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Enjoy the Cheeses of the Season!
The clean, fresh flavors and aromas of meadow flowers and spring grasses are perfectly represented by delightful young French cheeses that are coming into ripeness in May. The Club Fromage Quarterly exemplifies the bustling mood by taking readers to the cheese counter at French Cheese Central, the infamous Murray’s in Greenwich Village. We serve up information on keeping French Cheese on your plate in challenging economic times, explore the season’s varieties of chèvres, and explain the exploding tradition of French Cocktail Hour. Ah, the Crottin frais, the Coulommiers, the Tomme de Savoie...it must be spring! Enjoy!
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Murray’s Rob Kaufelt Wants
to Tell You About French Cheese
For the United States, Murray’s is French Cheese Central. “I can’t imagine that in most places you would find these things,” said owner Rob Kaufelt. He’s talking about the several hundred cheeses that pass through the Greenwich Village store in a given year for tasting and evaluation before getting the nod to be circulated to the public. Trace any wonderful French cheese — the popular Pyrenées Brebis, a classic Comté, a Triple Cream or a Brillat-Savarin — back to its U.S. source, and you may find yourself face to face with Kaufelt.
“We spoon feed it out. We don’t want to overwhelm our customers,” said Kaufelt. Some French cheeses, like a Loire Valley Goat Cheese or Saint Marcellin, have been mainstays of his inventory for years, and he fills in the gaps with the more unusual or seasonal. “If we’ve been to the farms or we know the producer or the affineur, sometimes we’ll take the things that they have available, or things that they might suggest, and introduce them,” he said. “We place less emphasis on new ones than we used to — after all, there is only so much space.”
Murray’s was founded in 1940 by Murray Greenberg, and was purchased by Kaufelt in 1990, when he moved the then-commodities shop to Cornelia Street. In 2004, the store moved to its current spot in the Village, an expanded location that includes classrooms, an aging cave, and a prepared foods department. A local fixture, Murray’s offers the rarest and finest cheeses, many of which Kaufelt sources directly from farms across Europe and the United States, and it is a destination for cheese not just in New York but around the world.
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Nothing compares to well-made, perfectly ripened genuine chèvre. French goat cheeses, or chèvres, have been heralded worldwide, and they regularly top the popularity list of cheeses at U.S. cheese shops and counters. May begins the season when these fresh, soft cheeses come into ripeness, and their range of delicate tastes provide a pitch-perfect complement to the spring season.
Goat cheeses are often known as “Loire Valley Cheeses” because they are frequently found in Poitou-Charentes in the France’s Loire Valley, although they are crafted in a number of the country’s regions. Typically loved for their pure, white “chalky” pâte, some consumers might be surprised by the range of flavors and textures exhibited by chèvres, from delicate to rich, from semi-hard to gooey. Young, delicate chèvres provide a perfect initiation for the beginning cheese lover who aspires to graduate to stronger tastes. For others, the exploration of the complex varieties across the spectrum can be a satisfying endeavor.
Read on for more tips on how to buy Chèvre at its best.
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Fresh, clean flavors and rich satisfying textures populate our seasonal picks for a perfect Spring Cheese Plate. For a tasting that truly celebrates the season, ask your local fromager for these cheeses, and consult our recommendations for tasting order and pairings. |
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Versatile French Cheese:
A Taste of Prosperity in Modest Times
Can the passion for French cheese be indulged even in a struggling economy? The answer is a resounding “yes”. Enjoying the rich, subtle flavors of French cheese might be considered a luxury in compromised economic times, but there‘s no reason to bid au revoir to the best things in life until prosperous days return.
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Host Your Own French Cocktail Hour!
Experience French Wine, Cheese & Culture with a French House Party!
This June, embracing authentic French-style entertaining won’t include traveling abroad. Everyone can enjoy fabulous cheeses, wonderful wine and an ambience that has that je ne sais quoi at home with friends and family.
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