“What’s your favorite cheese?”

It’s the most common question we get asked here at Lucy’s Whey, and also the most dreaded.  We cheesemongers are madly in love with all of our cheeses, and favorites fluctuate on a day-to-day, if not hour-to-hour basis.  That being said, I thought it would be fun to do a little survey of my fellow mongers and see which cheeses have them waxing poetic this month.  Here’s what they have to say:

Lucy:  “Mona is great eaten plain in chunks or over a salad or grated on to anything.  I enjoy it for breakfast:  I saute some arugula or spinach, grate or slice the cheese in thicker chunks and to put atop of the spinach, then add a fried egg over easy on top of that.  The Mona adds sweet and sharp notes to the mix and blends the flavors together nicely.”

Rachel: “I love Coupole’s dense, bright paste contrasting with the savory, sometimes piquant (and brainy looking) rind.  It pairs nicely with dry whites and bubbles.”

Amy: “Flora Nelle from Rogue River Creamery is salty, savory, and toasty, and it’s got a smooth texture with just the right amount of salt crunch that I love in a blue cheese.  Serve it for dessert with dried fruit and candied nuts.”

Ruthie: “If I were a cheese, I would aspire to be everything Spring Brook Tarentaise is:  smooth, pure, and nutty with a prickly bite.  The French alpine style cheesemaking and Vermont terroir and integrity combine in this elegant stunner, ideal for snacking, melting, or serving on a cheese board.”

Grace:  “I love Grayson and think it’s perfect in every way.  Right now our wheels are darker and heavier than the sprightly wheels of springtime milk.  Whatever the season, Grayson is funky, meaty, grassy, eggy, and oozy, but not so oozy as to completely loose itself in a sprawl across your plate.  I’m especially making sure that I enjoy it right now because this seasonally made cheese is soon to take a brief sabbatical, an absence which will only make my heart grow even more fonder of it.”

And my own pick?  Oh, how I love sinking my teeth through the slightly gritty, pleasantly pink rind, and into the perfectly smooth paste of Across the Pond!  This funky, fruity beauty is best enjoyed with a crusty loaf, a refreshing ale, and Loretta Lynn on the stereo.

Stop into Lucy’s Whey for some tempting tastes, and our favorites will soon be your favorites!