Local cheese and a not-so-local-salad

I had to try some more local Swedish Bleu (Swedes call their Bleu's Ädel = noble) the single mass-factory-size maker in Sweden that makes these is from enormous Danish-Swedish Arla Foods, Europes largest dairy they use their the Kvibille brand for these. I read somewhere that they won gold in an international competition with their drunken Whiskey variety, (as Best Scandinavian Cheese) so that's why I decided to go for a taste.

Today I was given a task, to use some japanese Hijiki (that's dried seaweed, I learned) in "some kind of meal" sitting by itself in the cupboard. After some googling I found an interesting recipe: Golden Tofu Salad with Carrots and Hijiki. Not a local dish to me in any way. However, I had a task to fulfill. The reason I decided to post about it is twofold: there was no picture of it on recipe site where I found the salad, so I decided to pull out my camera for a shot, it's a beautiful and colorful dish. Second, it tastes wonderful, just as they say on the site.

Golden Tofu Salad with Carrots and Hijiki:

• 3 tablespoons dried hijiki seaweed
• 1 cup water 12 ounces (~300 gr)firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 medium carrots, julienned
• 3 scallions (green onion), sliced thinly,sprinkled with
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, and pressed lightly

1. In a small saucepan, soak hijiki for 10 minutes.
2. Once rehydrated, simmer the seaweed uncovered for 20 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Meanwhile, drain the tofu and slice the cake horizontally.
5. Place between sheets of paper towels and put on a cutting board with a heavy weight atop the tofu to press away excess water. A cast iron skillet or heavy book is ideal. Drain the tofu for at least 15 minutes.
6. Cut into cubes and brown evenly on all sides using 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
7. Remove from pan and sprinkle with tamari. Set aside to cool.
8. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, ginger, and salt.
9. Add seaweed, tofu, and veggies.
10. Toss well and allow flavors to 'marry' for at least 30 minutes

Food faire in Stockholm - Androuet revisited

Androuet was the french cheese seller that caught my attention at the food faire. I just wanted to just jot down a few lines and publish a few more pictures after I got a change to figure out what cheeses I saw, that I haven't had a chance to try - yet. The problem with food faire was that there's perhaps too much available and not that much to opportunity to speak with the purveyors.

In the shot above, I saw cheeses that Androuet was showcasing but it was first when I got home that I got a chance to figure out what cheeses they were. OK, so they were showcasing "chèvres" - unpasteurized goats, for example these ones:

• Chabichou du Poitou - a well known goat cheese in the shape of small pyramid
• Crottin de Chavignol - a famous goat from Loire Valley

• Roves des Garrigues - a dense goat that eats lots of herbs, in particular Thyme. From Provence in southern France
• Sainte-Maure - a goat in a conic cylinder that's slightly taped. Has a straw through the center to hold it together. Greyish, since it's rolled in ash for protection. I don't know if it's the AOC proteced cheese or not.

I do hope I get a chance to go their shop soon, maybe even for a cheese tasting.

My Langres that I bought at the faire seems to have taken over my fridge, with it's smell. I decided to take a picture of before it dissapears. Mistakenly I placed it upside down on the plate, it supposed to be sunken in at the top, so it goes.

Food fair in Stockholm - "Good Cooking"

This weekend including today, a food fair, Det Goda Köket, (sort of "Good Cooking") is going on in Stockholm. Very enjoyable. I had not really planned on bringing home anything tasty, while I was there - who was I trying to kid...

From up north, in Jämtland is saw two small dairy's who cooperate, Oviken Ost and Skärvångens Bymejeri. They make about twenty handmade cheeses each, including quite a few Goats. At the fair they were also offering a taste of some home-made Confiture, a marmalade that very gelatinized, more like sliced than a spread.

Also at the fair was Androuet, a french specialty cheese company that has a boutique in Stockholm. (I kind of stumbled by their store even, on the street Nybrogatan) They specialize in french artisanal cheeses, mostly from unpasteurized milk, french local farmstead cheese. When I saw their gorgeous french cheeses stacked in wooden crates, I could not help myself, I had to have one. One smelly and ripe french Langres AOC-protected cheese from northern France, the Champagne-Ardenne region. A funny looking (it's 'cupped' at the top) soft and creamy with an dark orange rind, quite smelly but with a careful not that strong tangyness, very, VERY enjoyable.

