Gouda

by Austin Coe Butler

After several years behind the France 44 cheese counter and talking with customers, I think I can make the following observation: our Dutch customers purchase the most cheese and in stately three or even four pound wedges. The Dutch love of dairy is long founded, and a typical Dutch breakfast is often a glass of milk, a slice of buttered toast, and chunk of cheese. Julius Caesar observed, with disdain, that the Dutch had no agriculture and merely ate the meat and milk of their animals (the hallmark signs of barbarism). But Dutch ingenuity led to the creation dykes and polders, plots of land claimed from the seafloor by the pumps in their windmills to create arable lands to graze animals and grow crops. Now, despite being the size of Maryland, the Netherlands’s is the second largest exporter of food after the United States. The ingenuity of the Dutch also lead to the creation of one of the world’s favorite cheeses: Gouda.

One of the earliest challenges for Dutch cheesemakers were “hoven,” or exploding, cheeses. Due to their northern latitude and maritime climate, the Netherlands has wet summers that prevent the curing of hay. Instead, the damp fodder collected in the field begins to ferment and turn to silage, which is fine for cows to eat, but the microbacteria responsible for this unwanted fermentation can pass into the milk and create off flavors in the cheese and even gas, causing cheeses to bulge and burst. English cheesemakers encountered a similar problem and responded by cheddaring cheeses, while the Dutch settled on a defining characteristic of goudas: secondary washing of the curd.

This process involves pouring off the whey from the curds and adding fresh, hot water to the vat. This fresh, hot water not only scalds the curd, driving out more whey and moisture but removes lactose, which lactic bacteria convert into lactic acid, and creates a milder, sweeter curd. Curd washing not only gives goudas their complex sweet flavors ranging from coconut milk and marzipan to butterscotch and aged soy sauce, but the drier texture that allowed wheels of Gouda to travel across the world when the Dutch were the leading European Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Like many cheeses bearing the name of a place, Goudas were likely not invented in the town of Gouda (HOW-da), but they were certainly consumed by a lot of people passing through there. Back in the 12th century, Gouda was one of the few municipalities given the exclusive right to weigh and sell cheese and became a bustling trade hub. You can still visit its picturesque cheese market that is open on Thursdays to watch cheese traders in wooden klompen sell their wares. While no one in the shop wears wooden klompen (do Danskos count?), we are open every day and have an impressive selection of Goudas to choose from:

Our Selection of Goudas:

L’Amuse Brabander

A goat milk gouda that is easily our most popular goat cheese. The secondary washing of this gouda takes away that goat gaminess that some people dislike and leaves you with a mild tang and a coconut milk like creaminess and marzipan sweetness making it an excellent gateway into the world of goat cheeses. If you’re a fan of Midnight Moon, you must try Brabander!

Coolea

An Irish gouda of Dutch extraction. Made in the mountain village of Coolea in Co. Cork, Ireland, by the Willem family, this Gouda has a remarkable flavor and texture of toasted macadamia or Brazil nuts.

L’Amuse Signature Two-Year

A customer favorite loaded with crunchy tyrosine crystals and big brown butter and salted caramel flavors. In an act of true cheese brinkmanship, the opeleggers at Fromagerie L’Amuse in Amsterdam age this cheese in rooms with high heat and humidity to increase the metabolism of the microbes in the cheeses that create those crystals and huge, complex flavors.

Wilde Weide

A Platonic Gouda. Well balanced between the creamy, savory aspects of young Goudas and crystally, sweet flavors of aged Goudas, Wilde Weide ticks all the boxes for what you want in a Gouda. Wilde Weide is not just a Gouda, but holds the distinction of Boeerenkase or “Farm cheese,” meaning the cheese is made from organic raw milk in the historical artisanal manner on the farm the milk comes from. Jan and Roos van Schie live on their small three-hundred year old “island,” or polder, with their herd of 42 Montbeliard cows, their cheese, and no one else. Roos is a trained opera singer who serenades the cheese as they are “put it to bed” in the cellar to mature, and when the cheese “wakes up” Jan loads them onto a dingy and rows them to shore and takes them to market. A great story for a great cheese.

OG Kristal

Similar to the L’Amuse Signature Two-Year Gouda, but because of its shorter maturation period (18 month), it is creamier than the Two-Year, without skimping on the crunch. The candy apple red rinds are a staple of our shop, and usually when someone comes in asking about “the crystals” we steer them towards this cheese.

