Comté Le Fort
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and, in recognition of the day, we surveyed a few of our fellow staffers to see what cheeses their mothers like them to bring home!
Ann – Tim’s Mother
Tim oversees Formaggio Kitchen Online, as well as undertaking much of our international ordering from Italy, Spain and Portugal. His mother Ann is a keen cheese lover, with favorites including Cobb Hill’s Ascutney Mountain and Comté Le Fort.
Tim tells us, “I think [my mother] likes Ascutney because it has a nice balance of nutty flavors and salty-sharp flavors. Having mostly enjoyed European cheeses, I think she was also impressed that a domestic cheese could be so tasty. Comté is a favorite also because that’s what I always bring home and rave about how excellent our Comté is.”
Tim went on to say that Ann enjoys pairing both cheeses with lighter Loire reds – in particular Chinon, adding that, “my dad owned property south-east of Nantes for some time, so they are particularly attached to that region. They’d visit the neighbor’s wine ‘cave’ where he would fill bottles from a spigot for them.”
Talk about a cheese and wine pairing transporting you back to a wonderful memory!
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
Anita – Julie’s Mother
Julie is the General Manager and Wine Buyer at our South End shop. Her mother, Anita, likes a good cheddar – and, her favorite cheese is Cabot Clothbound Cheddar.
Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is made from the milk from just one farm and, as Julie tells us, “that farm is in the tiny village where my mom lives, Peacham. She thinks the Clothbound cheddar’s grassy notes remind her of the way the air smells during summer in Peacham. When mom was a kid, her great-grandfather ran a dairy farm and his milk went to the Cabot Co-op. Today, she lives on the farm but doesn’t have any animals. She likes to eat the cheddar in crumbles with crisp apples, without crackers, and ideally with a delicious sweet cider like JK Scrumpy’s.”
We second those pairings as marvelously scrumptious!
Colston Bassett Stilton
Debbie – Sarah’s Mother
Sarah is a cheesemonger and the Domestic Cheese Buyer at our South End location. When making the journey home, she brings her mother, Debbie, a wedge of Stilton or a fresh goat cheese. The reasoning? Sarah tells us, “my mom’s tastes vary – she likes Colston Bassett Stilton when she’s feeling sharp/complex, and fresh goat cheeses when she’s feeling mellow.” Like Debbie, our favorite cheese of the moment often depends on the season and our mood!
Janet – Erin’s Mother
Top to bottom: Robiola di Castagna and Robiola Incavolata
Erin is a lady of many talents – managing much of what goes on behind the scenes at our Cambridge shop (plus being able to step into the bakery, onto the cheese counter and into the kitchen as needed)! Erin’s mother, Janet, is local to our Cambridge shop and we love when she comes to visit.
Erin reports that Janet’s favorite cheese is Robiola Incavolata – a beautiful goat milk cheese from Italy, wrapped in bright green cabbage leaves. Erin adds, “she loves it, the more gooey the better! I try to bring her cheese and pâté every Mother’s Day. We drink Bloody Mary’s, eat cheese, and chill!”
Sounds pretty perfect to us.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our amazing moms!
