.

Green Dirt Farm

I spent last night in the company of friends who we have been close to for over 20 years, but never lived in the same town. It is a tribute to the ties that bind--our children feel like cousins to each other, and I often say that the two husbands are twin sons of different mothers. I have always liked the phrase "the family you choose", but often these are not "forever" ties--that said, this might be one instance where it fits. We have many things in common, but most importantly, we share values. Shifting values is an inevitable part of the aging process, but we have shifted in parallel. I believe this is a key to long-standing kinship.

Despite the areas of overlap--cooking, wine, cheese, great food, we have gone down very different paths. Sarah left medicine many years ago, and started her personal journey toward sustainable living. When she was an internist, there was little in it for us, but the past decade has been nothing but fun, partaking in the fruits of her labor. One of the things that attracts me day after day to cooking is the production of something good and enjoyable. Sarah does this for a living.

So, as we sat down for dinner, we started with a cheese course. Green Dirt Farm's award winning washed rind cheese, Bossa Nova, and a blooming rind cheese covered in Herbes de Provence called Comfort and Joy were two of the starters. We ate them sans bread, and savored the creaminess, the nutty flavors of the Bossa, and the slightly evergreen quality that the rosemary imparted on to the Comfort and Joy. This course was accompanied by a Landmark Pinot Noir. We then moved on to Osso Bucco with Sarah's lamb--tender, flavorful, the stew was redolent with star anise and delicious, as well as complimenting the risotto perfectly. But the company, the conversation, the comraderie, and the catching up were the highlights of the night.