Old Farmdal

They send this cheese to the International Space Station! Necessity is the mother of invention, and it was during a shortage of OG Kristal (OGK) that the wizards at  Kaasboerderij’T Groendal (Kahss–BOOR-deh-LAY TRUN-dahl) in Belgium devised this recipe for a cheese like OGK but with a maturation time of only 9 months. The result is a cheese that is creamier than OGK, with a bit more of a milky tang.

Marieke Gouda

Marieke Penterman’s Gouda are loved throughout her adopted country of the United States. This Marieke Gouda we carry is our youngest Gouda and is ideal on sandwiches, melted, or simply snacked on. Its texture is springy and buoyant with bright, milky flavor.

Cook Like a Monger: Tiramisu

by Austin Butler

Tiramisu has been a favorite dessert of mine ever since my grandmother prepared it for me as a teenager. I loved it so much I must have eaten six servings that evening, and I could not for the life of me fall asleep that night before trudging off to school the next day. It was only the next day my grandmother explained that tiramisu means “pull me up” in Italian because of the strong coffee used to soak the biscuits. Traditional tiramisu recipes called for the use of Savoyardi biscuits (Lady Fingers), but here I decided to substitute biscotti or cantuccini as the Italians would say. These cantuccini from Antonio Mattei are a staple of the shop during the holidays. I enjoy the crunch and texture the sliced almonds baked into them bring to this very soft dessert. 

Antonio Mattei Biscotti

450 g Mascarpone (or two 8oz containers)

2 bags Antonio Mattei Biscotti

3.5oz heavy cream

4oz Badia a Coltibuon Vin Santo or another sweet wine like Marsala

6oz strong coffee

125 g (1 c) sugar

3 eggs

1 bar dark chocolate or cocoa powder (for dusting)

1 lemon

1. Separate the egg yolks and whites.

2. In a separate bowl combine the egg yolks and half the sugar. Beat until creamy and all the sugar is dissolved. Add the mascarpone and stir to combine. Add the heavy cream and give it a final mix.

3. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. I add a few drops of lemon juice to help the whites stiffen.

4. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture. It will seem too wet at first, but keep folding and you should end up with a nice, airy batter.

5. Brew a strong cup of coffee. Add the remaining sugar and the Vin Santo and stir until dissolved. 

6. Dunk the biscotti into the coffee mixture for just a second or two. If you leave them too long they will become sodden and break, leading to a very wet tiramisu that weeps coffee. We also want these biscotti to soak up some of the mascarpone mixture as it sets.

7. Spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on the bottom of your serving dish. Layer with the soaked biscotti. Repeat and finish with mascarpone on top.

8. Reserve in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to set.

9. Top with grated chocolate or cocoa powder, or even some crumbled biscotti. Serve alongside a glass of Vin Santo.

The Pairing: Why We Love Brillat Savarin

Why we love the cheese: 

 Beloved triple cream Brillat Savarin has been a staple of our cheese case for as long as we care to remember. The epitome of luxurious, decadent, and delicious, this beauty from Normandy is bold enough to enjoy on its own and easy-going enough to play well with others.

Why we love the wine: 

Three Wine Company’s Faux Pas red blend is light fruity and fresh. An enticing magenta color, this wine is super drinkable and food-friendly with nice acidity and low tannins. 

Why we love this pairing: 

Together, the buttery Brillat and bright red blend bring out the fruitiness in each other, reminiscent of berries and cream. The wine gives longevity to the cheese both texturally and in flavor, while the cheese mellows out some of the sharper edges of the wine. 

What else you should do with it 

Speaking of berries and cream, enjoy your Brillat Savarin and Faux Pas red with your favorite berries for dessert! Raspberries and blueberries go particularly well. If you want to go the extra step, spread some Brillat on a toasted piece of brioche and top with fresh berries and honey. The light and acidic red blend will go perfectly. 

Cook like a Meat Monger: Black Garlic-Glazed Chicken

by Matt Gruber

With the dawn of the new year, my favorite month is upon us: discounted chicken month. I could talk about our chicken until my jaw fell off: locally farmed, air chilled, pasture raised and all around delicious. Weekly it’s always one of our bestsellers, and we always love to chat about new recipes.

For 2023, I am really leaning into my love of flavors from across the world. A great Japanese proverb that sticks with me is, 七転び八起き (nana korobi ya oki) , which translates to  “Fall seven times, get up eight.” I want to challenge myself and take my cooking curiosity to its limits this year, mess ups and all. No matter how many times I cook a dish I will always look to refine and tweak it. Gravitating towards depth of flavor, freshness, and my love of all things umami, I wanted to see how many ways I could cram our black garlic molasses into my weekly menu. The Japanese syrup is made from 100% fermented garlic, but don’t let that scare you. The flavor is nutty and rich, but also surprisingly tangy. Landing on a whole chicken (duh, its January), I decided to try out a glaze for the poultry.

