Ashing and salting chevre at Rainbeau Ridge Farm

Here are Lucy’s Whey we really like cheese. Of course, that isn’t very surprising given how the fact that we are a cheese store. But we’re not your typical cheese lovers (or maybe we are). Because we need no excuse to eat cheese. It’s just that simple.

Something we really enjoy about the cheese business, aside, of course, from eating lots of cheese, is educating our customers. When you can tell a customer or a potential customer about the origins of a cheese, about the cheesemaker, farmer and animals that produced it, about the tradition it falls under, you can witness something truly magical. The magic is when people feel a connection to the food they are consuming, something that food in our culture too infrequently does.

In that spirit, we are initiating a weekly series of cheese tastings here on the Lucy’s Whey blog. We’ll be tasting all of our cheeses and whatever new ones we get as well. The point? Well, and to have some fun! But also to share our knowledge with you so the next time you go hunting for that perfect cheese, you’ll be well-prepared. One of the things we most love about artisanal cheese is how unique and individual each cheese tastes. We started with some goat cheeses, because they are just coming into season, and we are getting new ones each week!

Lucy holds a one week old kid at Rainbeau Ridge

Cheese: Meridian, Rainbeau Ridge Farm, Bedford Hills, New York

Fresh Chevre, Vegetable Ash Rind

This pasteurized goat cheese has a smooth creamy texture, it’s fresh and it’s got a line of vegetable ash running through the center (hence, the name!), and ash rubbed on the outside as well.  Tasting it, almost immediately the creaminess gives way to a powerfully piquant tanginess, with a hint of yeast (think chewy sourdough bread). Classic, refreshing, springtime cheese.

Cheese: Juliana, Capriole, Greenville, Indiana

Capriole's Juliana

Bloomy-Rind, Raw Goat’s Milk, Herbed-Rind.

OHHH Juliana! Smooth, creamy, and sometimes oozing and runny. This is a luscious cheese, and the Herbs de Provence on the rind perfectly complements the thick, tangy interior.

Stop in to Lucy’s Whey in Chelsea Market for a taste of these cheeses!