Now we’re getting into the foie gras region of cheese- $40.00lb! Awarded one of the finest blues in the world this domestic raw cow’s milk blue from Oregon is aged in rooms designed to simulate the caves of Roquefort France. The final cheese is wrapped in grape leaves macerated in pear brandy.
I baked an artisan loaf of walnut oatmeal bread just for this blue and what a treat it was! The cheese was definitely reminiscent of Roquefort with a creamy mouth feel and a pleasant brininess then a solid blue ‘bite’! Towards the outer surface the grape leaves macerated in the pear brandy really came through with an herbal nuttiness with a hint of fruit. This cheese was even a better treat warmed on a toasted piece of handmade Dutch oven bread.
Since the cheese was from Oregon I had to give the French a billing and so had a nice Provencal red! It was a billing but definitely not an equal one, I’d have to drop beaucoup bucks to have the wine upstage this cheese!
Read more about this world class blue at the Rogue River Creamery web site.
On The Back Burner 