Knowing the sugar in the molasses would burn too quickly if applied at the start, I figured a glazing at the finish would be perfectly timed. To cut down on the thickness and intensity of the black garlic I cut it with some fantastic ponzu (a traditional sauce, typically sold in America as a mixture of soy and citrus)—it complemented the intense garlic flavor of the molasses quite well. Paired with, honestly, any of your favorite roasting veggies this dish will totally shine. I picked onion, snap peas, and celery (gotta clear out that produce drawer) and it accompanied it wonderfully.  

Enjoy on its own with the veggies or over rice—heck, eat a leg like you are at the renaissance fair! Cheers to a wonderful year of cooking and good food.

Ingredients:

1 whole 3-4 lb chicken 

1/3 cup Black Garlic Molasses

2 tbsp ponzu or soy sauce

1 yellow onion 

1 lemon 

Your favorite roasting veggies 

Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°

2. Halve the lemon and the onion. Stuff one half of each into your bird.

3. Slice your roasting veggies into uniform pieces. Toss them in oil and salt. Lay veggies on the bottom of your roasting pan. Top veggies with your whole chicken.

4. Pop roasting pan in the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the black garlic molasses and ponzu/soy. Zest the remaining lemon half into the glaze. If using soy, juice the lemon half into the mixture as well.

6. When your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 150°, apply the glaze to the skin and cook for an additional 10 minutes at 450º. Remove from the oven, and rest 5-10 minutes. Ensure that the final temp reaches 160º.

7. Enjoy!

Risotto ai Funghi (Mushroom Risotto)

Serves 4-6 / Prep time 15 minutes / Cook time 30 minutes

Like so much of Italian gastronomy, there are many orthodoxies attached to risotto. A wooden spoon must be used. The rice must not only be stirred constantly, but in only one direction! As a result risotto has received a reputation as fussy and tedious. But I have found that risotto is an easy dish for the patient, and I personally enjoy unwinding in the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand.

There are risotto recipes that offer shortcuts like the use of a pressure cooker or the addition of a slurry, but I find those “time savers” lead to less flavor development. This recipe calls for two quarts of rich, full-fat chicken stock made to be reduced down into what is practically demi-glace. All those roasty, toasty flavors are concentrated into each grain of rice.

This dish can easily be scaled up or down, made vegetarian or even vegan with simple substitutions like vegetable stock, vegan butter, and nutritional yeast. Want to skip the wine? Substitute white balsamic for that same fruity acidity. What may surprise you is that the risotto is quite “soupy.” It should pool on the plate rather than form a stiff mass.

You will need:

500 g/1 package Principato di Lucedio Carnaroli Rice 

2 qts. Chicken Stock (France 44 makes an excellent one)

Half a white onion or one whole shallot, minced to roughly the size of a grain of rice

1 cup dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or an unoaked Chardonnay (I used L’Agnostique Chardonnay, which, at $12.99 and for its quality, is an absolute steal.)

1 cup freshly grated Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano

A sachet (about 1 oz.) of dried mushrooms (Here I use dried Porcini)

450 grams/1 lb. of fresh mushrooms (Here I use a combination of crimini, shitake, and beech mushrooms. I mince the crimini to fill out the risotto and leave the shiitake and beech larger for texture. The only mushroom I would not recommend for risotto is Portobellos. Their large, dark gills stain the risotto an unappetizing color)

1 tbsp White balsamic or sherry vinegar

Flatleaf parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

Butter

Salt

Black or white pepper

1. Heat the oven to 425º F. Prepare your mushrooms by removing the stalks and brushing off any dirt with a paper towel or brush. Mince the majority of them while reserving some large pieces or clusters to roast off. Coat these roasting mushrooms in EVOO and salt. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. In a pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Add the dried mushrooms, cut the heat, and cover to allow them to steep for five minutes. Remove the rehydrated mushrooms and mince, reserving them alongside the fresh mushrooms. I like to add the mushroom stalks and onion scraps to the stock at this point to minimize waste and maximize flavor, being sure to ladle the stock through a hand sieve to catch any debris. 

3. In a large pan or saucier, melt a generous knob of butter (about 2 tbsp) and a “thread” of olive oil (about 2 tbsp) over medium-high heat. Add the minced onion or shallot and sweat. Once translucent, add the minced mushrooms and a pinch of salt. We want to drive out as much moisture as we can from the mushrooms. Scrape any bits you see sticking to the pan. I recommend a wooden spoon for this task. As an extension of your arm, it allows you to feel if something is sticking on the bottom of the pans and the ability to scrape it into delicious fond before it burns and without scratching your pans.

