Cezanne

Cezanne himself may have called this cheese a Tomme, a cheese slowly ripened over months to bring out its richness of flavor. Our Cezanne starts with a sweet, creamy goats' milk from our herd of Oberhaslie, sometimes called “Swiss Alpine”. The fresh curds themselves have a delicious unique taste that results from the combination of cultures used to give birth to the cheese. Our Cezanne is a raw milk cheese. The small waxed rounds are aged at least two months & its creamy texture has made it a hit w/many people.  During the months of cave-like dwelling at 55 F, each Cezanne is watched, turned & cared for by our cheese makers.  When ready, this cheese has a firmness like Munster but a stronger, more interesting flavor.  When you taste our Cezanne, you’ll appreciate this long, nourishing relationship.

This cheese was originally made only in French monasteries, the Saint Paulin Style. It was the first cheese made with pasteurized milk. Degas matures over a month or two into a tender consistency with a sweet and discretely salty taste. It is a true gift from our herd of Oberhaslie goats. Our Degas has proved finicky. They are 4-inch red-waxed wheels, the small wheels being popular for home enjoyment.  The softness of the rind is maintained while the creamy inside develops.

Picasso

Why call a cheese Picasso? Picasso took a canvas and made his own unique marks on it. Our cheese makers take the fresh white curds that form when special cultures are added to pasteurized goats' milk. These initially mild tasting curds are the canvas for creating SleepyGoat Cheese delicacies. A plain Picasso is your canvas for artistic experimentation. And we make several flavored Picasso’s such as herbs de Provence, paprika and garlic, jalapeno, five-pepper and garlic, curry-membrillo, even chocolate!

Cassatt

A surface-ripened Brie-type cheese. SleepyGoat fresh curds inoculated with special spores produce this mushroomy-flavored aged cheese with a white rind. A creamy soft area just under the rind is the most delicious. Known in some circles as Boucheron (a little log) this is often the favorite of many cheese connoisseurs. This blooming rind cheese, like its cousins Brie and Camembert, is best served at room temperature with fruit and goes well with many wines. It can be baked.

Alexander the Feta

A stalwart recurring favorite of many cheese eaters, our feta has been a big hit. It is made from fresh goat's milk, some raw and some pasteurized, and aged several weeks until the flavor develops, and sold fresh or aged. The feta process can be applied to curds made from any milk (the original feta was from sheep's milk). What makes it a feta is aging in a salt brine. Special Bulgarian cultures result in a creamy cheese which, with aging, becomes deeper. SleepyGoat Feta is sold it its brine and will continue to age in your refrigerator.

Rousseau

Our Rousseau has also been  a popular cheese.  This cheese is an unsung hero; in its early stages it is a simple white cheese picking up flavor from whatever is put with it.  Very nice as little cubes in olive oil, basil & walnuts, for instance.  As it ages, it develops a distinct flavor standing well on its own.  The early and late (6+ months) Rousseau’s are really like different cheeses.  One interesting characteristic is that it enhances what it is put with & does not overwhelm but rather blends.  When heated it deepens in flavor but doesn’t melt; it softens and adds character to the dish, such as ratatouille.  It is a good addition to something for which you need a fusion taste rather than a conspicuous stand-out ingredient.  If it dries out, use as sprinkles for salad and as part of a dredge for meat or vegetables.

Goat Blue

Making a blue cheese is time-consuming & requires a lot of attention.  Before it is waxed, each cheese has to be punctured by hand many times to make small holes for the blue mold to grow into, then aged another few weeks, & turned every 2-3 days to establish uniform growth.  From time of pasteurization until the finished cheese is about 10 weeks.  We sell it in rectangular slices, with a black-waxed rim.  This nice Roquefort-type cheese can be eaten by itself, sprinkled on salad, melted on a burger (very delicious).  We have experimented with various techniques making this labor-intensive cheese, taking care to keep the blue culture from “socializing” too much with other cheeses in the cave.  When asked why Goat Blue is somewhat more expensive than the other aged cheeses, Della tends to reply, “Go get a goat and make some!”