Leaves are starting to fall, winds are blowing in and I'm digging out my scarves in anticipation of cooler weather. It has been a long and hot summer, and I'm ready (mostly) for Autumn to come rolling in.
These past couple of months have been amazing for us (well...me) at Laliberté Cheese Co. People have started to find us both online and at our deli in the Mustard Lady and cheese has been moving quickly. Our deli space has been full of new finds and old favourites and we are gearing up to the holidays, both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our big December order just went in, so what we get is what we get! Some of the more speciality items will be in limited quantities, but I don't really anticipate running out of cheese. How's that for a challenge to the universe!
**Vacherin Mont D'Or will be arriving separately and must be reserved and purchased online. We may have a couple in the deli before Christmas but we will most likely sell out before then. The sizes vary on these cheeses, so if you pre-order and the cheese size is smaller, you'll get a refund on the difference!
The Wine & Cheese event at Beaufort Vineyard took place this past weekend and it went great! It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon, talking about cheese and eating cheese with folks who love it the way I love it. So thank you to all of you that made it out. We are already discussing next year and how we might improve on it. So keep your eyes peeled next summer!
As September comes to an end, we are fast approaching Thanksgiving, a big food and family holiday for many of us. That means cheese! Thankfully, our next big order will be arriving on October 3rd to replenish our stock. Our In Stock page is updated with current stock as well as what is arriving next week.
Our next Cheese Box order goes out ~ September 27th, and orders should be in by September 26th.
NEW STUFF
I've added a few different pieces of equipment to my website over the last couple of days.
First up, we have the Girolle. If you've never heard of this, you've most likely seen it, or have eaten what it produces. This handy little tool creates the beautiful little cheese rosettes you see on fancy-shmancy cheese boards. The Tête de Moine cheese is placed on it and the little blade scrapes a thin layer of cheese off, to create these melt-in-your-mouth cheese flowers. We are starting to bring in the Tête de Moine cheese as well, we should have a couple small rounds available before Thanksgiving, and we will be carrying it through to the New Year and beyond based on demand. This one comes with a cover which will keep your cheese moist and available to cut at a moments notice. Nobody needs to stand around waiting for cheese flowers!
Next up, we have the Partyclette! Ok, you'll see later on why I love Raclettes. These cute, but super functional cheese melters are the bomb! Heated by 3 tealights, they warm and melt your cheese to the perfect consistency for pouring on your bread, your potatoes or anything else that can hold cheese. I personally have a large 6 person raclette, but I'm going to be adding this little thing to my overflowing inventory of kitchen gadgets because it's just so easy to use. We have our Raclette Gift Basket option which includes a Partyclette and 3 different types of Raclette cheese.
And lastly, I've added a few Boska cheese knife sets. We have an all stainless set and a stainless with oak handles set for a bit more "class". These contain 4 small knives, one for spreadable cheese or butter, one for soft cheese which is designed to keep the cheese from sticking to the sides, one for medium textured cheese and one for digging in and breaking up those hard, aged cheeses.
We do not have an arrival date for these yet, but they will definitely be here for Christmas in limited quantities.
MONTHLY CHEESE REVIEW
Well, time to review the new cheeses we brought in last month, Pavé de Herve, Mont des Cats & Laguiole.
Let's start with Mont des Cats. The flavour is kind of indescribable, but distinct. I haven't tasted anything like it. I guess the cheese that I could most compare it to would be Taleggio, it has a bit of a yeasty flavour to it. One person described it as tasting like feet, but in a good way. The flavour hangs around in the mouth and evolves. The paste is springy and creamy and the rind has a little bit of crunch to it.
Pavé de Herve is a mild washed rind. It definitely has the expected stronger aroma of a washed cheese, with a sticky rind, but the flavour is subtle, a bit sweet with a creamy texture. I think this is a super approachable washed rind cheese that I am recommending to customers who are feeling a bit adventurous but aren't ready to jump into the area of a stinky Bercail, which is probably the stinkiest cheese I bring in.
The other new cheese was a very large piece of Laguiole. The flavour is a bit stronger, with a bit of a sweet/sour taste to it. The texture is more like an aged cheddar than a Comte. A good anchor for a cheese board.
We still have a a lot of cheese in the deli. A number of soft cheeses, Chateau de Bourgogne, Cote D'or and a few options for soft goat cheeses.
THIS MONTH'S CHEESE LIST
As I said, out next order arrives just in time for the Thanksgiving gorge fest! So whether you need an awesome cheese platter or a specific cheese for a special recipe, you should be able to find something.
