#3 - Goat Cheese - Soignon Buche de Chevre

When this adorable little round of goat cheese caught my eye, I knew I would be taking it home with me. It did not disappoint!

I can describe three distinct aspects to this cheese. 1) The soft, velvety rind. 2) The creamy "outer ring" and 3) the interior - stiffer, a bit crumbly and very close to the goat cheese I have had in the past.

All three of these together make for a very rich, multidimensional taste! 

The folks at DCI Cheese Company say:

"Buche de Chèvre is a popular soft-ripened goat cheese produced in Poitou in France’s Loire Valley, a region renowned for its world-class goat cheeses. Its exterior is surrounded by a hard, edible crust that is coated with a gorgeous bloomy white mold. The cheese’s interior is similarly bright white with a mildly tangy flavor dotted with sweet notes of caramel. Its interior texture is a nice contrast to the rind; it is soft and creamy with a pleasantly flaky core that melts in the mouth.

Enjoy Buche de Chèvre grilled on toast for a light meal or use to dress up quiches and canapés. It also makes a delightful pairing for a crisp Pinot Grigio."

I ate mine with a baguette and a few pear slices - using the tried and true method of pairing fruit and cheese - and got a pleasing balance of sweet and savory. 

On a different note: I am realizing quickly that soon I will need to pause and learn a bit more about the process of making cheese. I know it will help me to make sense of what now appears to me to be an intimidating, and almost endless variety. Once I dive in to the world of cheese-making, I will be sure to share what I learn!