the cheese blog

Provolone Rustico and Goat Cheese with Herbs

We visited Reading Terminal today, which I can never do without a visit to the Fair Food Farmstand. The first cheese I noticed in the refrigerator case was golden-colored with a black, waxy rind. Love at first site! This was Provolone Rustico, a firm, organic raw cow’s milk cheese made by Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville, N.J. The cheese became quite oily when left out to come up to room temperature. It had a wonderful nutty aroma that caried through when tasted. The texture was lovely. I couldn’t find much detail on this cheese until I stumbled upon a posting on Philly.com where the local food critic Greg LaBan recommended this cheese. He indicated that the cheese receives an olive-oil rub several times a week and is aged for five months. “The oil massage creates a thin, cinder-black rind, and a flavor infused with the nutty fruit of cured olives.” This cheese was simply amazing. A bit salty, definitely nutty. I could also taste a bit of the fruitiness. This was a beautiful cheese. Recommendation: Try it, NOW (if you can get it)!

The second cheese we had today was some of my homemade goat’s milk cheese. This time I used some fresh lemon thyme and lavender flowers from the garden to coat the exterior of the cheese. The cheese had a clean, fresh taste while maintaining a slightly tangy flavor. This was a nice complement to the Rustico. Recommendation: You can’t beat homemade cheese ;-)