My personal go-to family holiday meal is Raclette. Everyone in our extended family has one, so they bring them over and we overload the electrical panel and fill the house with the aromas of stinky cheese! We love it, my kids hate it. The thing about Raclette meals is that it's easy. Nobody is stuck in the kitchen for hours cooking a meal that always seems to get devoured in about 15 minutes. The work to enjoyment ration is very skewed with the more traditional multi-dish meal. I personally just make a list of what we need and assign a few things to each group and they all arrive to eat appies and relax.
I am bringing in two types of Raclette cheese, Raclette de Savoie IGP Haute Montagne made from raw cow's milk and Raclette Haut Livradois made with thermalized cow's milk, both from France. We brought the Raclette de Savoie in last Christmas, and I will be interested to have a taste off between the two. But, you don't need to stick to Raclette cheese on your raclette burner. Comté is an excellent melter and Comtomme from Quebec is equally good. Basically, if you can melt it, it's going to be great. We are bringing in some fun Truffle cheeses in December, which I think will be absolutely delicious melted and poured over potatoes or bread. Now that I'm on this train of thought, you could do yourself a little baked brie under there, throw in some walnuts, maybe a splash of maple syrup or honey...POW! Party in the pan! Basically dessert. But if you wanted something more dessert-y, you could throw in some good dark chocolate and then dip these crunchy, buttery Petits Sablés into it! Who's hungry now??
We are also expecting some Kaamps Miel & Truffes this order. Have you tried the Kaamps Classic...a surprise hit. A melt in your mouth Gouda style cheese, but this time with honey and truffles. I'm really not sure what to expect! The regular Kaamps Classic is a bit sweeter than typical, so I'm wondering how much sweeter this might be. But you know what? It's also going under the raclette!
We have a few rounds of Camembert de Medallion coming in. This is made with unpasteurized cow's milk and comes Normandy, France. It get's a bit funky with age and it's texture turns to runny. Similar to the Vacherin (not to be mistaken with Vacherin Mont D'Or), which will walk off your counter if you let it.
And last but not least...so you don't have a raclette burner or a fondu pot, but you want melty cheese? The Bois Blond will be back! This is one of those cheeses that you can toss in the oven (I throw mine in the air fryer on bake), to melt it. It's like a Vacherin Mont D'Or but cheaper and less fancy. But what you can guarantee is that you will have a smelly cheese experience.
I think all in all a pretty great offering for Thanksgiving!
Here is our list of in stock and soon to arrive cheese. You can pre-order online or visit the deli at the Mustard lady store, where you can also pick up some fine, locally made mustard, and some Vancouver Island based charcuterie meats (you can also add these onto your online order through our website).
Canada
Triple Crème de Charlevoix - Cow (Quebec)
Grey Owl - Goat (Quebec)
Cheval Noir de L'Isle - Cow (Quebec)
Fleuron (Blue) - Cow (Quebec)
Riopelle de L'isle Cow (Quebec)
Thea Bandaged Cheddar -Sheep (Quebec)
Le Pizy - Cow (Quebec)
Bleu d'Elizabeth - Cow (Quebec)
Comtomme - Cow (Quebec)
Europe
Burrata di Puglia - Cow (France)
Bois Blond - Cow (France)
Camember Le Médaillon - Unpasteurized Cow (France)
Cote D'Or - Cow (France)
Délice de Deux Sèvres - Goat (France)
Maroilles AOP - Cow (France)
Raclette de Savoie IGP Haute Montagne - Unpasteurized Cow (France)
Raclette Haut Livradois - Thermalized Cow (France)
Mothais sur Feuille Antan - Goat (France)
Laguiole - Cow ( France)
Mont des Cats - Cow (France)
Dutch Mimolette - Cow (Netherlands)
Comté 18 mth - Unpasteurized Cow (France)
Comté 24 mth - Unpasteurized Cow (France)
Brebirousse - Sheep (France)
Reblochon de Savoie (France)
Burrata di Puglia (France)
Chateau de Bourgogne (France)
Cabécou (France)
Bleu D'Auvergne (France)
Munster (France)
St Nectaire (France)
Vacherin (France)
Morbier (France)
Butter (France)
Kaamps Classic (Netherlands)
Kaamps Miel & Truffe (Netherlands)
Manchego 12 mth (Spain)
Pavé de Herve - Cow (Belgium)
Lancashire Whisky Cheddar (UK)
Tête de Moine - Cow (Switzerland)
Keep it Cheesy!
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