Drum roll, please…our exclusive Isigny Ste. Mère Holiday Brie is in stores now. We’ve been (somewhat) patiently waiting all year for this holiday tradition to grace our tables again. This delightful cheese comes from a co-operative of 700 farmers in Normandy, France. Normandy is a lush area of rolling hills that produce very fertile grasses and the cows that graze on these grasses produce high butterfat milk.

Our holiday Brie is unique in that it contains 60% butterfat, a formula customized especially for Whole Foods Market. This butterfat content imparts full and complex flavors to the cheese, resulting in a rich, buttery mouthfeel and herbaceous flavor. It’s also produced using a traditional slow pasteurization process and no growth hormones, such as rBST, are given to the cows.

In addition to being superb cheesemakers, Isigny Ste. Mère is committed to being a good citizen and protecting terroir. In 2008 they converted their facility to biomass renewable energy from the waste of saw mills, park service and industry. They also use a water recovery system to provide steam energy.

Brie is simple to serve with your favorite fruit spreads or chutneys – just remove from the refrigerator about an hour before serving. Feeling more adventurous? Try one of our favorite Brie recipes:

• Baked Apple and Brie Canapes
• Brie with Cardamom-Scented Clementine Chutney
• Brie en Croûte with Cherries and Pistachios
• Fruited Brie Torte



• Potato and Leek Soup with Brie Croutons
• Prosciutto, Brie and Apricot Wraps
• Roast Beef and Brie Croissant Cocktail Sandwiches
• Smoked Turkey, Plum and Brie Panini Appetizers
• Open Face Ham and Brie Sandwiches

What’s your favorite way to serve Brie? Let me know…I can’t wait to try something new!

In 1998 I was visiting our Northern California Whole Foods Market stores and I came across a new cheese when dining in a local restaurant. It was a tasty cheese, very creamy with a luscious mouthfeel. It wasn’t like any imported brie I had tasted before – the flavors were quite unique. It was fresh with soft overtones of mushrooms. I loved it. Later I found out this was a triple-crème cheese named Mt. Tam. When I asked the waitperson about the cheese, she confirmed it was made in Marin, across the bridge from San Francisco. I was surprised to learn of this cheese and wanted to find out more. This started my quest for this unforgettable Marin County cheese and the Cowgirls who made created it.

Coincidentally, in 1998 I was living in Washington, DC, and was invited to attend an event put on by the American Farmland Trust. This event was honoring Marin-based Ellen Strauss with the “Steward of the Land” Award. I met this dynamic person and her family. I was so impressed with the rich history of her dedication to organics, being the first organic dairy farmer west of the Mississippi. I was interested in the mission and passion of the Strauss family. It was here that I begin to understand the synergies developed with the commitment of the farm and the cheesemakers from Marin.

It turns out that the Strauss Family farm and the Cowgirl Creamery production facility are separated by only about 10 miles of road along the Tomales Bay! It surprised me to learn that the milk from Strauss was being used to make the cheese I had tasted earlier in the year. Like minds and people with passion seem to flock together. The local terrior of the Tomales Bay, the rich land and the regional attributes that contribute to the unique milk and the luscious cheese really shine through.

I met Sue Conley and Peg Smith, the “Cowgirl’s” in Cowgirl Creamery, not long after that event. Both had amazing food knowledge (given their extensive restaurant backgrounds) and both were extremely committed to sustainable foods. Lucky for us that this translated into cheese! The production of the Mt. Tam, that first Cowgirl cheese I tasted, was very limited at the time and I was not able to get it to the stores that I worked with on the East Coast. That did not deter my quest to experience the cheese whenever I was on the West Coast or to continue to solicit Sue and Peg to increase production.

I was thrilled when they won “Best in Show” for their Red Hawk washed rind cheese at the 2003 American Cheese Society Competition and second in the 2009 American Cheese Society Competition. I was very excited when they opened a second facility in Petaluma that expanded their production so that Whole Foods Market is able to feature the Mt. Tam as our premium organic offering throughout the United States. I hope all of you will enjoy this product as much as I do!

In this episode, I traveled to Monroe, WI to visit the Klondike Cheese Company, one of the few feta producers in the United States that meets our Quality Standards. The Buholzer family has grown the company tremendously since they started making cheese in 1925. Our partnership with this family owned, third generation operation began back in 2002. Even though they are now a large company, they only work with 85 locally family-owned dairy farms and because the milk is fresh, the cheese is deliciously fresh too. My personal favorites include the Mediterranean feta and the feta with black pepper.

In 1991, following in the footsteps of four generations of cheese makers, Felix and Ulrich Roth founded Roth Käse USA, the focus being to craft and cure European-style specialty cheeses in America’s Dairyland. Green County, Wisconsin was a natural home for the Roth Käse cheese factory, not only for its lush landscape and high quality milk supply, but also because the area is commonly referred to as “Little Switzerland.”

In the beginning, their focus was in crafting traditional alpine cheeses. As they’ve grown, they’ve added other outstanding cheeses from across the world to their range of products, including one of my favorites, Gran Queso, modeled after Spanish Manchego. To support their growth, rather than expanding their own facilities, they partnered with struggling local production facilities, helping to keep the dairy industry alive in their community and they work with local dairy farmers so their products are made from the freshest ingredients possible.