4. Add the rice to the pan and toast it. If the pan looks dry, add more EVOO. You will notice the grains turn translucent around the edges and a pleasant nutty aroma, about three or four minutes. Deglaze with the white wine, making sure to scrape up all that delicious fond on the bottom of the pot. Deglaze yourself with some wine at this point if you haven’t already.

5. At this point, the cook time depends on your comfort and confidence. I prefer to cook over a medium flame, which generally takes about 17 minutes or so. This step of the cooking process is often the most stressful for home cooks, but take a deep breath, bump your favorite retro Italian hits, and have a glass of wine. You are simply adding stock to the pan, stirring, and adding stock when the pan begins to dry. Once the stock has reduced, add another ladle or two and continue this process until the rice is cooked, about 17 minutes. If you run out of stock you can use hot water at this point—there’s plenty of flavor in the rice and sauce. You can also cook the risotto at a lower temperature if you feel like the stock is evaporating too quickly. Like pasta, risotto is best al dente, so I start checking the rice around the 14 minute mark by sampling a grain or two. It shouldn’t be crunchy or grainy, but toothsome. You should be able to feel the individual grains. Remember that it will continue cooking off the heat.

6. Off the heat, add any remaining remaining stock, a knob of cold butter, parsley, the Parmigiano Reggiano, and a thread of EVOO. Stir, then cover, cut the heat, and let sit for two minutes. It will look too wet, but trust in the process. After two minutes, remove the lid and return the heat to medium. 

7. Now, MANTECARLO! (STIR IT!) Stir the risotto while shaking the pan back and forth. You should notice a rich sauce coalesce as the risotto thickens after just a minute or two. Add the white balsamic or sherry vinegar then serve immediately into warmed, shallow bowls or high sided plates—the benefits of a warmed dish cannot be overstated. A shake or two of the plate should level the risotto evenly. Top with the roasted mushrooms, Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley, and freshly cracked pepper. Buon appetito!

Have leftovers? Make some arancini by simply stuffing the balls of risotto with cubed Calabro whole milk mozzarella, rolling the balls in breadcrumbs and frying at 350º until golden brown. Ready to move on to the next level of risotto? Try Massimo Bottura’s mind-bending recipe for Risotto Cacio e Pepe.

Questions, comments, or cries for help about this recipe. cooking, or cheese at large? Ask your monger by sending an email to cheeseshop@france44.com.

Carles Roquefort

Maison Carles Roquefort 

Austin Coe Butler

Just in time for your holiday cheeseboards, we’re promoting two of the most celebrated and storied sheep’s milk cheeses France has to offer: Ossau-Iraty and Roquefort. Ossau-Iraty is a phenomenally creamy Basque sheep’s milk cheese with a lovely roasted chestnut sweet and savory balance. It’s undoubtedly a shop favorite, and I’ve written about it several times. With that in mind, I’d like to write to you about a cheese you may have had in the past and might fear, Roquefort.

Roquefort is a spicy, salty, sheep’s milk blue from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in France’s southernmost region Occitanie. It was reputedly the favored cheese of Charlemagne, and is one of the several warring “Kings of Cheese,” alongside Parmigiano Reggiano, Stilton, and Brie de Meaux. The village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon sits atop the Causse du Larzac, an immense limestone karst plateau. Owing to the dry, rocky limestone soil, the land is difficult to till and poor to farm. It is far better suited to the grazing of Lacaune sheep, whose meat, milk, and wool have provided all people needed for centuries. The karsts in the Causse du Larzac are labyrinthine tunnel systems that form in limestone as water dissolves the rock, creating sprawling hypogean landscapes like the Cambalou Caves where Roquefort is aged.

Four stories below the village, deep in the rock, the Combalou Caves have been converted into century old cellars. These cellars are cavernous and resemble a subterranean great hall of a Dwarven kingdom. Generation after generation, they have been maintained and built out with limestone bricks and massive wooden pillars for support. Wooden shelves laden with Roquefort stretch into the darkness of the caves.

