February Cheese Feature: Reading Raclette
Being a Dairymaid goes way beyond simply selecting the best cheeses. The cheese and the people that make them, have some pretty incredible stories. We want to share everything we know and give each one of these beauties the spotlight.
This month we're featuring Reading Raclette (pronounced "Redding"), from Spring Brook Farm in Vermont. This small, family owned farm produces just three cheeses to support their non-profit program, Farms for City Kids Foundation. Students in the program have the opportunity to learn where food comes from and are encouraged to work on the farm. It's easy to stand behind their cause, but the cheese is just as easy to love.
Reading Raclette is a washed rind, semi-soft cow's milk cheese. It has a delicate funkiness and a nutty, buttery finish. To stay true to its style, serve melted and marvel at its velvety paste. When Reading is on the tasting plate, I often tell people raclette is the new fondue.
Raclette is derived from the French verb, meaning ''to scrape.'' Historically, the Swiss would lunch on potatoes and pickles, covered with melted cheese that they scraped from a camp fire. Nowadays, there are a variety of tools used to melt raclette, ranging from simple to complex and costly.
I took advantage of a Texas "Winter" evening and enjoyed a small wedge of Reading on the patio with my family. You could easily melt Reading on the grill or place on a fire pit in a Cheese Barbeclette. We used a chef torch and served the melted perfection with roasted vegetables, cornichons and some crusty bread. It's pure bliss.
If you're still not sure how to party 'Swiss Alps' style, just check out this video. Comical, yet informative.
This month we're featuring Reading Raclette (pronounced "Redding"), from Spring Brook Farm in Vermont. This small, family owned farm produces just three cheeses to support their non-profit program, Farms for City Kids Foundation. Students in the program have the opportunity to learn where food comes from and are encouraged to work on the farm. It's easy to stand behind their cause, but the cheese is just as easy to love.
Reading Raclette is a washed rind, semi-soft cow's milk cheese. It has a delicate funkiness and a nutty, buttery finish. To stay true to its style, serve melted and marvel at its velvety paste. When Reading is on the tasting plate, I often tell people raclette is the new fondue.
Raclette is derived from the French verb, meaning ''to scrape.'' Historically, the Swiss would lunch on potatoes and pickles, covered with melted cheese that they scraped from a camp fire. Nowadays, there are a variety of tools used to melt raclette, ranging from simple to complex and costly.
I took advantage of a Texas "Winter" evening and enjoyed a small wedge of Reading on the patio with my family. You could easily melt Reading on the grill or place on a fire pit in a Cheese Barbeclette. We used a chef torch and served the melted perfection with roasted vegetables, cornichons and some crusty bread. It's pure bliss.
If you're still not sure how to party 'Swiss Alps' style, just check out this video. Comical, yet informative.
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