Case & Counter: American Blues

Fall is a great time to celebrate American blues. No, I'm not referring to Billie Holiday, Besse Smith, or Robert Johnson. Not even Eric Clapton. We're talking about cheese, and particularly blue cheese, a category for which the United States has not been particularly noted for until fairly recently. Traditionally, Danish Blue and French Roquefort have dominated the blue portion of the American cheese plate, with a bit of Gorgonzola thrown in, along with a smattering of domestic blues. Not that there is anything wrong with those cheeses -- far from it. They are among the imported cheeses that form the backbone of the cheese business in the United States. But in addition to several venerable blue cheeses that have been made here in the U.S. for some time now (notably Maytag Blue from Iowa, the blue cheese that really began in earnest the idea of making quality blue cheese in the States), blue cheeses have experienced a renaissance in the United States and they are being made from coast to coast. In his seminal book Cheese Primer, eminent cheese authority Steve Jenkins noted in 1996 "American-made blue cheeses represent one of the brightest aspects of American cheese production." Since then there has been an explosion of artisanal American blue cheeses with a great deal of variety, with most rivaling the great blues of Europe. For example, just a few years ago, a family dairy farm in Marin County north of San Francisco -- that of the Giacomini family -- began to make what would become known as Point Reyes Farmstead cheese, a fabulous blue that has set the cheese world on its ear, and had cheesemongers and chefs falling over themselves to get hold of it. In a scant year after it was launched, it was to be seen on restaurant menus as far away from Point Reyes as New York, as well as winning praise at the annual Slow Food Cheese event in Bra, Italy. The family of cheesemakers rely solely on milk from their own herd of over 300 Holsteins, cows that graze freely on 700 acres north of Tomales Bay. Lucky cows. California is not the only state that is producing exciting blue cheese. A recent feature article in The New York Times by Marian Burros pointed to the many excellent cheeses -- blue and otherwise -- being made across New England. For example, Jasper Hill Farm that has only been making cheese for one year (see below) and gaining tremendous accolades from cheese aficionados everywhere is making a lovely blue in the style of Stilton called Bayley Hazen. Further south in Connecticut, Cato Corner Farm is turning out Misty Morning described as "a creamy blue that is mild, with a hit at the end." A mild name, too for they have cheeses with names like Hooligan and Drunk Monk. Not to be outdone by Yankee ingenuity, The Mozzarella Company in Dallas makes a delicious Deep Ellum Blue named appropriately enough for an area of Dallas famous for blues clubs. It is a complex, full-flavored blue with a creamy texture and a beautiful blue exterior. The company describes the cheese as "a blue cheese for people who don't like blue cheese," by which we assume they mean the blue-ness doesn't overwhelm the cheese but enhances it for both a table cheese and for cooking. It's time to take a new look at blue cheese made in America. As Americans increasingly seek bolder flavors in their food, the category of blue cheese will continue to grow and redefine itself. And that's something to sing about.