Step Out to Stepladder

I wind around a narrow, forested road, about six miles off Highway 1 near Cambria on the Central Coast, thinking I’ve gone too far, until the sky opens and – voila – there is the hidden gem of Stepladder Creamery.

The farm, founded in 1871, with a central open field surround by barns and frolicking LaMancha goats, is the run by third generation farmer, Jack Rudolph, and his wife Michelle. They make cheese in their 100+ year-old barn. The farm is magical.

Jack & Michelle make goat cheese Spring through Fall in their tiny creamery tucked away away in the barn’s corner. Cow milk cheeses are made in the winter. This is in addition to the avocados, cherimoyas and passionfruit, also grown on site. There are also pigs and cattle. Wow.

Paso Vino, soaked in Syrah, ages on the rack.

The best part is, you can visit. Seasonal farm and creamery tours can be booked online. Spring tours allow you to play with the tiny kids (baby goats). And then they serve you cheese.

Right now, Stepladder’s Cabrillo, a Spanish-style semi-firm cheese made with a combination of cow and goat milk, is on promotion at Whole Foods Market in Northern California region. Whole Foods suggests pairing Cabrillo with the slow-roasted La Saison Herbs De Provence Almonds. However you decide pair it…you’ll enjoy.

Summer at Whole Foods

As summer heats up, picnics and sunny afternoons with friends become more and more regular activities. And these types of summer activities require snacks to share. With a platter of delicious local cheeses and accoutrements, you can bring out the flavors of summer for everyone to enjoy — because, let’s be honest, it’s hard to not like cheese. It’s even harder to not like these:

Cowgirl Creamery

Organic Mt Tam

One of their most beloved triple creams, Organic Mt Tam contains buttery hints of mushroom. This soft cheese pairs well with fruit jams — no crackers required. When paired with We Love Jam’s Blenheim Apricot, the pair creates a stunning color, intense ripe flavor and a silky texture you’ll want to share (actually, you might want to keep this for yourself). Don’t forget the napkins for this delicious yet messy combination!

Stepladder Creamery

Cabrillo

The Cabrillo is a Spanish-style farmstead goat’s and cow’s milk cheese, rich with hints of almond and brown butter.  On its own, the Cabrillo is a great cheese to pair with nearly any picnic assortment. However, when paired with the La Saison Herbs De Provence Almonds, a true match is formed. The almonds are slow roasted in olive oil infused with savory French herbs before getting seasoned with smoked salt — bringing the delicious flavor of toasted almonds to light.

Point Reyes Farmstead

Bay Blue

When hiking around Point Reyes, this may be the most appropriate cheese to have. The young, natural rind on the Bay Blue yields to an earthy and sweet, creamy interior. This juxtaposition also adds a punch with its salted caramel finish on the palate. To mix with that caramel finish, we recommend pairing with the silky Charles Chocolates Candied Valencia Orange & Almond Milk Chocolate bar. What’s a picnic without a little dessert, anyways?

Central Coast Creamery

Ewereka

The Ewereka, besides having an adorable name, is also an award-winning sheep milk cheddar. The cheese is delightfully sweet on the tongue with a little nuttiness that lingers throughout. To match, we paired the Rustic Bakery Apricot, Pistachio and Brandy Chips to go with the sheep milk cheddar for the perfect crunch.

With these cheeses in mind, it’ll be easy to make a cheese platter everyone will fall in love with. Even better yet, they’re all on sale right now at your local Whole Foods Market. Stop by to pick these up — and watch summer picnics become your new favorite hobby.

Laura Chenel Started it All

Photo courtesy of Laura Chenel

Laura Chenel and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse created salad history.

Laura Chenel, a real person, began making cheese in the 1970s in Sonoma County. After one goat turned to many, and she had to figure out how to use the milk, she began making cheese. After stumbling a bit, she headed to France, to learn from other cheesemaking families.

Once back in U.S., Laura began selling her now, stellar cheese. Alice Waters, the owner of Chez Panisse, tried it, and fell in love. She began ordering 50 pounds a week, while creating a now-familiar recipe. Alice breaded and baked slices of the Laura’s chèvre (Chevre, by the way, is the French word for cheese, and is used to refer to fresh, spreadable goat cheese), then laid the disks on a bed of mesclun greens. Voila! Goat cheese salad was born.

Photo Courtesy of Laura Chenel

Many other goat cheesemakers followed in her footsteps, making goat cheese a national staple.

In 2006, Laura sold her company to Rians, a French company owned by the Triballat family, who later also purchased Marin French Cheese Company.

