A Truly Fantastic Cheese
Stopped into Talbott & Arding in Hudson yesterday, one of my favorite food shops on the planet.
"You have to try this," said Kate Arding, handing me a taste of Ledyard, a cheese I'd never heard of. The cheese was softly seductive, and then my mouth flooded with surprising flavors. Although it is made with ewe's milk, behind the robust barniness is a gentle elegance unusual in sheep cheese. The flavors build like music, resonating long after the cheese itself has vanished. Coming right behind the rich milkiness is the flavor of the grape leaf. And then, behind the herbal, slightly bitter taste of the leaf is something else. It is the sweetness of grapes. How can that be?
It turns out the leaves are soaked in Deep Purple, a wheat beer infused with Concord grapes. It's a brilliant touch, that leaves you with the illusion of eating and drinking with a single bite.
Ledyard is made by Meadowood Farms in Cazenovia, New York. Can't wait to try their other cheeses.
