La Fête du Fromage - Brebis D'Or

Aveyron is an honest, "what you see is what you get" kind of place.
The towns and villages of La France Profonde don't really seem to go out of their way to woo the visitor, but they simply ooze authentic charm.  
And they produce some of the best cheeses in France.

Now here's another one to add to the Fabulous French Fromages from Aveyron list - Brebis d'Or.

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La Fête du Fromage - Tomme de la Cavalerie

Aveyron cheeses never fail to surprise me.
The farmers and fromagers from this picturesque and sparsely populated region produce a stunning array of delicious cow, sheep and goat cheeses.  Cheeses of every texture, affinage and even color are made here.

Take your pick.  Fantastic fromages de chèvre include the creamy little Cabécou de l'Aveyron and the very bold Saint-Christophe.  High on the Plateau du Larzac, where sheep outnumber people, you'll find the world famous Roquefort caves.
This is the region of one of my favorite blues, Bleu des Causses, and rustic and earthy unpasteurized ewe's milk cheeses such as Galette du Larzac and Brebis du Larzac.  The buttery smooth Tomme de Brenac is a superb fromage de vache, or if you like to mix it up a little, try the half cow, half goat cheese, le Petit Campredon.

Tomme de la Cavalerie is another Aveyron charmer.  It is produced in the region surrounding Millau, near the small town of La Cavalerie, which is famous for being a stronghold of the Knights Templar.
This cheese is super buttery, rich and yeasty, with a perfect amount of salt to balance the flavors.  It is an unpasteurized fromage de vache with a slight buttery and milky aroma and mild, exquisite flavor.  I loved it!

A glass of local Minervois red was a great match, and I imagine that Marcillac would be good as well.

Other Aveyron cheeses:
le Lacandou
la Marotte
Margalet
Pérail du Larzac

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Belgian Endive, Roquefort, Apple and Walnut Salad

Greens, cheese, fruit and nuts. Mix them together and you've created the kind of winter salad that I love! In this case, a salad of Belgian Endive, Roquefort, Apples and Walnuts.

Roquefort, as I've said before, is not one of my favorite cheeses. It's a shame really, as we live just next door to Roquefort country.
I do however, love it cooked into tarts and added (with a light hand) to salads.

Belgian endive has an earthy, invigorating flavor and crisp texture that lends itself perfectly to salads. Especially hearty, composed salads that include apples for a hit of sweet, Roquefort or blue cheese for a nice, creamy, tangy flavor and chopped walnuts for richness.
This combination is heavenly!


Belgian Endive, Roquefort, Apple and Walnut Salad
serves 6

• 6 medium Belgian endive
• 6 ounces Roquefort cheese at room temperature, crumbled
  
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 tart apple (I use Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the vinaigrette: Mix the salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar together in a bowl until the salt is dissolved. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until the mixture has emulsified. Add the garlic and whisk again.

For the salad: Just before serving, otherwise they will discolor on the edges, remove the outer leaves from the endive and separate the other leaves from the core. Wash and dry them, then cut into thin, crosswise slices.
Place the sliced endive, crumbled Roquefort, chopped walnuts and chopped apple in a bowl.
Pour the vinaigrette over everything and mix well.
Serve immediately.

Belgian endive is made up of 90% water and is rich in potassium, calcium, folate and vitamins A and K. When choosing, look for leaves should are white with pale green edges, firm and closed into a tight cylinder.

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La Fête du Fromage - Le Buronnier

As this cheese quest advances (20 months, 147 cheeses and counting!), I'm continually surprised by the seemingly endless variety, flavor and character of French cheeses out there.

I picked up this wedge of le Buronnier along with a couple of others when I went to visit Betty in Rodez last month.


That moldy, rough, rustic rind attracted me immediately. I really expected this one to be special!
Well, it wasn't.
Just goes to show that looks aren't everything.

Le Buronnier is an unpasteurized cow's milk cheese that has a mild flavor, a nice, rich and buttery mouthfeel and a bitter bite that comes on late. Strangely it has absolutely no aroma.
There was nothing wrong with this fromage férmier from Aveyron per se, I just found it to be lacking in character.


If you plan on tasting this one, a good wine pairing would be a red Marcillac or a white Estaing.
Who knows, you might enjoy it more than I did. Pin It

South of France Views

Since October I've taken advantage* of friends who live in beautiful places and made a couple of trips around southern France to two stunning regions, each of which with their own unique personality and charm.
Last month I went east on the train to Marseille & Cassis and last week I jumped in our little car and drove north to Rodez.

