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. We are making two different kinds of Cezanne. One is a small, waxed variety, made of pasteurized milk and aged at least two months. Its creamy texture has made it a hit with many people. The other kind is a large, non-waxed variety, aged at least six months, allowing it to develop a stronger taste. During its months of cave-like dwelling at 55 F, each Cezanne cheese is watched, rubbed, turned and cared for by our cheese makers. When ready, both cheeses have a firmness like Muenster. When you taste them, you'll appreciate the result of this long, nourishing relationship.

Degas

This cheese was originally made only in French monasteries, the Saint Paulin Style.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. We started out trying to make it in small, 4-inch wheels. It just didn't work; the rind did not always develop quickly enough to foster the relationship between the environment and the cheese needed to help the inside of the cheese develop. Making it in large, red-waxed wheels has resulted in a much better cheese; the softness of the rind is maintained while the creamy inside develops. For our 2007 season, Leeza Sadler is going to be making this cheese. Leeza has been making a locally renowned, washed curd cheese at home for many years and is excited about using her skills in larger batches. This cheese will be sold in wedges.

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.

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 bouche (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 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. It does not have a prolonged self-life and we sell in only during the milking season. It is a simple mild white cheese, aged two weeks, with a pleasant fresh taste . It is best with chunky things: fresh tomatoes, basil, nuts, onions etc. as a salad cheese. Its most interesting characteristic is that it enhances what it is put with & does not overwhelm but rather blends. Another surprising characteristic is that, when heated, it deepens in flavor, does not melt but softens & adds more character to a ratatouille, for instance. It is a good addition to something for which you need a fusion taste rather than a conspicuous, stand out ingredient. Little cubes marinated in a flavored oil with walnuts & basil make a grand entity served in a glass bowl to be skewered by tooth picks. It's great for a nice summer breakfast or lunch on good toasted bread. We have found that making it in large yellow-waxed bricks increases its moisture & makes it last longer. If it does dry out, it can be used as sprinkles for salads & as part of a dredge for fried chicken, fish & vegetables.

Goat Blue

A nice little Roquefort cheese, aged 2 months in its wax coat. When a cheese is small it tends to dry out easily, so we wax it to keep the moisture in. To eat, just cut a circle in the wax and dig out the creamy blue cheese with a spoon. Use as you would any blue cheese…great by itself but also with salads and melted. We have experimented with this very popular cheese. It is labor intensive and the culture can easily get into every other cheese in the cheese house. Because it has been so popular and requested (we sell all we can make) we have been experimenting with ways to make it. We still make the small, waxed cylinders but are also making it in large wheels that take longer to age. It will be available intermittently, related to these technical reasons. The blending of goat milk with the Roquefort cultures is really good. Our Goat Blue has not yet presented as a strong Roquefort and this may be one reason it is so popular. We have never been able to keep much around to age for a long time. We have some large wheels, though, ageing over the winter and we will see. When folks ask why it is so expensive, we tell them, “Go get a goat and make some”.