American Cheese Month is winding down but I hope your appetite is ramping up. You’re about to meet eight domestic cheeses deemed outstanding by the experts—two West Coast mongers who agreed to assemble a fantasy cheese plate for Planet Cheese readers. I requested “all American” and “not too obscure.” Even so, I don’t know a couple of these selections. So you may have to hunt for some of these cheeses, but at least you know you’ll be rewarded. Courtney Johnson, who created one of the plates, placed third in last year’s Mondial du Fromage, an international competition. Brandon Wood owns The Cheese Parlor, a four-year-old shop in downtown Livermore, California. Let’s see what they’re loving these days.

Cheesemonger: Courtney Johnson, Ph.D, ACS CCP and CCSE

Street Cheese
Seattle

“These five cheeses are on my list because they show the delightful diversity of cheeses available in the different corners of our country,” says Johnson. “I'd pair them with a local wildflower honey, some locally crafted candied hazelnuts or pecans, and a few slices of Chorizo El Rey from Olympia Provisions. Together, these five feel like a late-spring afternoon on the patio with no worries.”

Tea Rose/Capriole Goat Cheese (IN) (pictured above)
Pasteurized goat milk

Tea Rose (top photo) gets the party started with a combination of bright, tangy, floral and herbal tones.

Hidden Falls/Shepherd’s Way Farms (MN)
Pasteurized sheep milk

Hidden Falls adds rich, silken milkiness.

Alpha Tolman/Jasper Hill Farm (VT)
Raw cow milk

Griffin/Sweet Grass Dairy (GA)
Raw cow milk

Alpha Tolman and Griffin usher in the firmer textures from different angles: brothy and nutty Alpha Tolman, and then gently boozy and buttery Griffin.

Sawtooth/Cascadia Creamery (WA)
Raw cow milk

We round it all out with Sawtooth, bringing in a toothsome texture and gentle funk.

Cheesemonger: Brandon Wood

The Cheese Parlor
Livermore, CA
This young monger is shaking up the cheese scene in an underserved part of the San Francisco Bay Area. His sensory descriptions are evocative and his suggested pairings show thought.

Caspian / Jasper Hill Farm (VT)
Raw cow milk

A cow cheese (but feels like goat) that is like holding hands with cooked cream while walking through a foliage-filled forest with a side of mushrooms. Natural-rinded wonder with an inside that conjures the texture of marshmallows. Pair with Black Garlic Salami from Underground Meats.

Shabby Shoe/Blakesville Creamery (WI)
Pasteurized goat milk

A bloomy-rinded Geotrichum roller coaster of flavor. Its cream line wraps around a semisoft center that lengthens the citrus zip and the tantalizing tang on the follow through. Try with Strawberry Habanero Pepper Jelly from Kelly's Jelly.

Grazing Girl / Valley Ford Creamery (CA)
Raw cow milk

A Gorgonzola-style creamy-filled dream. You feel the farmstead funk slip across the palate as the salt settles into your tongue and then you’re left with a subtle sweetness, the perfect finish to a well-rounded blue. Try with Triple Chocolate Almonds from Charles Chocolates.