Both times I was well taken care of!
There were local wines to taste and cheese shops to visit; I was driven to a picturesque Provençal village perched on a hill, and to a picturesque Aveyron village perched on a cliff; we explored le Panier neighborhood in old Marseille and sat with un café noisette in a sunny café along the pretty port in Cassis; we toured the lovely city of Rodez and sat with a glass of Marcillac red wine in a local bar looking out at the glowing nighttime Rodez cathedral.
Both times my French got a good work out, as did my little camera.

The view from Cassis


La Vielle Charité in Marseille


The Vallon des Auffes in Marseille


Provençal patisserie


Petite maison à Rodez


Gothic courtyard of Rodez


Cathedral in Rodez


Village of Bozouls

Église de Bozouls


Side street in Bozouls



Next week I'm taking trip number three.
Tuesday morning I'm pointing the car northwest and heading to the Lot-et-Garonne to visit Kate for few fun-filled days of Armagnac, duck fat infused cooking and Gascon markets.


No camp this time, (I will definitely miss my fellow campers) but I'm sure there will be Cassoulet!


le Relais de Camont



*I mean that in a nice way, of course Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Tomme de Brenac

If a cheese could evoke the spirit of the region where it is produced, in my opinion Tomme de Brenac is it.

Though I spent a mere twenty-four hours in Aveyron last week, I feel like I got a good sense of the place thanks to my personal tour guide and her lovely family, and a brief spin around the beautiful, cow and sheep filled countryside.


Tomme de Brenac's somber, grey rind is reminiscent of the cloudy skies and foggy weather of mid-autumn that I experienced, but underneath that rind is a cheese with a reliable, honest character and surprising joie de vivre.
It is full of rich butter, mushroom and yeasty flavors and has a faint, moldy aroma. Its texture is soft and smooth, and a bit chalky in the center.

Overall this Tomme is somewhat rustic, yet refined. But not complex.
You're following me, aren't you?


The pastures surrounding the tiny village (population 230 or so) of Graissac in northern Aveyron is home to a herd of forty Simmental cows whose sweet, grass-rich milk is used to produce Tomme de Brenac (as well as Laguiole and Tome Fraîche de l'Aubrac).

It pairs wonderfully with our local Minervois red, but a glass of Marcillac, produced just down the road from this cheese, would also be a good wine match. Pin It

Photo du Jour - An Aveyron View

A view over Bozouls, in Aveyron. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Brebis Férmier

Don't get me wrong, I adore salt. (especially Brittany butter packed with crunchy salt crystals)
And I think that a good sprinkling of salt enhances the flavor of most cheese.

But the excessive saltiness of this Brebis Férmier that I bought from my favorite cheese guy at the Olonzac market the other day was a bit over the top.


So much so that I found it almost inedible. Almost.
Because I loved everything else about it.

Brebis Férmier is an unpretentious, unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese that is produced in the Aveyron. It has a supple, dense, chewy texture and other than the heavy salt, I loved its subtle nutty and mushroom flavors.
And the eau de barnyard parfum makes it impossible to forget that this cheese comes straight from the farm.

A hearty red such as Marcillac or Gaillac would be a good wine pairing.

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La Fête du Fromage - Le Petit Campredon

One of the perks of blogging is getting to know other bloggers.

Usually this is limited to contact via your respective blogs, but sometimes you're lucky enough to meet them in person. And, if you're even luckier, they come for a visit offering a generous gift basket full of wine, honey, jam and six different cheeses from their region of France.
Now, how did she know that this would be the perfect gift?

Le Petit Campredon is one of the six delicious cheeses that Betty brought down from the Aveyron for us to taste.


Produced in the village of Golinhac, Le Petit Campredon is an unpasteurized half goat's milk, half cow's milk fromage fermier.

This is a lovely little cheese that has a creamy texture with a chalky middle.
It is citrusy, delicate and mild tasting, yet gives off a heady barnyard aroma that doesn't do its soft, tangy flavor any favors. As I've already learned, never be dissuaded by a cheese's strong perfume. It is often concealing something delicious!

Enjoy with a glass of Coteaux du Languedoc.

Thanks again Betty! Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Galette du Larzac

There is nothing like a good fromage de brebis. Especially a rustic, unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese that comes straight from the farm.

Like this one, Galette du Larzac.


