Today, Bloomy Rind Monday brings you Mt. Tam from California’s Cowgirl Creamery, presented by ACS CCP® Marcella Wright.
Peggy Smith and Sue Conley drove across country in 1976 armed with University of Tennessee degrees, a love of food and a sense of adventure. They worked in or co-owned some of the Bay Area’s best kitchens honing their crafts and falling more and more in love with food. By the early 90s they were ready for a new adventure and settled in Pt. Reyes Station and opened Tomales Bay Foods, helping local farmers and producers get their product to the right market. The renovated hay barn in downtown Pt. Reyes contained a small cheesemaking room and from there, a new love began.
After watching two women dismount horses and tie up at the barn, legend has it Ellen Straus of Straus Family Creamery which sold Peg and Sue milk, quipped “we’re living in the Wild West out here” and Peggy replied that they must be cowgirls… and their name was born.
Cowgirl Creamery began with fresh cheeses, cottage cheese, fromage blanc and quark, using the Straus Family organic milk. When Fons Smith, a scientist from the Netherlands came to intern at Cowgirl, he helped Peg and Sue develop their first aged cheese: Mt. Tam. Named after Mt. Tamalpais, this triple creme beauty is buttery with earthy, mushroom notes. The snowy, edible rind covers a paste that is more than 75% butterfat in the dry matter which translates to about 40% total fat. Butter contains north of 80% fat and that explains why at room temperature, Mt. Tam and other triple cremes spread like… butter…
Mt. Tam and all Cowgirl Creamery-produced cheeses are Marin Organic Certified Agricultural Products.
Specs:
Cheesemaker: Petaluma Team
Proprietor: Sue Conley & Peggy Smith
City, State: Petaluma, CA
Region: West
Country: USA
Milk Type: Cow
Milk Treatment: Pasteurized
Rennet: Vegetarian
Rind: Bloomy
Texture: Soft
Aging: 3 weeks
Size(s): 10 ounces
THIS JUST IN: THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF SO MANY IN OUR CHEESE COMMUNITY, OUR FIRST ACS CCP EXAM® HAS BEEN FULLY FUNDED!! Plus we are 50% toward funding a second scholarship for an ACS CCP® to attend the ACS Conference in Denver.
Our Facebook Cheese Study Group is raising funds to send worthy ACS CCP exam® candidates and ACS CCPs® who want to attend the 2017 ACS Conference in Denver, Cheese With Altitude. You can apply for a scholarship by clicking hereand you can contribute to the scholarship fund by clicking here. All monies raised (withe the exception of the fees charged by GoFundMe) go to the winners of the scholarship. everyone involved in the scholarship efforts is donating their time and receiving NO fees or monetary compensation… just the feeling of helping those who need our help. Complete rules and information can be found here.
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