Vegetarian Suitable
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Well, fellow cheese hounds, a day we never thought would come… and no one was more surprised than The Man and moi, your humble feline foodie… a goat milk cheese has arrived at the manse that The Lady LOVES… and I mean LOVES.
As you know, she and I for the most part tolerate goat milk cheese except for hard goat cheddar and words cannot describe how vile that cheese is… although goodness knows I tried in my review.
But I digress…
Another Les Petits Morceaux de Fromage (note to The Man: it means “Small Bites of Cheese”) that The Lady bought at Whole Foods was a wedge of Cypress Grove’s Midnight Moon. Mary Keehn, Founder and Grand dame of Cypress Grove Chevre, traveled to Europe and found a cheese maker in Holland to produce her Creamline (also includes Lamb Chopper, the sister cheese to Midnight Moon and made from sheep milk)cheeses. The Lady and I are thankful she did.
First off, this cheese is beautiful in appearance. The black wax rind stands in stark contrast to the creamy, ivory-white paste of the cheese.
Next is the aroma; this cheese smells sweet and not a hint of goatiness to it. (That’s quite a relief. I hate to harp on past cheese transgressions, but I could smell that hard goat cheddar at least five miles out from the manse the day The Lady brought it home. )
Now let’s get down to the really good stuff. Midnight Moon is pure cheese porn. It is creamy with those wonderful tasty crystals found in aged Gouda. The crystals that The Lady and The Man so love. It melts on the palate and has a sweet taste to match its aroma. There are nutty, buttery and caramel notes and the savor lingers.
We enjoyed this cheese with the 34° Lemon Zest Crispbread Crackers and the lemon was just the right compliment to the cheese.
Needless to say, The Lady was sad that she had only bought a small piece but promised The Man they could go buy a bigger wedge when next they travel by a Whole Foods.
(Note to John and Cheryl: This is a better goat Gouda than the one we carry at the kiosk… hint… hint…)
I give Cypress Grove Midnight Moon 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: On a cheese board, Midnight Moon will reign supreme. With Greek olives in Sicilian Herbs, it will pair perfectly. Melt this open-faced on a French Baguette and add a dollop of pear preserves and you have a perfect dessert.
Wine Pairing: The Lady’s favorite: 14 Hands Merlot
Beer Pairing: Allagash Dubbel
Source: Goat Milk
Awards: Several, including Best of Show at the 2002 and 2003 Fancy Food Show.
Before I go, let me add that Mary Keehn has one terrific sense of humor (although I have as yet to meet her). Her dairy is in Humboldt County, once (and perhaps still) a hot bed for dope growers back in the day. Her cheeses have names that harken back to the area’s heritage: Humboldt Fog, Purple Haze and the label on Lamb Chopper has a lamb riding a chopper and the logo states that the cheese was “Born to be mild”. The woman on the label of Midnight Moon is named Bella-Bella daBall… ya gotta love it.
Would love to try it! I’ve had their Purple Haze and Bermuda Triangle, and have some Truffle Tremor on the way. I keep meaning to review them on my blog, but am more than lazy – I catch it from my cat!
Somehow I just saw this – thank you for all the purrfectly wonderfully kind words!
Try a slice of Midnight Moon spread with fig jam!
Yummm!
Mary, Thanks for your kind words. The Lady is a big fan of MM and at her kiosk, Humboldt Fog just flies out the door!!
Being a fan of Cypress Grove, I completely appreciate your review of Midnight Moon and will put that on my list. I can recommend the herb encrusted Purple Haze, but am completely enamored of the Truffle Tremor and will write a review of it soon on my page. It is an earthy and sexy goat cheese whose aroma stays with you long after. It makes you want to return to it and spread it on a piece crusty Parisian baguette. It is making me search for the perfect wine for it.