In this segment of Cheese Travels, I traveled to Waterloo, Wisconsin to visit Crave Brothers, an amazing cheese producer that makes fresh mozzarella, mascarpone and other fresh cheese for our stores.  This extraordinary company is run by four brothers who run a self-sustaining operation where they raise their own animals and over 80% of the feed right on the farm.

A wheel of Hervé Mons Camembert is a strong, earthy, creamy little piece of heaven. Check out the footage of my interview with Mons during my spring visit – including footage of the caves and the surrounding region. We’ve partnered with Mons, one of the most well respected French affineurs, who selects Camembert exclusively for us from small producers near the lush green pastures of Normandy and then oversees the aging process. Delicately salty and smooth, Hervé Mons Camembert is exquisite when paired with a sparkling wine or a dry French cider and warm, crusty bread.

Interested in learning more about cheese? Follow our Global Cheese Buyer and Cheese Fanatic, Cathy Strange on Twitter @WFMCheese.

Traveling through France it is easy to get caught up in the history of the country. Roadside buildings made of stone that are abandoned or in disrepair often lead me to daydream of who lived in the buildings in decades or centuries past and what was their daily life about. What did they eat? Was the forest the same as it is now or were the fields more cultivated…or less cultivated? When I get to experience cheese(s) many times the names help answer these kinds of questions because they reflect the location or specifics about the area where the cheese is produced. This is the case for the Cazelle de Saint Affrique sheep’s milk cheese aged by Hevre Mons that we are featuring in April

The “Cazelle” portion of the name refers to the stone building that is used to house hay or even shelter the shepherds and/or sheep. The area of origin is located in Aveyron. Monoliths and other stone monuments are still present in the hillsides of this area in the south of France. The Cazelle is probably a natural evolution of using regional stone to construct the shelter. Hevre and his team at Mons came up with the name because the form of the cheese reminded them of the Cazelle structure. The history of humans in this area dates back over 12,000 years.

The town of Saint Affrique, the town that the cheese is named after, is just north of the Mediterranean coast, nestled between two rivers. As a direct result of location there is a unique micro-climate that impacts agricultural growth. Sheep are one of the key farm animals in this area and the breed used for many famous cheeses from the south of France is the Lacaune. This is the same breed used to supply the milk for Roquefort cheese. The average size of the herd for this area is 250. Many of the farmers that provide the milk for the Cazelle sell their milk to Roquefort producers as well. Sheep’s milk is rich in protein and calcium with the highest level of B vitamins of all dairy animal’s milk. Sheep’s milk cheeses are very high in solids, which contributes to the creamy texture of the cheeses – you can see and taste this in the texture of the Cazelle.

The Cazelle is artisanally produced in small batches by a producer who makes many other cheeses available in the Saint Affrique area. The cheese arrives at the Mons caves when it is 10 days old – it is a fragile jewel and since it is artisan, every cheese is very different.The Mons affineurs take great care nurturing the cheese so the flavors evolve and show the cheese’s personality. The cheese is firm with a creamy texture and has a nutty and earthy flavor. Don’t be afraid if some of the cheese gets a bit of a blue mold on the exterior. This will impart additional spicy flavors.

I asked Hevre what some of his favorite pairings are for this cheese and his response was to serve with a Chardonnay wine that is geared more towards buttery characteristics. Stay away from dry wines with this cheese. I also love serving sheep’s milk cheeses with dried fruits – Hevre recommends golden raisins and figs; I like it with apricots. Either way is it a fantastic cheese that we are offering you during the month of April. Welcome spring with a lovely, young cheese from France, and hurry since it may not be around long!

The luck of the Irish is lucky for all of us too – we get to try one of the Emerald Island’s best cheddars infused with it’s best known fermented beverage, Irish Stout. Well, maybe not truly “infused” cheese, but this is a new concept. While we’ve experienced beers being used as a solution to “wash” cheese to add flavor and complexity, the stout is actually introduced into a “double milled” cheddar. Traditional Irish Stout, made with roasted barley, is bitter with a slight hoppy finish. The stout adds caramel and coffee notes that accentuate the flavors of the cheese. When tasting this cheese, the creaminess fills your mouth, the nutty flavors begin to open up and the caramel finish lingers on the palate. It is really a unique flavor experience.

So, how does it get this way? Dubliner cheddar is aged 12 months and is a very complex cheese. Produced in County Cork, south of the city of Dublin, it’s made from the milk of grass fed cows that graze on the lush green rolling hills of southeastern Ireland. The grass makes the cheese rich in beta carotene. The cheese is made using the traditional “cheddaring” process and is set aside to age. When it is matured, the cheese is milled again. Milling is a process where the cheese is put through a “grinder” to break it into smaller pieces. This is where the beer comes in. The Irish Stout is mixed into the cheddar pieces and the combination is put into a cheddar form where it is aged a bit longer to assure that the smaller pieces combine to form a cheddar wheel. The cheese round is then finished with a dip into green wax. Not only is this colorful, but it acts as a preservative against mold.