The high pastures of the Aveyron département are home to the Lacaune sheep, a hearty breed that wander the Larzac plateau, grazing on the rich summer grasses and wild herb covered (thyme, rosemary, savory) scrub land. In the middle of the vast, wild landscape sits the co-operative farm that produces this delicious cheese.

Galette du Larzac has a mild, earthy, barnyard aroma. The first of many flavors that struck me when I bit into a piece was a light, citrus-like tanginess. Not at all what I was expecting! That instantly mellowed and rich mushroom and butter flavors took over. Its lovely texture is soft and chewy, and it melts in your mouth.
Another great discovery from a vendor at our local Olonzac market.

Red wine such as a Terrasses du Larzac (under the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC) or Marcillac would match the earthiness of Galette du Larzac. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Brebis du Larzac

The Causse du Larzac - Larzac Plateau - in the Aveyron in central France, is home to many sheep, many cheesemakers and many serious cheeses.
Roquefort AOC, Pérail du Larzac, Bleu des Causses and Laguiole AOC are all produced in this here, as is my most recent discovery, Brebis du Larzac.



This week I picked up this little wedge of Brebis du Larzac from a cheese vendor who comes down from the Aveyron from time to time to sell his cheese at the Olonzac market.

What a discovery!

Brebis du Larzac has a natural, moldy exterior and melt-in-your mouth texture that develops after 6-8 weeks of affinage in humid conditions on the farm.



Soft, floral and honey flavors tickle your tongue as you savor each bite of this meaty, richly textured cheese. It has an elegant, round aroma, full of herbs and grass, that reminded me of Italian Pecorino.

A glass of robust, Minervois red paired perfectly with Brebis du Larzac.



Next time, I'm buying a bigger piece! Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Margalet

A strange thing happened at my favorite Fromagerie in Béziers last week...
Either the woman behind the counter hadn't properly educated herself about her products or I was blatantly lied to.

This Camembert-like sheep's milk cheese, nestled in a little wooden box, caught my eye. The name printed on the box was Margalet. Never heard of it.
I posed a couple of basic questions; what kind of milk is it made from? pasteurized or unpasteurized? fermier, artisanal or industriel?

I was told that it is unpasteurized, fermier brebis. Wonderful, I thought, and bought a piece.

Well, it isn't.
Not unpasteurized. Not fermier.
Rather, industriel, pasteurized cheese that is a recent creation from Papillon, the producers of Roquefort in the Aveyron.
However it is brebis, so she got that right. Thankfully.



I have to say that I felt rather misled.
Luckily the cheese's gorgeous flavor made up for the Fromagère's mistake/deception.

Margalet has a very earthy aroma and a smooth, chewy and supple texture. The thin, bloomy rind is completely edible and underneath is a cheese with a deep mushroom flavor and a soft, lingering aftertaste. It was a real pleasure!

Enjoy a glass of Sancerre or a Costières de Nîmes with Margalet. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - le Lacandou

Don't you just love it when you stumble across a really unexpected, delightful treat?
Such was the case when I tasted this little cheese.

One whiff of the sweet, yeasty aroma of le Lacandou and I was smitten. Then I took a bite and let it melt on my tongue.
Aaaaahhhhh....
now this is my kind of cheese!



I just love this little man (M. Lacan, I presume) with the sheep necklace, holding two cheeses aloft

Le Lacandou is an unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese that is made following traditional artisanal methods. It is produced in Sévérac-le-Château, in the northern Aveyron and was named after its producer, the farmer Monsieur Lacan.
The word on the label, fondant, means melting. And this cheese is definitely fondant! Its soft and yielding interior is held together by a little, waxed cupcake wrapper - as soon as I peeled it off, it oozed all over.
The period of affinage* is only about three weeks long, so it had a young, grassy and fruity flavor that was neither too mild nor too strong.



Le Lacandou is truly sublime. No doubt about it.

Pour a glass of Côtes du Roussillon or a Crozes Hermitage to enjoy with this cheese.

*affinage (AH-fee-nahj) - The craft of maturing and aging cheeses.

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La Fête du Fromage - L'Ecir en Aubrac

*yawn*

This week's cheese for la Fête du Fromage was B O R I N G!

I mean, it was pleasant enough, just not great. If you like soft, very mild, slightly honey and grassy flavored, young, unpasteurized cow's milk cheese, then you'll probably like L'Ecir en Aubrac. To me, it seemed lacking in character.

