Raw Goat Milk Cheese
In the folklore of Spain, it is believed that Don Quixote’s favorite cheese was Manchego, an aged Sheeps’ Milk Cheese that is also a favorite of the Feline Foodie (that would be me). If Don Quixote had lived in Bow, Washington his favorite cheese would have been The Woman of LaMancha, a Manchego-style cheese that Rhonda Gothberg is making using the milk of her LaMancha goats.
The Lady and I had the pleasure of tasting this new addition to the fine goat cheeses from Gothberg Farms while The Lady was attending the 2010 American Cheese Society Conference in Seattle this past August. You might recall that I was not allowed to attend as it was held at the Seattle “No Pets” Sheraton… (The Lady had to sneak a morsel home for moi… that’s why The Lady will never be a tramp…)
Rhonda invited The Lady to assist her at the “Meet the Cheesemaker” Event and one of the cheeses Rhonda featured was her Woman… hmmm… hadn’t made the connection until just now, but my two most favorite cheeses both have “Woman” in the name and both are made in Washington state… what are the chances… (Beecher’s No Woman is the other and was the catalyst for my cheese journey…)
This raw goat milk cheese is extra creamy and just melts on the palate. The outside has been rubbed with smoked paprika and that adds just a hint of smokiness that compliments the tanginess of the cheese. And while the goat is there, the flavor is mild and leaves you reminiscing about the pleasure of this cheese long after eating it. In fact, in my mind, I can still taste it and wish I were snacking on it right now…
Rhonda’s goat cheeses changed it for The Lady and me… before, we had only liked a very few goat cheeses, finding too many of them to be overly goaty (the hard goat cheddar from England that The Lady brought home almost destroyed our relationship… but I forgave her… over time). Rhonda opened the goat cheese world to us and we love her cheeses.
If you are Bow, Washington and you don’t stop in to buy some of her cheeses… well… your world will be the lesser for your loss…
I give The Woman of LaMancha 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got)…
Serving Suggestions: On a cheese board, you’ll find you’ve got a winner.
Wine Suggestions: A nice Tempranillo would complement this cheese quite nicely.
Beer Suggestions: Mike Wright, beer enthusiast, suggested Bud Light…
Source: Raw Goat Milk
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