I saw alot of other goodies, quite a bit of Swedish foods too: reindeer salami, local marmalade/ preserves, fresh fish and smoked fish. I'll just round off with another specialty cheese shop in Stockholm, Vasastans Ost, on the street, St. Eriksgatan. They know their cheese. I picked up a small "tasting plate", to bring home. In the bag I got three cheeses and marmalade:

1. a hard Swiss Gruyère réserve, unpasterized cow
2. an Italian Pecorino Sardo which is a hard sheep cheese,
3. a cylindrical goat (a Caprino in Italian), a Bocconcino di Capra Pura from Caseificio dell'Alta Langa in Piemonte, Italy.

The package from Vasastans Ost is made complete with a wonderful Swedish Apple/Tomato marmelade (50% fruit) with a slight touch of Balsamic vinegar from Olof Victors a artisanal bakery that also makes a few other goodies: mustard, chocolates and ice cream. All in all a nice touch: one cow, one goat, one sheep and a high quality marmalade...for not that much money.

A few cheeses from Sweden and France

A few days ago I did go out and buy a few cheeses, from Sweden and from France, here's just some quick mind notes.

Sweden:

Herrgårdsost. (Manorhouse cheese) The one I recently bought is from the producer, Falbygden, named "Arn", one of the more aged, 18 months. Most typical Herrgård-cheese is mild and to me at least a boring cheese, since its not allowed to age, delivered to stores after 2 to 4 months. My cheese was 119SEK/ kg. But now, after the fact, I learned probably the FINEST ones out there is a 24-month-aged one from Sivan Johansson for 299SEK/ kg. Too bad I didn't know this earlier. I found out about it after this Swedish review of Herrgård cheese from the Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter. Back to the Herrgård cheese: I'm told this type of cheese was developed in the nineteenth century, at the manor Marsvinsholm, in an attempt to imitate the successful Emmentaler/ Swiss-cheese. I don't really think it tastes like Emmentaler, well, OK barely. Mine is semi-hard/hard, tangy, sightly nutty and aromatic. It is however really wonderful on Swedish crispbread, but I don't think it's exciting enough for a cheese plate. Perhaps Sivan Johansson's Herrgård 24 month one is. I'll have to go to a cheese specialty store in Stockholm, Vasastans Ost, to buy it one day. She, Sivan Johansson, doesn't actually make the cheese, but rather knows how to pick them out and then let them age properly. She seems provide truly aged variants of many of the typical Swedish hard cheeses: Grevé, Herrgård, Svecia and Prästost and also a low fat cheese, Kadett. Only to mention a few of the more well knowns.

France:

Roquefort - Papillon

This 'King of Cheese' knocked my socks off. So THIS is what a Blue is supposed to taste like. Salty, tangy, creamy and delightful. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by eating it straight out from the fridge, let it reach room temp first, othwerwise the full flavor wont be there. Made with unpasteurized sheep milk and aged some 150 days in famous Cambalou caves. Mine cost 319SEK/ kg. Papillon is from what I can tell one of seven Roquefort producers. I should give a serious honorable meantion to two Swedish artisanal Blue's, one from Jürss and their Sörmlands Ädel (Swedes call their Blue cheeses Ädel, as the brits calls theirs Stilton), a REALLY creamy goodness. The other one is from Skärvångens Bymejeri and their Ädla, a bit harder and drier when compared to Jürss' product, but still good.

France:

Brie de Meux

I read in a review not so long ago about 'real' Brie cheese and Brie de Meux was meantioned. OK, so now I know that I never knew what real Brie tasted like. I thought all that other unflavored, supermild, no flavor factory Brie pie's was it. OK, so I was wrong. To summarize: real Brie is called Brie de Meux, and it's made with unpasteurized cowsmilk (the milk isn't killed by heating it to 72 C.) and has a wonderful nutty, creamy and delightful flavor with a yellowy look. (No bleached white look) Rememer to let it reach room temp before eating, or you'll be wasting your money. Quote: "-Wow! So this is what Brie is supposed to taste like.."

