cheese plate at L'Espalier

Today I was treated to afternoon tea at L'Espalier by my friend Bridget.  It was such a fun experience - the ambiance was nice, the company was of course superb (Bridget, her mother, and two other friends), the tea service was great and we talked with the tea sommelier about each pot we ordered.  My favorite part, however, was the excellent cheese plate I ordered.





I enjoyed each cheese on the plate, so I want to make a note of each of them to help me remember how tasty each was, and to use as inspiration for the next cheese plate I prepare.

The cheeses were arranged in order of strength, with the lighter, creamier ones on the right in this photo, working toward the stronger, funkier flavors.  The information comes from their cheese selection menu.

• Humble Pie, Woodcock Farm, Weston, Vermont.  Cow's milk.  Mark and Gari Fischer left NYC in the 80's and learned to make cheese at Vermont Shepherd.  They have gone on to teach their craft to dozens of apprentices.  Humble pie is soft ripened, flat as a pancake, with a lush texture and buttery flavor.
• Crottina, Blue Ledge Farm, Salisbury, Vermont.  Goat's milk.  A small seasonal raw milk cheese with a lush texture and full, earthy, and tangy flavor.
• Idiazabal, Navarre, Spain.  Sheep's milk (raw).  This firm cheese is made in the mountains and is lightly smoked when the shepherds build fires in their stone huts to keep warm.
• Pecorino Ginepro, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.  Sheep's milk.  A traditionally made, well aged cheese from Northern Italy.  The rind is rubbed with juniper berry and balsamic vinegar; while the interior paste is light a flaky with a robust, buttery flavor.  Excellent with honey and fruit.
• (I forgot which cheese this is, all I can remember is that it is like comte.)
• Taleggio Reserva, Lombardia, Italy.  Cow's milk (raw).  This is a small production version of one of Italy's most popular cheeses.  It has a supple texture, smooth and creamy just inside the rind, with a small, chalkier core.  The flavor is mildly earth and a bit tart.
• Caveman Blue, Rogue Creamery, Central Point, Oregon.  Cow's milk (raw).  Another winner from Cary Bryant and David Gremmel.  The cheese is creamy and muscular, with a sweet start and pungent earthy finish.