We must have charmed our cheesemonger a bit, because not long after asking for some recommendations on what we should try, he directed us to little tubs of soft and crumbly curds in olive oil. It was an Australian feta made with sheep and goat milk and aged in olive oil with garlic and herbs in the mix. And with only a handful of those little tubs left (the producer has discontinued to import this cheese into the States), I would later come to realize why he seemed to be guarding it.
Feta is one of those cheeses that I love, but I go through phases of sorts. I'll be on a kick for some time (i.e. it is consumed at every opportunity), and just like that it falls off the map for some time longer. (Though at any moment I will take it on a pizza or yet another restaurant version of the Greek salad.)
(Hmm...maybe I could...)
Feta is one of those cheeses that I love, but I go through phases of sorts. I'll be on a kick for some time (i.e. it is consumed at every opportunity), and just like that it falls off the map for some time longer. (Though at any moment I will take it on a pizza or yet another restaurant version of the Greek salad.)
But these nearly br
oken curds bathed in olive oil told me that this was different, maybe not even as close as second cousins to my conventional sense of feta. I barely got into the kitchen before tearing into a baguette and popping off the lid to that tub, diving right in. I took the creamy curds from the bread with my lips as if it were ice cream, savoring the unctuous creation on its own. It was very moist, very soft, and the oil imparted a taste far beyond the oft overwhelming salty-tangy flavor most associate with feta. You could
taste the sweetness of the milk after the mild but up-front tang subsided. Creamy, rich, decadent, and bursting with herbed nuances, this cheese should have its own classification. I recalled our moment at the store amongst the cheese and the impression this particular cheese left on the young man that steered us to it, "It's something special," he said.
oken curds bathed in olive oil told me that this was different, maybe not even as close as second cousins to my conventional sense of feta. I barely got into the kitchen before tearing into a baguette and popping off the lid to that tub, diving right in. I took the creamy curds from the bread with my lips as if it were ice cream, savoring the unctuous creation on its own. It was very moist, very soft, and the oil imparted a taste far beyond the oft overwhelming salty-tangy flavor most associate with feta. You could
taste the sweetness of the milk after the mild but up-front tang subsided. Creamy, rich, decadent, and bursting with herbed nuances, this cheese should have its own classification. I recalled our moment at the store amongst the cheese and the impression this particular cheese left on the young man that steered us to it, "It's something special," he said.And that, is without a doubt.
(Hmm...maybe I could...)
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