The Combalou Caves are special due to the fleurines, or fissures, in the rock that allow the north winds to move through the caves. Dark, damp, and cool, it’s the ideal environment for cheese to follow its trajectory of controlled spoilage and encourage the metabolism of microbes that break down the cheese to thrive. Cheesemakers like Rogue River Creamery have gone so far as to imitate the climate of these caves, and Robin Congdon, the maker of Beenleigh Blue went so far as to bring material from the Combalou Caves to his own aging facility. But while these imitations yield incredible cheeses, none of these cheeses are quite the same as Roquefort. In fact, most blue cheeses, including Stilton, Gorgonzola, and Maytag are made with blue mold that originated from Roquefort and bears its name, Penicilium roqueforti. 

The apocryphal origin of Roquefort, and many other blue cheeses, it must be noted, goes something like this: a shepherd takes shelter in a cave to enjoy his meal of bread and cheese when he sees a beautiful woman. He forgets himself (and his lunch) and rushes off to pursue her. (In some stories the shepherd sees a band of bandits and flees.) Some time later he returns to the cave and finds his forlorn lunch now covered with blue mold. He decides to nibble on the cheese and is rewarded for his bravery. I don’t need to tell you this story is fake, not least of all because it rests upon the common misconception that blue mold originates or comes from inside a cave. P. roqueforti is found exclusively on plant and animal matter like wheat (bread) or the udder of a sheep (cheese). In fact, the majority of beneficial microflora found in cheese comes from the animal’s udder. Additionally, a 2019 study noted the absence of P. roqueforti from the Combalou caves. But the caves are ideal for the mold to reproduce and sporulate on cheese, breaking down the fatty acids in the cheese to create butyric acids that give Roquefort its signature spiciness. 

Roquefort is one of the oldest named cheeses mentioned in recorded history. Pliny referenced cheese from this region in 79 CE, but it’s not until 1070, when it is documented as a donation to a local monastery. Roquefort was the first cheese to receive legal protection in 1411 when King Charles VI, the Beloved or the Mad, depending on which of his moods or psychotic episodes you caught him in, granted the residents of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon the sole right of producing and ripening Roquefort cheese after a dispute with neighboring villages. This legal protection for a product made within a geographic designation was the inspiration for the Appelation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system adopted by France in 1925 and later became the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) scheme of the European Union. Roquefort now has several strict production guidelines, most importantly of which is that the cheese must be aged in the Combalou Caves.

The production of Roquefort is now a multi-million dollar industry. There are only seven producers, most notably Société, who produce 70% of Roquefort, Papilion, and Gabriel Coullet. Real estate in in the village is too expensive and there is simply no room to do anything except age cheese. Attempts to recreate the centuries old cellars have failed, so production space is coveted. There are only about 200 people who now live in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.

If you have had Roquefort in the past it was likely made by one of the massive corporations. Industrial Roquefort can taste bitter, almost tinny or metallic, and it often turns people off from the cheese. I implore you to try our Roquefort, which is made by Maison Carles. Founded in 1922 and spanning three generations, Maison Carles is the smallest exporter of Roquefort. They still follow the traditions of making Roquefort, going so far as to buy loaves of wheat and rye bread from a local bakery to be left in the caves and become inoculated with P. roqueforti. This moldy bread is pulverized and used it as the inoculate for their cheese. All their cheese is made by hand, giving it a delicate creamy and crumbly texture that imitates the appearance of the Combalou Caves. Unlike other producers of Roquefort, Maison Carles strictly uses milk from their own farm. These practices are rewarded with a Roquefort that is subtler and creamier than any other Roquefort.

These traditional practices also saved them a massive headache. In the 1990s, food safety inspectors from the European Union arrived at the Combalou Caves and were appalled by what they found: cheese, wet and slippery, resting on porous wooden shelves coated with mold. Brussels issued a mandate for a switch to plastic shelving which all producers complied with except for Jacques Carles, the owner at the time, who claimed that wood was essential for the maturation of the cheese. He was vindicated when those who made the switch found the plastic shelving had a deleterious impact on the flavor of their Roquefort, and they all switched back to wood. Maison Carles is now run by Jacques’s daughter, Delphine, who is the only female maitre affineur in France.

You may be familiar with the pairing of Stilton and Port for the Holidays, but personally I prefer Roquefort and Banyuls, a dessert wine made just a few miles from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon on France’s southeastern coast. What grows together goes together. Use Roquefort to stuff your olives for the most decadent blue cheese olives you’ve ever had. Roquefort pairs exceptionally with the abundant variety of pears and apples in the markets and is right at home alongside some butter lettuce, walnuts, and pears in a salad. Roquefort is the perfect cheese to add to your holiday cheese board. Whereas many of our lovely holiday cheeses are rich and caramel sweet from their extra-aged profile, Roquefort brings a much needed spiciness and saltiness. Who knows, it may just be the thing that keeps you awake after your fourth mug of eggnog.