Nobody wants Cabbage every day

There's a problem. Sweden is so darn far north that living on local eco-friendly veggies and fruit just won't work for me. Here's a short list of common options for local fresh greens: potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onion and perhaps some cauliflower. The problem is also that organic choices often look terrible compare to its conventional counterpart in the veggy section. The big well-known organic certified label in Sweden is KRAV (transl: demand or requirement), every so slowly there's more choices available, but still there's a long ways to go.

(I think don't think that people in California get it, how fantastic they have it, really....)

I found a local unhomogenized whole milk, really terrific stuff, from Järna Mejerier with a creamy milky flavor. I'll guess the flavor is still there due to careful, lowish temp pasteurization, 72 C (161.6F) says their web site. It only has six days shelflife. The one liter "Kontiki" package is funky for sure, but alas, it does the job. Empty, it takes virtually no space in the trashbin.

I also had to try one of the local swedish cheeses, Prästost. Translates to Priest's Cheese, in the old days it was the farmers payment/tithe to the priest. This one is known back in history as far as the 16th century apparently, also known as Smålandsost. Sweden is from what I read, one of the worlds largest per-capita consumers of hard cheese, preferrably sliced thin, with a special cheese slicer contraption, available in every single swedish home. (Also common in other Nordic countries). Most typical Swedish factory cheese, including Prästost, doesn't get to age much, so the flavor isn't there. I'm told that Sweden has a good reputation for making hard-ish cheese. The best one of this particular type I've found so far, is called Prästost 1878, aged 18 months, from the maker Falbygden Ost, founded in 1878, hence the branding. Made with pasteurized cows milk, quite grainy, somewhat pungy, small holes, really nice tang, unique flavor. The key is that it's aged. Elsewhere, the standard variety Prästost basically has very, very mild (useless I think) flavor, instead, you have to know what to look for.

Aside from snaps, the traditional Swedish herring table includes a well-aged hard cheese, often eaten on crispbread or perhaps a dark rye bread.

In all honestly, I will be spending more time commenting on the fabulous imported foods from south of me in Europe. Cabbage gets to be only so interesting...

I'm going to list a few of the really well known typical Swedish cheeses that Falbygden promotes as their top of the line versions, in quotes below is their trademarked most-aged variant. That way I'll have something to go on. One more cheese, Västerbotten cheese isn't listed below because it's only made by one single factory in the way-up-north-town of Burträsk.

Herrgård (Falbygden calls theirs "Arn", Emmentaler-like, rich/strong aged 18 months)

Prästost ("1878" aged 18 months, already mentioned, Svecia-like)

Grevé ("Birger Jarl" aged +12 months. Jarlsberg/Emmentaler-ish. Sweden's newest cheese, invented in 1960's)

Brännvinsost a vodka doused Prästost ("Morfars Brännvinsost" aged +12 months)

Svecia ("Viking" aged 18 months. The only European Union "PDO" protected cheese from Sweden. )

Findling local foods in Sweden

In a casual sort of way I mentioned earlier that I'm for now located in Stockholm Sweden. So now I'm slowly trying to get a taste of local artisan/ small-scale foods made here. Sweden being so far up north, with a short season, can't compete with places like California, but still there is a thriving agricultural industry.

I think I've found a Swedish organization that promotes and speaks for local artisan food makers: Eldrimner. Amongst many of their services they also offer a book, an Atlas of sorts, that lists all known producers and where they're located in the country. I'll be sure to order it. It seems to be similar in what Sonoma County Farm Trails aims to do, create public awareness.

The top picture shows the store front of "Källan" (eng: "the source"), a small and discrete retail store in a western suburb of Stockholm, specializing in organic and natural products. The scruffy looking place is very small so unfortunately there's not much space.