The original concept for the Dubliner Irish Cheddar with Stout was developed by the domestic and international members of the Irish Dairy Board. They worked diligently with the highly skilled cheese graders in Ireland to define the best way to make an innovative, great tasting product in the style of the classic Irish Cheddars. The teams worked with the best cheese grader, and a proclaimed “foodie”, Enda Howley, to assist with refining this product to meet the high criteria that the Kerrygold team has come to expect. Edna was born and raised in Cashel, a small town in Tipperary, known for Irish blue cheese and in this case, awesome cheese graders.

I first experienced the audience response to this cheese at a fundraising event held in Austin, Texas. I brought a selection of six cheeses to a tasting organized to raise money for a culinary scholarship fund. Three of my cheese selections were named in the Top 100 Cheeses by the Wine Spectator. The other choices were solid cheeses with little recognition, including the Dubliner Cheddar. When the majority of the attendees kept coming back asking to sample more of the Dubliner, a star was born! You always know which cheese is the “winner” at the table by the amount that’s left over. In this case, no Dubliner Cheddar with Stout was left on the plate!

A few weeks ago I tasted this Macaroni and Cheese with Porcini and Bacon and was amazed at the combination of flavors that perfectly blended together. It’s a nice dish to top off the winter season. Enjoy the Dubliner Cheddar however you serve it and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese With Porcini And Bacon

Serves 4 to 6

• 3 tablespoons Kerrygold butter, divided
• 1/2 pound (2 cups) elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1/3 cup (1/2 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole or reduced fat milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese with Irish Stout, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8- x 8-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.

In large saucepan, cook macaroni in 3 to 4 quarts boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
Pour 1 cup hot water over mushrooms; let stand about 10 minutes or until soft. Drain (liquid can be saved for soup or stock); chop mushrooms into 1/2-inch pieces.

In 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes.

Add milk gradually, whisking constantly until it comes to the boil. Add salt, pepper and mushrooms. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat, stir in bacon, if using, and 1 cup of the cheese.

Stir in macaroni gently but thoroughly. Transfer to baking dish. Mix remaining 1/2 cup cheese with breadcrumbs; scatter on top.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and crumbs have browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

December memories have many meanings to different people.

For many of us who deal with food on a daily basis, other than eating it, keeping up with the crops and the seasonal harvests going on around the world is key.

The one foremost on my mind right now is the Kalamata olive harvest.  Some view this as the best olive in the world.  Certainly, it is the most well known.  Touring Greece during the olive harvest was an amazing experience.  I was transported back to earlier times when life was simpler.  In Sparta, little has changed through the centuries.  The trees are getting older and they have out lived the ones who so diligently took care of them many years ago and have passed this task on to newer generations of farmers.

Young farmers from the village of Kefalas

Kalamata is the port that the olives were named for but as is the case oftentimes, the olives were shipped from this port but harvested in Sparta.  On the southern most tip of the Greek peninsula are the mountains, coastal towns and home to the orchards that produce the Kalamata olive.  I can taste the olives now, but it’s not wise not to taste at harvest.  The olives are very sour fruits and leave an intensely bitter flavor in your mouth, like chewing aspirin. Best to taste following the fermentation in a brine solution which may take up to 5 months, depending on the weather and the fruit.

Hand harvesting of the Kalamata olives into nets laid at the ground

The true Kalamata have a point at one end similar to an almond.  They range in size and color but the purple shade is what many of us have come to know and love. Brown or off colors are considered defects as are holes (indicative of fly larvae) and bruises. All of us pay according to the size, texture and the quality of the olive.  This is judged at harvest, similar sizes are separated and fermented together.   Olives are an agricultural product and the annual harvest contributes heavily to the economic viability of the small villages in the area.

Olives freshly harvested

As I have said in the past, certain foods remind me of individuals and olives are no different.  My olive mentors are Phil Meldrum and Kostas Marianos.  Kostas is a true gentleman based in Greece. His family was originally from Greece; they moved during the revolution, in which he lost his beloved grandfather.  His U.S. partner is Phil Meldrum, one of the true foodies I have the privilege of knowing.  Phil is based in New York and has a rich history of partnering with Mediterranean producers to source the best olives and antipasti products.  His company is frequently honored with awards for the best olives in the world.

Kostas Marianos (left) and Phil Meldrum in Gythion, Greece

Kalamata have a distinct flavor: aromatic and full-bodied, with a smoky, wine-infused snap.

Olives are a healthy snack, rich in monosaturated oils, antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids. Kalamatas are rich in a pigment called anthocyanin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Heading into the holiday season with so many critical economic issues impacting all of our lives, it is good to have a positive Kalamata olive report.  Following the fire risks last year and draughts of the most recent few years, overall the olive
crop looks good.  In general, the quality is better than last year’s harvest and there is a solid percentage of larger size olives.  The color, which is a critical point of evaluation for the Kalamata crop, is great this year.

We look forward to having these olives in our store in April.

Best of the holidays!