Avalanche Cheese Company: Lamborn Bloomer

 

     The Avalanche Cheese Company has become something of a summer time darling around The Board and Wire.  Made locally to me in Basalt, Colorado, cheese can't get any fresher than this.  Well, unless it's aged on purpose, you get the idea.  My current obsession now that June is fully upon us is the Avalanche Lamborn Bloomer.  

    

    Those lady goats grazing on the Western Slope in Paonia are getting the best of the spring grasses and flora.  As a result the milk produced is rich in flavor and nutrients.  Making it ideal for creating bloomy rinded, milky, fresh cheese.  Hence, the Lamborn Bloomer.  

    Based on the Robiola style cheese of Italy it oozes out of its light, snappy rind.  Lactic and creamy at first bite it blossoms into floral and fresh-mowed grass.  Finishing gently with subtle flavors of citrus and yogurt.  Best served with seasonal fruit (right now, strawberries, get 'em while they're good) and slices of soft french bread (not crackers. do yourself a favor on this one.). 

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The Good Stuff.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Avalanche cheeses.  

Most notably the pillowy fluff of their fresh Chevre.  Since I'm pining for the return of The Guy (he's doing business type things out of state) I decided to cope by buying myself some fancy-type cheese.  But what's a lady to do when a plain log of Chev isn't enough?  Naturally she scrounges in her refrigerator (in the back and slightly above the crisper) and produces magic. 

That's what.

To elaborate this Chevre is rolled in paprika and chopped fire roasted tomatoes w/olive oil, garlic, and herbs.  A tiny salad of spicy/bitter greens adds a zing of contrast.  Of course my security blanket of a cheese platform, cracked pepper water crackers, balances it all out.  

I do suspect 7 out of 10 times I take cheese anywhere, that cracker comes with me.  

This time it had the pleasure of delivering that fine, fine Chev concoction to my face.  

Which, naturally, soothed my pining.  

Still, a log of cheese is a poor substitute for a Fiance. 

This Cheese Doesn't Suck: Avalanche Chevre

It's springtime on the Front Range.  The woodpeckers are making a ruckus, the rivers are just starting to swell with snow melt, but most importantly the goats that are herded out here are in the middle of kidding season.  What does that mean exactly? It means the goat milk is flowing!  Finally the first batch this year of fresh chevre from Avalanche* is now available!!! This cheese is worthy of those 3 exclamation points.

It's those little logs. c/o Avalanche

 It is hands down the best chevre I have ever had the pleasure to consume.  Some chevs end up with a dense clay like texture (which is not a bad thing, however).  This little log of goat cheese goodness is actually fluffy all through, with springy moisture and melts as soon as it hovers over the tongue.  Amazing, right?  It has the classic citrus note of a chevre but on a much subtler scale.  It's creamy paste brings up notes of lightly sweet fruit preserves, cut green grass, and hint of winter alfalfa.  In Englishy speak: It's damn fine cheese. Go eat some. Right. Now.


*Avalanche lets their does have some maternity time before & after they kid.  Hence we don't get any fresh chevre from them during the winter months.  Those long, long months where we all craves the milky delicioussss...*drool*....  But I digress.  They love their animals and even elect a "Goat of the Month" rather than an "Employee of the Month".  Three cheers for excellent animal husbandry resulting in oh-so-happy animals!

Arroyo: March's Goat of the Month. c/o Avalanche