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FALL INTO FROMAGE

Apple Pairings And French Cheese

Fall is definitely in the air, and as the temperature gently descends, we are highlighting some cheeses that provide a special respite from the cooler weather. For us, there's no better autumn accompaniment than French cheese. France has long-since mastered the art of cheesemaking, with varieties that run the gamut from buttery to stinky, spreadable to crystalline. Below, you'll discover several superlative examples of fall fromage, as well as a few non-French options for diversity's sake. Enjoy!

A Family of Flavors: Comte Marcel Petite

Tyler Hawes, former Purchaser for Artisanal Premium Cheese, visited the Franche-Comtè Region of France to visit the Fromageries Marcel Petite maturing facility at Fort Saint Antoine - the Cathedral of Comtè. Tyler writes about his experience through a journal entry on our website.

''I'm going to France for vacation and I am not going to do anything cheese related -- No visits, just rest and relaxation.'' Okay, maybe I didn't plan on driving 7 hours from a small town outside of Brive to the Jura with fromage in my sights but what can I say? It wouldn't be the first time I spent my days off from work to do what I love. read more...

For a complete listing of all our journal entries, please visit the Artisanal Cheese Journal.

Cheese & Apple Pairings

Just as October is ''cheese month'' when the broadest variety of cheese types should be available in peak form, like a great cheese harvest; it is also the time of year when apples (that most ideal fruit accompaniment) are at their best and most plentiful. Apples provide a sweet platform for just about every cheese type we know. To serve as a vehicle for transporting the luscious soft cheeses into the mouth, or as a juicy sidekick to the aged cheeses, the cheese and apple combinations make great partners this time of year.

Epoisses: The sweet of the red delicious balances the somewhat saltier Epoisses which is also chock-full of umami.

$18.50 per lb

Keen's Cheddar: The tart of the granny harmonizes with the "sharp" of the cheddar, and also makes a nice platform for the crunch of the finer farmhouse cheddars we carry.

Normally $26.25 per lb -- On sale for $18.00 per lb

Add Both To Your Basket!

The Perfect October Recipe From Chef Terrance Brennan

English Cheddar with Smoked Bacon and Apple Sandwich

New York Magazine called this the best grilled cheese sandwich in New York City. Cheddar and apple is a popular British combination, and are nicely offset here by the salty bacon. Be sure to use a good country, artisan bread for a rustic look and flavor. Also, be sure to follow the quantities given as exactly as possible; great sandwiches depend on the perfect balance of cheese, accompaniment, and bread.

Read The Full Recipe

For more great recipes visit our Recipes Page!

Staff Selections - Stellar French Cheeses For Autumn.

Affinage Collection:

Abbaye de Belloc: Still made in the traditional manner by Benedictine Monks at the abbey of Notre-Dame de Belloc, this French Pyrenees sheep's milk cheese has a fine, dense texture.

Normally $23.00 per lb -- On sale for $19.50 per lb

Tomme Fermiere d'Alsace: Tomme Fermiere d'Alsace is a semi-soft, washed-rind cow’s milk cheese, made in the Alsace region of France.

$17.75 per lb

Loire Valley:

Sainte Maure: From the Sancerre region of France, Ste. Maure is often referred to as ''cheese on a stick'' due to the stick of straw running through its middle.

$16.50 each

French Select Collection:

Tétoun de Sainte Agathe: ''Tetoun'' literally means ''nipple'' in local dialect. Made from raw goat's milk and dusted underneath with local herbs, it is a worthy offering to the memory of Agathe.

$12.75 each

Fromage de Meaux: Fromage de Meaux approximates better than any of its American counterparts the true flavor and style of raw milk Brie.

Normally $23.00 per lb -- On sale for $17.00 per lb

Accessories & Condiments:

Laguiole Olivewood Cheese Spreaders: These beautiful cheese spreaders are custom designed for Artisanal by Laguiole in France. Featuring classic olivewood handles, the set of 3 arrives in a wooden gift box and match perfectly our olivewood board perfectly.

$145.00 each

Poire Williams Confit: Produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, our L’Epecurien Poire Williams Confit is a sweet pairing for a variety of different cheese types.

$8.00 each

Holiday Preview

Here’s another ''sneak peek'' at new gifts from our 2007 catalog! We are thrilled to introduce our new Artisanal Premium Cheese gift box. Hand-crafted in France, our custom-engraved gift box is the perfect way to present a gift and is the perfect vessel for storing cheese in your refrigerator. This year choose from our wide selection of cheese collections such as our Red Wine Cheese Collection, White Wine Cheese Collection, Dessert Cheese & Chocolate Cheese Collection or any of our World Cheese Collections, all packaged in our gift box. Other gift-giving options include our best-selling Artisanal Classic Tin, our Affinage Basket or our or American Farmstead Basket. And don’t forget about the gift that keeps on giving, our Cheese of the Month Club, available in 3-, 6-, and 12-month memberships!

These products will be available for purchase November 1st so keep us in mind for all of your holiday gift-giving.

Take a Class at the Cheese Center

For more great classes visit our Web site now.

Enroll in any of our many classes today!

Trivia from the Cheese Caves

Question: - Can I eat the rind on this cheese? Find out in the next Artisanal e-newsletter!
- The Artisanal Staff

Last Time We Asked: What is the definition of Triple crème? Double crème?

Answer: A triple crème cheese is one that has been fortified with heavy cream (by French law at least 75% fat in dry matter) to produce a very rich and usually buttery and smooth paste. A double crème is between 60% and 75% fat in dry matter. Most triple crèmes and double crèmes are French in origin and have a fairly short affinage time -- two weeks to two months. They posess a pillowy rind of white mold, inviting the sense of fresh mushrooms and decadent flavor. Cheeses such as Pierre Robert and Explorateur are triple crèmes. Chaource and Fougerus are double crème cheeses. An excellent domestic double crème is our artisanal American Camembert. All of these marry beautifully with Champagne or similar sparkling wines, but many have a flavor so full that they can stand up to a well aged Bordeaux.

Check out some of our decadent triple and double crèmes!

Chaource	Fougerus	Pierre Robert	American Camembert

Do you have a question for our trivia section?
Send it to editor@artisanalcheese.com and we may use it in a future newsletter!