Ironic, isn't it? Last week I was lamenting over the super strong flavor of le Cados. Now this week I'm complaining about L'Ecir en Aubrac being too mild.

fickle fickle
(at least it wasn't flavorless like Bergues)



Some facts about l'Ecir en Aubrac:

• It was created by Jean-Marie Cayla in 1987 on his family farm. In 1996 he partnered with Vincent Alazard and the farm now produces on average, 1000 small cheeses a day.
• It is named for l'ecir, the frigid, northern wind that blows across the high plains of the Aubrac plateau in the Aveyron, where the cheese is produced.
• It is made from the raw milk of the Aubrac et Simmental breeds of cattle.
• Good wine matches would be a white Viognier or a hearty red Fitou or Faugères

This was a young piece so maybe I should have tasted a more mature version? Maybe I was having an off day?
It doesn't matter, I think it deserves another chance. Pin It

La Fête du Fromage - Roquefort

Voilà Roquefort

Who hasn't heard of it? This very strong cheese seems to garner very strong opinions. People either love it or hate it. Personally, I'm not a huge fan, but I do love to cook with it.

A blue veined cheese from the Causse du Larzac has been enjoyed since the Roman times but it was during the Middle Ages that Charles VI granted a small village in the south of France a monopoly on aging Roquefort in the local caves. It is made from the unpasteurized milk of the Lacaune ewe and matured in the Combalou caves that surround the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Aveyron département. The blue veining develops after the rind is pierced forty times and the cheese is left to mature in the caves where the penicillium roqueforti bacteria go to work.

At least three months of aging is necessary under the AOC guidelines, but it is usually allowed to mature for four months. Roquefort is an intensely flavored, distinctively salty and complex cheese. It is crumbly and damp, yet buttery, and melts beautifully on the tongue. The interior is creamy white with blue grey veins and has no rind.
All genuine Roquefort bears a little red sheep on it's label.

Enjoy with a glass of Sauternes or Banyuls.


Caramelized Onion, Roquefort and Parmesan Tartserves 6

For the Pâte Brisée

• 18 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon chilled butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cider vinegar
• 2 large eggs

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the flour, butter, and salt.
2. Pulse several times to form pea-sized lumps.
3. Add the vinegar and eggs and pulse to form a moist, crumbly mixture. Do not over process.
4. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and knead a few times by hand.
5. Form the dough into a disk, wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

For the Tart

• 1 recipe pâte brisée (or store bought puff pastry--follow instructions for pre-baking)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 large yellow onions, halved and cut into julienne strips (about 7 cups)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup crème fraîche
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Make the tart

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. Remove the pâte brisée from the refrigerator and when warm enough to be pliable, roll out to about 1/8 inch thick.
3. Place the brisée into a 10 inch tart mold, fitting it around the bottom and the sides
4. Bake the shell for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool.
5. In a sauté pan over low heat, melt the butter.
6. When bubbly, add the onions and cook down for 45 minutes, or until the onions are very brown and sweet, stirring from time to time to prevent the onions from sticking. Let cool.
7. In a bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, crème fraîche, egg and egg yolk to make a custard.
8. Stir in the salt and pepper and set aside. (You may want to use less salt, depending on the saltiness of the Roquefort.)
9. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
10. Spread the cooked onions on the bottom of the tart shell.
11. Sprinkle crumbled Roquefort over the onions.
12. Pour the custard mixture over.
13. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of the custard
14. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
15. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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La Fête du Fromage

For this week's Fête du Fromage we tasted Laguiole, Pyramide de Chèvre and Brique de Brebis.

The enormous 80 pound wheels of Laguiole are made from unpasteurized cow's milk and aged for 6-12 months. It is produced by a sole cooperative, Jeune Montagne, on the Aubrac plateau and was given AOC status in 1961. The cheese takes its name from the village of Laguiole, where the famous knives are also made. Its texture is very moist, but crumbly and the flavor is buttery, tangy and rich.

The little ash covered Pyramide de Chèvre was pure bliss! Made of unpasteurized goat's milk, its chalky white, nutty interior melts in your mouth and turned the red wine we were drinking into ambrosia. Its size and shape resembles a Valençay, but was made locally by a fromager here in the Languedoc.

Brique de Brebis, made by Lou Pérac brand, is a pure sheep's milk cheese shaped into a little brick. It is a pasteurized cheese from Aveyron and available in most major supermarchés. The creamy interior oozes out when you cut through its edible rind, making it perfect for spreading on bread. This is a mass produced cheese but the flavor is delicate and satisfying.




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