Chevre is not only a great topping for salads, you can put it on pizza or pasta. You can also use it as a substitute in recipes calling for sour cream or ricotta. It has a wonderful bite for those who love tang in their foods. This chèvre comes plain or flavored with various herbs.

Photo Courtesy of Laura Chenel

Though Laura Chenel is not open to the public, you can pick up cheese at the Marin French and picnic by the lake, or one of many other retail shops.

This month Whole Foods is promoting Laura Chenel’s Chabis during “Build your own California Cheese Platter” and suggests pairing it with Candied Lemon & Hazelnut Bittersweet Chocolate Bar by Charles Chocolates.

Whole Foods Cheese Love

Springtime with warm picnic weather, graduations and family fun! Yes, bring on the cheese!  

We asked Chrissy, a certified cheese professional at Whole Foods Market (yes, those exist!) to share some of her favorite cheeses along the California Cheese Trail. Here are her top three picks:

San Joaquin Gold 

A farmstead cow’s milk cheese made in Modesto, California, by Fiscalini Farms. It’s a raw-milk cheese that uses microbial rennet, an ideal method for vegetarians. The cheese is reminiscent of parmesan — it’s nutty, salty and slightly sweet with a thin, natural rind. Pair this cheese with Rustic Bakery’s Organic Olive Oil on Sal Gris Flatbreads along with an IPA, and you will have the start of a beautiful picnic.

Chabis

The Laura Chenel Chabis, made in Sonoma County, is a creamy, delicate, flavorful goat-milk cheese with a slightly tart finish. It’s even vegetarian friendly! In 2018, the cheese won a Gold Medal at the California Exposition State Fair in the Fresh Goat Cheese category. For dessert, try pairing it with Charles Chocolates Candied Lemon and Hazelnut Bittersweet Chocolate. Paired together, they’re a perfect to end a meal. Consider your guests impressed.

Nicasio Square

A cow’s milk cheese, Nicasio Square is made by the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company. This cheese is a young version of a Taleggio and is washed in brine that imparts a garlicky bacon flavor. Pair this cheese with charcuterie and a hoppy beer for an extraordinary appetizer or spread generously on a baguette with a slice of Fra’ Mani Salametto. You truly cannot go wrong.

If you weren’t excited about cheese before, just a taste of one of these is likely to change your mind.  All locally sourced from Northern California, all cared for by the team at Whole Foods Market, they’re delicious and completely unique. Oh, and did we mention they’re on sale? Cheese platter dreams, realized.

What We’re Snackin’ On – Fiscalini Traditional Cheddar

This week we picked up some of Fiscalini Cheese’s Traditional Bandage-Wrapped Cheddar. This cheese has won more awards than you can count, including “Best Farmhouse Cheese in America.” 

Cheddar cheese originated in the village of Cheddar in England. Yes, there’s a place called Cheddar Village. We can only dream of living there! While it ages, this cheese is wrapped in cheesecloth (which is how it gets its name). It’s a tad crumbly, and has a nice delicate smoky flavor to it. You can eat it with pretty much anything!

Fiscalini Cheese has the following pairing suggestions:

BEER

  • Red Ale
  • German Wheat
  • Amber Ale

FOOD

  • Green Apples
  • Blueberry Granola
  • Roma Tomatoes
  • Mild Salami

WINE

  • Pinot Gris
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Chardonnay

You can find Fiscalini Cheese‘s Traditional Cheddar at your local cheese shop.  Or, stop by their farm in Modesto, see the cows, and pick up cheese at their creamery.  It’s on the Central Valley Cheese Trail.

Artisan Cheese Festival

California’s main cheese event happens next weekend, Friday, the 23rd thru the 25th, in Santa Rosa. For a cheese nerd, this hits all the right buttons.

On Friday, there are farm tours (including a stop at this writer’s own farm – Straus Home Ranch – tickets are still available).

A Best Bite Competition where chefs and cheesemongers come up with their best ideas, pays tribute to those brave and hardworking, first responders of the recent fires.

On Saturday, industry experts instruct on pairings with charcuterie to beer and wine and how to judge cheese.

Then start your evening with a cheese and cocktail pairing.

On Sunday, you can start your morning with a cheese and bubbly brunch.

Then, besides the farm tours (which I LOVE), comes my own favorite event: the Sunday Marketplace. Here you meet 115 producers of cheese, wine, beer, ciders and other specialty foods. One ticket gets you access to tastes galore, including both current and new cheeses while meeting the cheesemakers themselves.

This year the festival has moved from Petaluma to the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds. But parking comes FREE with your ticket purchase.

To purchase tickets, click HERE.  See you there!