We packed the May boxes you ordered and sent them on their way.
This cheese is in it:
1. Mimolette
Spherical sliced cheese from the cow from northern France. The name comes from the French "mimou", semi-soft. Depending on the age, it has a mild, nutty to strong, spicy taste. Often eaten with brown bread and cornichons. Since it is easy to grate, there are also many possible uses in hot kitchens.
2. Gouda tomatoes
Pasteurized cow's milk, Holland. Allow this cheese to air for a moment before eating. Then benefit from the aroma of the pesto. Ideal in summer.
3. Morbier
Raw milk from the cow, Jura region. It has the aroma of a creamy, half-dry, half-sticky dough with a distinctive taste. This special cheese from the Jura can be enjoyed just as well cold as warm. A delicacy!
4. Frais des Garrigues (only in the large box)
Pasteurized goat cheese from Provence. Also called thyme ball because it embodies the light and spicy taste of the herbs of Provence, with a hint of lemon. This little cheese tastes like summer and vacation!
5. Bleu de chèvre (only in the large box)
Raw milk cheese from Savoie goats. This cheese comes from the beautiful mountains of Savoie. A blue cheese with an intense flavor that goes perfectly with the white wine "Picpoul de pinet". The wine brings an aromatic softness to the cheese.
6. Meule de Savoie (only in the large box)
Raw milk hard cheese from cows in Savoie. Manufacture is similar to Beaufort, but with a straight edge. Creamy, creamy taste, the golden yellow dough is occasionally streaked with fine salt crystals. A full-bodied white or red wine goes well with this.
This wine is in it:
Rosé preignes les neufs
Grapes: 100% Grenache, Region: Southern France, Winery: Preignes les Neufs. A rosé like we like at Augusta. Light, dry and fruity, perfect for an aperitif when the weather is nice. Also perfect for a Frais des Garrigues or Gouda with tomatoes. The winemaker is also registered as Terra Vitis. Sante!
Cuvée Marine (only in the large box)
Grapes: Sauvignon and Colombard, Région Southern France, Ménard winery. A very good wine for goat cheese and especially for goat cheese. We like the dry side of wine with goat cheese and the fruity or even sweet side of wine with blue cheese. This wine combines the dry and fruity aspect of southern wines.
Sausage only if you ordered it:
Saucisson aux Beaufort
A sausage from Savoie refined with delicious Beaufort cheese.
One of my favorite types of cheese is Morbier, which I would like to describe to you in more detail here.
Morbier is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is named after the small community of Morbier in the French Jura. The name has been AOC - protected since 2000; it is a protected designation of origin. This cheese can therefore only be called Morbier if it was made in the Franche-Comté region.
Story
The cheese has been known since the 18th century. The sliced cheese can be immediately recognized by a strip of plant ash that runs horizontally through the cheese. The origin of this strip is related to the way it was originally manufactured more than 200 years ago.
In this region, where the climate is harsh, with the lowest temperatures in France in winter and the farms are remote, it was not only difficult to bring the milk from the milking down to the village dairies every day, but it was also necessary to have something on site to have on hand for your own daily diet.
Because the milk from a smaller herd was not enough to make a large wheel of Comté cheese, the farmers made a smaller cheese at this time of year. To do this, they mixed the milk from the morning milking with that of the evening. To prevent a crust from forming on the fresh curds, the cheese mixture was sprinkled with wood ash in the morning. In the evening, the cheese curd from the second milking was added to the existing cheese mixture. This resulted in the typical ash stripe in the middle, by which you can still recognize the Morbier today.
Manufacturing
Today, the Morbier is also mostly manufactured industrially, so the ash layer is more of an ornament than a necessity. The cheese has to mature for nine to ten weeks, turning it regularly and washing it with salt. In this way, a large, wheel-shaped wheel of cheese is created that weighs five to seven kilograms.
The cheese is as smooth as it is firm. The color ranges from light ivory to golden yellow. Depending on the degree of maturation, the Morbier tastes mild to aromatic. Even today there are still manufacturers who produce the cheese by hand. These variants taste spicier.
At Augustas Box we always try to source Morbier made from raw milk from small, artisan producers.
The best time to consume Morbier is between April and October.
Due to its creamy consistency, it melts well and is therefore ideal for gratinating and raclette. It is also a real eye-catcher on any cheese plate with its decorative ash layer! Please be careful not to serve the cheese too cold.
This cheese tastes simply delicious!