Larkhaven Farmstead Raw Milk Sheep/Goat Cheeses
How to Eat Cheese
Please forgive us if we are stating the obvious,
but did we already mention that
NO CHEESE should ever be eaten
COLD?
Once a
hard cheese has been cut into, the normal aging process stops. The cheese can then be kept
refrigerated for a period of up to several weeks, depending on the size of the chunk. But if you want
cheese tonight, you can't just get home from work and take it out of the fridge and have it for supper.
The best thing to do is to leave it out, under glass, all day. In fact, what we do is put a
half-pound under glass on the kitchen table and leave it there until it's gone. A
couple of days or more is common.
Aged soft cheese allows pretty much the same practice with some notable differences. You can't leave it
in the fridge as long once it reaches your favorite point of maturity. And you can leave it out on the
table under glass, but not half as long as hard cheese, unless you're the very adventurous sort.
Brined cheese should be eaten at room temperature as well, but take care to leave it in the brine until
a short while before serving. Arranging slices on a plate is a good way to get the chill off without letting it
dry too much. Only cut what you think will be used, and don't be afraid to return a chunk of cheese
to the brine for next time.
Most cheese lovers like something acidic next to the cheese plate to clear and awaken the palate. Red wine works
very well for this, and so do all fruits, in your favorite pairings.
