mail-order cheese

O.K., I can admit when I'm compulsively fixated.

As I mentioned in the post about homemade cheese, the new issue of Saveur magazine is devoted to cheese, particulary American artisanal cheeses. I decided to try one mail-order source (Renard's Cheese in Door County, WI), while I wait for the rest of my homemade cheesemaking stuff to arrive.

Really fresh and toothsome cheddar curds, and a very nice 5-year-aged cheddar (among other offerings). Decent prices, two-day shipping (required for the curds).



Renard's Cheese
920-743-6626
http://www.renards.com

The monks of Gethsemani Abbey in Nelson County, Kentucky, began selling their handmade cheeses in the 1940s. Using milk from their own herd of prize-winning Holsteins, they produced cheeses in the tradition of their Trappist brothers at the Abbey of Port du Salut, the French monastery that lent its name to that world-renowned semi-soft cheese. Today Gethsemani Farms offers three distinct varieties of gourmet Trappist cheese: mild (our traditional Trappist recipe), aged (a stronger cheese, aged for six months) and smoky (smoked over hickory coals). Note: They cannot ship cheese during the warm months of June, July, August.

Gethsemani Farms
3642 Monks Road
Trappist, KY
800.549.0912

waderoberts wrote:Really fresh and toothsome cheddar curds, and a very nice 5-year-aged cheddar (among other offerings). Decent prices, two-day shipping (required for the curds).

Waderoberts,

I share your obsession (though not your ambition -- I like wine and bread, too, though I make neither).

The new issue of Saveur is, indeed, killer -- as is the Widmer cheddar, highlighted therein. With a decent red, this cheese explodes with flavor.

Had a few triangles of Capriole O'Banon for lunch -- enjoyed the bourbon aftertaste of the soaked and tannic chestnut leaves, but overall did not think the cheese was that outstanding (though it did take gold in 2004 ACS competition). Very creamy, and good, but just not...goatey enough for me.

Curds are fun and novel, though being young, they seem to lack complexity -- and aren't they best when VERY fresh? (i.e., like eaten the day they are made). I like it when they squeak.

Hammond

Try Artisanal Cheese Center. I got "Cheese of the Month" for a birthday present and have truly enjoyed every shipment so far. I enjoy making the easier hard and soft cheeses, but there is no way in the world my modest attempts can approach these beauties that come from all over the world.

Bill/SFNM

Is this mail order cheese any better than what you can get at Sams Wine, Whole Foods or Binny's loctions with cheese?

I've been buying my best cheeses at Sam's new Downer's Grove location or Whole Foods mostly lately.

They both let you try the cheese before you buy and have lots of great stuff.

Just got some awesome artisinal cheese from Switzerland from Sam's recently (Hoch Ybrig).

Nancy