Any cheese you buy now will be in great shape for your Christmas cheese boards, so don’t delay and stop into the shop to beat the Holiday rush and save 15% off these two fabulous French sheep’s milk cheeses!

Cook Like A Cheesemonger: It's A Dutch Pancake, baby

This large, fluffy “pancake," essentially a massive skillet popover, is excellent for breakfast, brunch, lunch and all times in between. And it comes together in about five blessed minutes of work.

Just dump all of the ingredients into a blender, give it a good whirl, pour it into a heated skillet sizzling with butter, and pop it into the oven.

Twenty five minutes later? Heaven. It's wonderful simply with powdered sugar and a little lemon, but I love to make it savory. I’ve topped mine with Ogleshield (an English raclette-style cheese that also happens to be on promo this weekend), our house smoked ham, and an over-easy egg. It’s absolutely perfect.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
3 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
4 oz F44 smoked ham (our bacon would be delicious too!)
2 oz Ogleshield, sliced into thin strips
Fresh chives (or herb of your choice)
Salt and Pepper to garnish

Directions
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Step 2:
Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender and blend until very smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
Step 3:
Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees, top with cheese and ham, and bake 5 minutes longer until browned and melty. Use this time to cook your fried egg!
Step 4:
Remove from oven. Add fried egg and garnish with chives, salt and pepper. Serve immediately!

The Cheeses of Neal's Yard Dairy

Austin Coe Butler

Like British cheese in the 1970s, the little alleyway of London’s Covent Garden neighborhood known as Neal’s Yard was in a sorry state. Dilapidated and grown over with ivy, many of the buildings on Neal’s Yard had their windows smashed in or boarded up. The courtyard itself was littered with trash, infested with rats, and a lavatory for tramps. It was the perfect street to start an alternative wholefoods cooperative. At 2 Neal’s Yard, Nicholas Saunders decided to do just that. It was called simply Neal’s Yard Wholefoods Warehouse, and it sold a humble assortment of nuts, pulses, honey, and herbal remedies.

Saunders was an activist, writer, and entrepreneur, highly active in London’s alternative scene. Many of the alternative ideas Saunders believed in were eccentrically embodied in aspects of the business. Goods were priced transparently with individual charges for labor, packaging, and cost handwritten on them. A “human counterweight system” requiring the user(s) to hold onto a rope and leap from the second story window to haul goods from the street was used. There was a water powered clock on the shop’s frontage and a coin-operated animated wooden sculpture inside, both designed by Tim Hunkin.

Neal’s Yard Wholefoods Warehouse was an immediate financial success, and over the next three years an apothecary, bakery, flour mill, coffee shop, and dairy were added on. Many of these became successful businesses in their own right: the apothecary became Neal’s Yard Remedies, the coffee shop became Monmouth Coffee, and, of course, the dairy became not just Neal’s Yard Dairy, the premier cheese shop and wholesaler of British cheeses, but also Neal’s Yard Creamery.

Neal’s Yard Dairy (henceforth simply Neal’s Yard) was opened in the summer of 1979 under Randolph Hodgson. The hopes of the dairy were to make ice cream, Greek yogurt (the first to be sold in the UK), and soft cheeses. One of their first customers was none other than John Cleese, but on that morning they had only yogurt, and, in a surreal moment of life imitating art, they were unable to sell any cheese to Mr. Cleese. After the initial success of the ice cream in the summer, the dreary English winter soon snubbed sales, and Hodgson decided it might be wise to get some hard cheeses into the shop: Cheddar, Stilton, and Cheshire.

It was difficult to find traditional, farmstead cheeses being made in Britain at this time. Many of the rich territorial cheeses had gone extinct during the past century of war, industrialization, and regulation under the Milk Marketing Board. There were a handful of farmers still making artisanal cheese, but these cheeses were primarily sold locally. One had to know the right people and try the right cheese to find what real British cheese tasted like as opposed to factory produced Cheddar or commodity Wensleydale. Hodgson struck up a friendship with someone who could do just that, an eccentric, retired Major turned shopkeeper, Patrick Rance.