I'll simply mention a few noteworthy local products that I found in the shop.

Swedish fresh Goatmilk SEK 39/ liter from Dalsspira Dairy, Dalsland County. Suprisingly similar to cows milk, just a teeny hint of goat. It's actually really good. The dairy also offer some eleven or so goat based cheeses that I haven't tried yet. I'm not sure the shop carried theirs.- A goat yogurt is also planned for 2008. On the goat milk package I can see read: 2.9% fat, low temperature pasteurized, not homogenized. Can be frozen.

The store offered a nice assortement of natural breads, I always have my mind set on hearty pure sourdough rye bread, and I found one that was fantastic, Nibbles rågbröd from Nibbles Bakery, in the town of Järna. That town I think, is basically the Swedish center for all Anthroposophy activities. With regards to agriculture they take it a steps beyond "commerical organic", with biodynamic farming, creating a self-nourishing system and so on. "Being one with planet earth", something like that. But to get back to the bread, it's fantastic, I'm surprised that it's not dry and not the typical solid brick which is often the the case with this type of bread, the short ingredience list: rye flower, starter and sea salt, that's it.

Sweden, being so far north is naturally a huge importer of fresh foods. If I want still want any local fruits this close to winter, then I'll have to stick to simply apples and pears. (Which I'll admit I won't doing) Interesting note is a variety of apples I had never heard of, Ingrid Marie, which I'll guess is a variety created in Denmark.

I did see two local artisan cheeses from two dairies before I left the store, Strömmens Gårdsmejeri, (Strömmens Dairy) , they use sheep milk and the other was, Jämtspira Goat Dairy, Jämtspira also seem to produce, surprise- cheese from moose milk. Definately something I have try, (at least once.) Unfortunately I was not in a buying mood just yet, there's still too many cheeses in the fridge.

Swedish handmade cheese: Stafva Gårdsmejeri

Well, I finally made it to Sweden, to the capital Stockholm to be more precise. I seem to be off to a good start in finding some new local foods. In a fairly well-stuffed grocery store, Sabis at the mall, Fältöversten I found cheese from a family cow dairy: Stafva Gårdsmejeri, located on Sweden's largest island Gotland. This fifth-generation family farm, the von Corswant's, with their eighty cows, is one of about one hundred small scale dairies in Sweden. They produce three soft-ripened farmstead pasteurized cow milk cheeses: Stafva Vit, white cream, Stafva Blå, blue veined and Stafva Ockra (washed rind). From what I read, they produce about one hundred kilo's worth of cheese per week. Silly of me I only bought a piece of the washed rind Stafva Ockra, price 590 SEK/kg, (that's $41/lb ouch!) a really wonderful creamy, pungenty thing with an orange rind. They themselves refer to this as a Taleggio-type of cheese. Much like a northern California cheese-favorite of mine, Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery. During a few sommer months they also offered a black hard truffel cheese, aged 5-6 months. A batch will be released for christmas they said.

Washed rind cheese is called 'kitt-ost' in Swedish. When I grew up, a ridiculously mild washed rind (barely any flavor) swedish Port Salut was often on the breakfast table, not something I'd buy again.

By the way, by "local" I'm going to mean the whole country, nine million strong, somewhat the size and shape of California. As a reminder to myself: in the near future I'm going to look for a few Swedish cheeses producers: Skärvångens Bymejeri and Oviken Ost, both from the county Jämtland way up north. Stenviks gårdsmejeri from Ljusterö, Jürss mejeri from Flen and maybe Grythyttans Ysteri. A Swedish newspaper, Dagens Nyheter posted a list of quality cheese outlets that I'll try and go to, since I'm (especially) on the hunt for local artisan cheese makers.

A quick and cheesy trip

I just wanted to jot down a few lines about my earlier trip to Sonoma, a visit to Vella Cheese Company. The family-favorite is the really sharp, two year aged and intense, Raw Milk Cheddar. I know we have brought several pounds to friends in Sweden through the years and it's always a "hit". I had visited Vella Cheese factory in the past, but I think I payed alot more attention this time around. I also picked up his soft, mild and creamy Toma.

