Made from Raw Goat Milk; Gluten-free Cheese
Terry and Laurie Carlson, Owners of Fairview Farm, have begun a “transition” year as they work toward USDA Certified organic status. It’s a complicated process and requires stages that us felines rarely need to contemplate: For a dairy, any new animals purchased must have been raised on a certified organic farm. There aren’t a lot of those around. They must feed their herd only certified organic feeds and hay; again not easy. But Terry and Laurie are determined to get it right and obtain that certification. (Since The Lady learned that each and every humankind in the US ingests between eight and ten pesticides every day, more and more organic foods have been appearing in the manse.)
The goats at Fairview Farm are pastured year-round, and their diet is supplemented with certified organic alfalfa and locally milled certified organic grains, including yeast and kelp. The goats are never fed wheat or soy products.
The Lady’s BCFF, Amy formerly known as the Queen of Cheese (now the Queen of Cake Decorating), brought The Lady a wedge of Cynthian from the Beaverton Farmers’ Market. This is an aged cheese that has herbs added to the milk for flavor and the added plus of making a beautiful, speckled paste.
This cheese is named after Cynthia Ann Applegate who was the first Oregon Cheesemaker. In 1844, she and her family arrived in Oregon with their milk cows. The route the family followed became known as the Applegate Trail and was a preferred path for settlers traveling with livestock.
The Fairview Farm pasture is on the Applegate Trail and the goats graze where Cynthia’s cows grazed and near where she began making farmstead cheese.
As you know, The Lady is quite finicky about goat cheese and it had better be tasty for The Lady to “allow” this Feline Foodie (that would be me) to taste and share my notes. I like this cheese; the herbs add to the enjoyment and diminish the “goaty” flavor that can sometimes overpower the palate and create a too-gamey taste. The paste melts nicely on the tongue and the after taste lingers pleasantly.
I give Cynthian 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: You’ll want to add this to a cheese plate and serve it with some Dalmatian Fig Spread or a few slices of pears.
Wine Pairing: 2007 Landmark Overlook Chardonnay – very oaky and buttery to stand up to this aromatic cheese.
Beer Pairing: Wheat beers pair well with goat cheese; the stronger the cheese, the more full flavor you want in your beer. Hefeweizen might be a good choice with Cynthian.
Source: Pure, raw goat milk.
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the best thing about organic foods is that they are free from hazardous chemicals that are present in non-organic foods”.,