Rance lived one of those great twentieth century lives: Born at the end of the First World War, his father was a vicar to dairy workers in east London, and by the start of the Second World War Rance had been promoted to Major in the British Army at the age of 24. He took place in the battle of Anzio, served in intelligence in Vienna in the immediate post-war years, and could speak French, Polish, German, Italian, and Swedish, in addition to his hobbies as an amateur classical musicologist, lepidopterist, bacteriologist, and Shakespearian. He wore a signature monocle, an anachronism even for his time. Since childhood, he had a love of traditional British cheeses and wrote with the fervor and exaltation of a crusader about the value real British cheese had not just in terms of flavor, but culture as well. His books on British and French cheese remain some of the best written not just on cheese, but food at large. After the War, Rance bought a small store called Wells Shop in 1953 and grew its offerings of cheese. By the time Neal’s Yard was selling just Cheddar, Stilton, and Cheshire, Rance’s small Berkshire shop was selling over 200 varieties of cheese at this time, many of which were traditional, farmstead British cheeses that Rance personally drove hours to collect. Rance and Hodgson shared a mutual appreciation for each others passion and curiosity and were both eager to support real British cheese and the people making it.

It was in this endeavor, the pursuit and encouragement of family and fledgling farmstead cheesemakers, that Neal’s Yard excelled. Montgomery’s Cheddar and Appleby’s Cheshire, two of the finest British cheeses being produced today, were greatly popularized by Neal’s Yard. Neal’s Yard encouraged Joe Schneider in the creation of Stichelton and many other new cheesemakers who were trying to resurrect traditional cheeses or invent new ones. Their original, cramped Neal’s Yard shop has turned into shops at Covent Garden, Borough Market, Islington, and Bermondsey, in addition to impressive maturation facilities and a dedicated creamery. Their expert affinage is accompanied by vigilant tastings with notes of each and every batch of cheese they sell. As the premier exporter and champion of British and Irish cheeses, the benefits of their enthusiasm are shared with us as well. All of our British and Irish cheeses come from Neal’s Yard.

Stop by the shop this weekend to celebrate Neal’s Yard and the many fantastic British cheeses they provide us with!

We have a rotating selection of cheese from Neal’s Yard Dairy. Our current offerings include:

Cheddar

Isle of Mull Cheddar a clothbound Scottish Cheddar that is by turns spicy, boozy, and malty from the fermented grains from local distilleries the cows feast on or briny with an umami savoriness from the salty, rich pastures they graze on in the summer. This cheese is as wild as the rugged Isle it comes from.

Westcombe Cheddar is a veritable clothbound Somerset Cheddar. Bright, bold, grassy, with a supple buttery texture and a nice backbone of acidity.

Territorials

Gorwyd Caerphilly is a Welsh cheese made by the Trethowan brothers, who also produce Pitchfork Cheddar. Pronounced “GOR-with CARE-philly,” the velveteen, mushroomy rind on this cheese gives way to a rich cream line and a crumbly, lemony center. A minerally, yogurty brightness blends with flavors of earth, grass, and moss. It was popular among coalminers and farmers as the natural rind was ideal to hold with hands dirty from hard work.

Cornish Kern is a contemporary classic that stands out in the British pantheon of cheeses—it is a cooked, pressed Alpine-style cheese, with flavors that are by turns sweet and winey or savory like caramelized garlic. Owing to its make, it is matured sixteen months, much longer than traditional English cheeses. “Kern” means round in Cornish.

Coolea is an Irish gouda of Dutch extraction. It tends to be nutty not just in flavor but in texture, with the richness of macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and almond meal that compliments the delicate brown butter sweetness.

Montgomery’s Ogleshield a Raclette-inspired cheese made of Jersey cow milk with a supple, fudgey paste and savory notes of fried, salted peanuts and chicken stock. When melted, the salinity comes to the fore and this cheese shines.

The Blues

Colston Basset Stilton is remarkably balanced blue owing to its delicate, handmade care and longer maturation period before being pierced to allow blue mold (Penicilium roqueforti) to bloom. Colston Basset Stilton has a luxuriant, silky taste of sweet cream. Skip the port and savor this with a brown ale.

Stichelton, an arguably more traditional form of Stilton, has a fungal, feral funk to it owing to the raw milk.

The Pairing: Holiday Edition

The 2022 Holiday editions of The Pairing are here! If you need cheese and wine for your holiday traditions, we've made it as easy as possible. Featuring three holiday cheeses that are only available this time of year, each pairing is balanced, crowd-pleasing and so stinking good. Come pick them up while supplies lasts.

Domaine Lapierre Morgon + Rush Creek Reserve: If you know, you know. A wine with a cult following and a cheese that people wait for all year? Of course they make the perfect pair. If you're looking for a table centerpiece, or just looking for something special to bring to a holiday gathering, this is it.