I knew he carried Laura Chenel's Chevre, (Chevre means goat cheese to us normal people) I knew I had to try it after reading about her. It had a slight goat tangyness and carefully salty. I love it.

Ms Laura Chenel is a cheese maker who has popularized goat cheese in America. In 1979, she developed the American Chevre goat cheese. Hands-down the most commercially successful gourmet goat-cheese venture in the country.

In the Vella fridge display case, it was easy to spot Vellas famous Sonoma Dry Jack Cheese. We got to sample it, it was mild and dry, but I had my mind set on other cheeses at the moment. An 18 month aged, imported Grana Padano, (parmesan-like), for grating, had to be eaten first.

An honorable mention (picture was taken a few days later at Tomales Bay Foods) goes to a smelly, salty and tangy Blue cheese, from Point Reyes Cheese Company. This what I gather their specialty and they got this right. A so called farmstead cheese maker, with their own cows, sitting next door in Marin County.

Buon Gusto!

Local food or not?

I bought a few items at Whole Foods:

Grindstone Bakery is a small artisan bakery, 10 minutes south of me in Santa Rosa, with a label that says they use a wood fired brick oven. I can email "Mario", who's email address is on the label and ask I guess. They produce an organic and sourdough 100% Rye Bread that tastes just like it does in the "old country". A type of bread that is a staple food in Scandinavia or Eastern Europe. Grindstone Bakery got this right, look at this short ingredients list: Whole Rye Flour, Purified Water, Rye Starter, Caraway Seeds, Sea Salt. That's it.
A Finn, Estonian, Russian etc, can't complain. It was actually a challenge to find real rye bread here in the Bay Area, but if you look long enough, (and at lower shelves), you can find just about anything. A loaf was $5.29 and worth every single penny.

Niman Ranch is a "quality label" I think. I was looking out for their beef/pork products. I stumbled on their sausages and bought a 4-pack of Bratwurst and Chorizo. So today at lunch, the Bratwurst "disappeared" I really enjoyed every bite and it was nice together with sauerkraut and a dollop of mustard. Niman Ranch is an Oakland CA label, but admittedly the pork products may not come from here, they include family farms from Iowa and Minnesota as well. Raised with care. No nitrates added, no antibiotics, no hormones, no artificial ingredients.

Heinkes Family Farm, Paradise California - organic Concord Grapes. This was actually a surprise. This North-American variety of grape is very unusual as a table grape. Instead, this grape disappears into grape jelly and juice. It has a very different flavor than your available-everywhere, Thompson Seedless aka Sultana grape. It leaves a deep purple color and tastes like that familiar american Welch's grape-jam, I recall from toast-and-jelly from hotel breakfasts. It contains seeds and the skin is "floppy". Thus, probably a difficult sell to people who are used to Thomson grapes. A tiny sized farm probably.

Lastly, I think I failed again, to pick up a local goat or sheep Feta Cheese. Marin Cheese Company offered I thought both varieties, but I'm now sure its simply repackaged product from "somewhere". Do they even make any cheese or have a website? I want Feta cheese in my Greek salad. The most common "Feta" in stores is Athenos, a Cow-milk based cheese from Wisconsin, that's not what I want. No offense to Wisconsin cheese-makers per se. The above company name was ridiculously close to a local artisan-cheese vendor: Marin French Cheese Company, who's cheeses I'm grabbing very soon.
I do understand that "buying local" can really be difficult. (But, at least I'm having a blast trying...) Here's an interesting blog entry on the subject. (My goat Feta cheese is perhaps from France.)

Slow food heaven at Ferry Plaza Market

Today I went down to San Francisco, for a quick tourist-trap-visit, including a chance to visit the Ferry Plaza marketplace. I had recently read about it but not actually gone there. This place is packed with fabulous local food-makers. On Tuesdays they also have a Farmers Market when local farmers and ranchers show up with even more organic goodies.

