~The folks of the Stamper Cheese Company in Chicago are on to something. Their catchy slogan “Caseum Diem-Cheese the Day” is enough to draw you to their stand, if you can manage to squeeze in. Each time I tried to visit, there was already a sizeable gathering ahead of me. But last Sunday I had a lucky chance and squeezed to the front, where the young man behind the stand was cutting a wedge of blue cheese into chunks. He passed around a few samples, and with slight trepidation I tasted it. Blue cheese has never been a favorite of mine, but it was worth trying.
It had a rich, creamy texture, which was inherently pleasing. But I couldn’t wrap my head around buying moldy cheese. The next cheeses I sampled were of a Gouda cheese made in two styles: one with cow’s milk, the other goat’s. First was the cow’s milk Gouda, which had a dry, crumbly texture, followed by the tangy, creamy goat Gouda. At first the familiar funk of the goat’s milk didn’t hit me right away. It wasn’t until I had swallowed it when I picked up the tang. I have had goat cheese in the past, but nothing like this.
The creaminess of the cheese coated my tongue in such a way that it reminded me almost of ice cream. And it was sensational melted over the cremini mushroom crostini I made and topped with the amazing garlic infused olive oil and a little bit of salt. So go ahead, cheese the day!
*See the unique cheese options of the Stamper Cheese Company by visiting their website http://www.stampercheesecompany.com/home.html*
The Garden Goddess 