The Cheese: Rush Creek Reserve Raw Cow - 2 months Dodgeville, Wisconsin

The Wine: Domaine Lapierre Morgon Gamay Beaujolais, France

Why it works: Hailing from a prestigious winery with a devout following, this bold and well-balanced Beaujolais is perfect for Rush Creek Reserve. The wine handles the meaty, smokey notes that come from the spruce bark surrounding the Rush Creek. With just enough body, the wine offers some relief from the richness of the cheese, while still enhancing the creamy quality that makes this cheese so good.

Maison Gilliard 'Les Murettes' + Brabander Reserve: This year's batch of Brabander Reserve is one of the best we've ever had. We've paired it with a really cool wine from Switzerland, that's sure to be a new favorite. This pairing is so playful and fun, we can only describe it as a party.

The Cheese: Brabander Reserve Pasteurized Goat - 18 months Brabant, The Netherlands

The Wine: Maison Gilliard 'Les Murettes' Fendant Valais, Switzerland

Why it works: This super playful pairing is a party to enjoy. Lesser-known, this Swiss wine is bright and acidic, mellowing the sweetness of the extra-aged goat gouda without diminishing what makes the cheese so fun to eat. The crunchy, crystally texture of the gouda is well balanced against the body of the wine, making you want to go back for more and more.

Drew Family Cellars 'Bahl Briney Vineyard' Chardonnay + Comte Sagesse: Yes, Chardonnay for the holidays. So bright, so graceful, and so good together. If you like your cheese buttery and nutty, and your wine delicious and drinkable, you have to give this pairing a try. We're obsessed.

The Cheese: Comté Sagesse Raw Cow - 24 months Jura, France

The Wine: Drew Family Cellars 'Bahl Briney Vineyard'Chardonnay Anderson Valley, California

Why it works: This light, graceful Chardonnay enhances the complexity in this extra-aged Comté by highlighting the nutty, savory qualities of the cheese. The wine also provides a citrusy, acidic finish against the rich and buttery nature of this famous Alpine cheese.

Cook Like A Cheesemonger: Ramen

Cold Weather, Hot Noodle Bowl

I have yet to find the wherewithal to create my own ramen tare (flavor base) from scratch. I don’t dream of blanching and boiling pig bones on my stove for 12-18 hours for tonkotsu broth, and since I’m fresh out of Japanese kelp, I’m not making dashi (stock) anytime soon.

As it stands, I don’t need to. Our cheese shop has multiple ramen bases that are incredibly delicious, as well a fantastic Japanese pantry. (A key note, you don’t HAVE to use ramen noodles. You’re welcome to use linguine, udon, and we carry multiple types of gluten free noodles as well.)

This noodle bowl recipe is flexible, with nearly unlimited combinations. You can add other proteins or vegetables if you’d like or omit those that don’t appeal to you.

The one thing I love about ramen and noodle dishes in general is their versatility and infinitely customizable combinations to suit every season, taste, and diet.

I included lots of different items from the shop that I’m really excited about, that I’ve been recently obsessed with.

One of those is a fantastic sea kelp kimchi that I buy a jar of practically every single week. Another is a chili crisp from Masienda--I've gone through a jar of every variety. We carry nearly all of these items in the shop, making it super easy to put this dish together.

As much as I love ordering take out, there is something incredibly special about putting a dish like this together yourself to share with someone. I hope you enjoy!

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 (17oz) jar of (the aptly named) Professional Ramen Base, flavor of your choice
1 (250g) package of Ramen noodles, or noodles of your choice
2 eggs

2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

¼ cup SeaChi Kimchi
1 tablespoon of Masienda chili crisp
1 tablespoon Regalis Japanese Nori Butter (added richness if wanted, I highly recommend)
Radish for garnish (optional)
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Step One: Soak + Fry the Mushrooms

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain well, blotting with paper towels. Heat two tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sear mushrooms until browned, 4-5 minutes.

Step 2: Cook Jammy Eggs.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Carefully add eggs one at a time and boil gently for 6-7 minutes. (Egg yolks should be shiny yellow and almost jammy; egg white should be just set.) Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking; let cool. Peel and set aside.

Step 3: Cook your Noodles

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions for al dente; drain (no need to salt the water, as ramen noodles contain more salt than pasta). Set cooked noodles aside.

Step 4: Heat Broth and Assemble! ​

When ready to serve, bring ramen broth to a simmer; it should be very hot. Just before serving, place noodles in a deep bowl, or divide into two, if sharing. Slowly ladle hot broth over noodles. Add your nori butter to your bowls. Top your noodles with your jammy eggs, kimchi, nori sheets, crispy mushrooms, scallions, radish, and chili oil.

Stay Warm!