Inside, I particularly wanted to check out the Cowgirl Creamery's Artisan Cheese Shop. They sell their own cheeses, made with Straus milk, they also offer others' artisan cheeses. Lined up in the fridge display case I saw their own Red Hawk, Pierce Pt and Mt. Tam. In my fridge was already their Red Hawk, a brie-like but more stronger flavored, creamy and slightly orange-colored wonderful cheese, very nice. It won Best-In-Show at the American Cheese Society's Annual Conference in 2003. Before I forget, I just want to mention a few local artisan cheese-makers in the shop that I have either bought something from, or that keep appearing in stores that I want to track:

• Laura Chenel's Chevre
• Elk creamery
• Bellwether Farm
• Pug's Leap (hard to find)
• Cypress Grove Chevre
• Redwood Hill Farm
• Pt Reyes
• Vella Cheese Company
• Achadinha Dairy

...many fabulous California goat cheeses are nowadays available, thanks to Ms. Laura Chenel apparently.

Lunch was grabbed at one of the Ferry Plaza shops, San Francisco Fish Company, I picked a Crab Hamburger for $9.50. By the way, San Francisco Bay has a few hundred crab fishermen, but the local season only starts November 15 I'm told. In the fridge display they had local California Halibut in stock, $21.99/lb which is a favorite of mine. I like their message and emphasis on "wild caught" rather than farmed fish.

McEvoy Ranch located in west Petaluma, Sonoma County, also has a shop in the Plaza, I had already bought their organic olive oil, (a gorgeous package and bottle) and in the shop they offered their range of flavored California olive oils. The olive oil is peppery. I'm still on a hunt for greek olive varieties: black Kalamata for eating and Koroneiki olive-oil.

Lastly, Prather Ranch, out of Mt Shasta-area had a shop offering all kinds of organic beef, I sure hope I get a chance to buy some some day. They were also promoting organic no-nitrate hotdogs. How about that, $7 bucks for five upscale hotdogs...

Where's the great milk?

So, where's the best darn milk? Lo and behold I finally found something great: Straus Family Creamery an organic dairy/creamery only 36 miles (58 km) away from me, in Marshall, Marin County, by the coast. Incidentally, that coastal area, Tomales Bay, is more known for its shellfish farming. I hope to soon sample some Pacific Oysters, Mussels and Clams.

This stuff, Cream-top Whole Milk is as good as it gets. The one attribute that was hard for me to find was unhomogenized, which means that the fat-soluable vitamins gets to stay in the milk. I had gotten used to it in Sweden, Ekologisk Gammaldags mjölk (transl: organic old-fashioned milk). The Straus milk bottle is also better since you can shake it before pouring, the swedish milk comes in a one liter Tetra brick that can't be resealed after it has been opened. I wanted milk the old fashioned, natural way. I don't want my vitamins* added back afterwards, manufactured in a BASF chemistry lab. Now afterwards (of course...) I discover that this wonderful tasting milk is even mentioned in the 'Milk' Wikipedia article, how about that:


"Unhomogenized milk has made a small comeback in a few areas, such as the west coast of the United States where Straus Family Creameries, based originally out of Marin county, sells one line of organic milk with the cream still on top in old-fashioned glass bottles."

Details: $3.79 for a half gallon (~1.9 liters) in a glass bottle, plus a $1.25 bottle deposit, money you get back when you return the bottle. Milk does taste better from a glass bottle, but plastic bottles are also available. After doing the math, the half gallon bottle ends up being 30% cheaper than the single quart size.

Other great tasting Straus products includes their tangy whole-milk yogurt, which I will mix with local honey, just like I did in Greece, and their real butter. All natural, organic and no funky ingredients.

* ) The commercial production of vitamin D3 can be obtained via organic solvent extraction of animal skins (cow, pig or sheep) followed by an extensive purification. Cholesterol typically is extracted from sheep wool and after thorough purification and crystallization can be converted via a laborious chemical synthesis into (pre-vitamin D). The major producers of vitamin D3 used for milk and other food supplementation are the companies F. Hoffman La Roche, Ltd (Switzerland) and BASF (Germany). Source: Dept of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences. University of California, Riverside