California Cheeses

[marie-louise]

SF Chronicle I've eaten a number of these, how about you? I do like Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk, but prefer their Mt. Tam.

[MatthewB]

Additional info at the American Cheese Society site.

[mcdowell]

SF Chronicle I've eaten a number of these, how about you? I do like Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk, but prefer their Mt. Tam.

I think the Red Hawk washed rind is amazing. And very different from what you usually think of when you talk about American made cheeses. Pungent and creamy, it's the stuff of cheese dreams.

The problem that I have is finding it in good condition. I've bought this cheese about five times in the past 18 months, and it was ammoniated three of those times. Is it that hard to store the washed rind? (I haven't tried buying it mail order from Tomales Bay/Cowgirl directly, as it's usually an impulse buy, so could well be the seller's problem & not the dairy's).

The Mt Tam triple is also excellent, and we just finished a small round of that last night.

Other big favorites are the Cypress Grove chevres, and Humbolt Fog goat's cheese (though I didn't see that on the SF Chron's list of winners this year).

[jschyun]

Here in OC, Wild Oats used to carry a small collection of Cowgirl Creamery cheese. I tried them all and I liked the one that had the herbs wrapped around it the best. Don't remember the name, but the texture was creamy and flavor was somewhat like a camembert, or perhaps a fougerus. I couldn't say without all the cheeses together in front of me. The day they stopped carrying this cheese was a very sad day for me and my family.

I had the Red Hawk twice and while it wasn't ammoniated, I wasn't particularly enamored with it.

They had a basic brie like cheese (could have been brie, don't remember) that was okay, but not as good as the herb wrapped one.

[chezcherie]

I tried them all and I liked the one that had the herbs wrapped around it the best.  Don't remember the name, but the texture was creamy and flavor was somewhat like a camembert, or perhaps a fougerus.

Was it St. Pat? It's wrapped in wild nettles.....yuuuuummmm!

[JFLinLA]

The LA Times Food Section chimed in too, here.

[marie-louise]

The LA Times Food Section chimed in too, here.

Thanks for that link. Well, I feel pretty dumb. I've bought Red Hawk a few times, right AT the Cowgirl Creamery, but they never told me that I should be doing this:

"Most disks are sold unripe, and will be white and chalky. To ripen the cheese to the point that the coat is light red and the paste inside runny, golden and rich, remove it from its packaging and set it under a bowl at room temperature for at least 24 hours, or until it is just losing its shape and becoming pillowy."

One time I bought it I was staying at a nearby B&B, and left it unrefrigerated in the room overnight. Now that I think of it, it WAS better the next day.

I will give it another try, following these instructions.

[jschyun]

Frankly, I don't understand why they don't write these instructions on the package. I'm going to write to Cowgirl Creamery. Then I'm going to give Red Hawk another try.

(edited for spelling)

Edited August 7, 2003 by jschyun (log)

[jschyun]

Was it St. Pat? It's wrapped in wild nettles.....yuuuuummmm!

Hmm, I'm not sure if it was St. Pat or Pierce Point, but I think it was probably St. Pat.

Has anyone had the Pierce Point? It's a fall cheese, so I suppose we'll be seeing it soon in the stores.

[mukki]

Here in OC, Wild Oats used to carry a small collection of Cowgirl Creamery cheese.  I tried them all and I liked the one that had the herbs wrapped around it the best.  Don't remember the name, but the texture was creamy and flavor was somewhat like a camembert, or perhaps a fougerus.  I couldn't say without all the cheeses together in front of me.  The day they stopped carrying this cheese was a very sad day for me and my family.

I had the Red Hawk twice and while it wasn't ammoniated, I wasn't particularly enamored with it. 

They had a basic brie like cheese (could have been brie, don't remember) that was okay, but not as good as the herb wrapped one.

Gelson's carries Cowgirl cheeses, as does Bristol Farms and Whole Foods.