The Cheese Lady

Week of June 20.

If you must know, I’ve never thought of myself as much of a writer. So the fact that I’ve set myself up to write something interesting every week is a bit disciplined for me. I’ve mostly enjoyed it. Who would have thought?

I won’t go into the story of my past weekend because I can’t find any way to make it cheese related. Suffice it to say that Saturday we went to Holt to visit son, Todd and his wife, Sarah. And Sunday I was again on the train to Chicago to see son, Nate. My husband, John, and I took his folks on a whirlwind trip to see where the boys live. It was fun. And, of course, great to see the kids. I really miss having them closer sometimes.

B e aware that I will be moving around the market as booth openings are available. The market operates on a seniority basis. And I’m pretty close to the bottom. Watch for my THE CHEESE LADY sign. I use it every time.

I still find the market most fascinating. This will be my first full year of watching the growing season change. And getting a feel for the rhythm of the people that make up the market. Talking recently with my husband we were remembering the 70’s and smiling about the fact that being at the farmers’ market somehow seems closer to what we pictured for ourselves back then. It was back to basics. We were part of the idealistic, rule breaking baby boomers. But, in truth, we broke very few rules. Now in our middle years (how strange that is to write) we’ve downscaled to a smaller house and are working to find a simpler lifestyle. Back to basics?

See you at the market. Or at the Market Café, 3006 Lakeshore Drive on Wednesday afternoons.

Kathleen

This week – Isigny butter and Crème Fraiche

The fame of Isigny French Normandy butter goes back to the 16th century. Years later, in the 19th century, the population of Paris alone consumed 800 tons of butter a year. How do we explain the fact that the gourmets of the day favoured Isigny butter? It is simple! The Isigny terroir* has the advantage of a mild, damp climate, is near the sea and enjoys the benefits of the Bessin and Cotentin marshes. The cows which grazed there fed on grass rich in iodine, beta carotene and trace elements.
Allow a pat to gild a thick rib-eye steak or to melt in the center of a hamburger. Lavish on summer's sweetest corn. Amazing on omelets. A perfect appetizer on toast points.

*terroir is a term that often affects cheese or butter or anything grown in the soil.

terroir
[teh- R WAH R ]
French for "soil" and used in the phrase gout de terroir ("taste of the soil") to refer to the EARTHY flavor of some wines. When French wine producers use the term terroir, it not only includes reference to the type of soil (chalky, claylike, gravelly, sandy), but also to other geographic factors that might influence the quality of the finished wine like altitude, position relative to the sun, angle of incline, and water drainage. In the United States, wine producers use the term MICROCLIMATE to encompass the same considerations. See also CLIMAT .

After you milk the cows, set the fresh cream aside. Let the natural lactic bacteria take over - creating a thick, smooth, tart result known as crème fraîche. That was how they made it on the dairy farm in Brittany, France, where Allison Hooper worked more than twenty years ago. At that time in the United States, domestic crème fraîche was virtually unheard of, and even imported brands were scarce.

When Bob Reese and Allison co-founded Vermont Butter & Cheese Company in 1984, their first product was Vermont Chèvre, the company’s signature goats’ milk cheese. Vermont Crème Fraîche, their first cows' milk creation – and another perfect combination of modern technology and time-honored European methods – followed close on its heels.

Vermont Crème Fraîche is exquisitely rich, with the cultured, nutty flavor and creamy texture that characterizes the best crème fraîche, a staple of French cuisine and many of the world's finest culinary traditions.

Milk Type:	Cow
Shelf Life:	90 days
Ingredients:	Pasteurized cream, culture
Butterfat:	42%
Key Features:	-	Made from fresh, rBGH-free Vermont cream
	-	Rich, creamy body and cultured, nutty flavor
	-	Does not separate when cooked with wine or at high temperatures
	-	Essential ingredient used by French chefs
Serving Suggestions:	-	Add to sauces, stews, and soups
	-	Coat chicken or salmon before grilling or broiling
	-	Deglaze pan with wine, reduce, and add crème fraîche
	-	Whip to soft peaks, add honey and diced, candied ginger – and swirl atop fruit desserts
	-	Mix with fresh, ripe berries, sugar, and a dash of balsamic vinegar
	-	Blend with batter for moist muffins, scones, and cakes
	-	Use in place of sour cream for delectable stroganoff or Alfredo sauces