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Oregon Cheesemakers Have Gone Gourmet By Seared Lightly The Oregon cheese universe now goes beyond the nationally-distributed Tillamook brand. Six “farmstead” or “artisanal” cheese producers are registered with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (farmstead is the designation when the cheesemaker uses milk from his own animals, artisan cheesemakers buy milk). The popularity of farmers’ markets in Oregon has provided an outlet for artisan and farmstead small quantity producers reviving these industry categories that were common here prior to World War II, but succumbed to mass production brands exemplified by Kraft and now Tillamook. The latter operation has gone beyond its birth in “the land of cheese, trees and ocean breeze,” opening an additional high volume production facility in eastern Oregon’s Boardman and acquiring the limited volume Bandon site on the southern Oregon coast, with the latter’s gourmet brand now moved to Boardman for production (and presumably losing its deserved very high quality cachet). Taste quality, not volume, is the goal of Oregon’s new gourmet cheese
cadre. This group includes three producers using cow’s milk, three
relying on International Awards Earned The 16th annual World Cheese Awards, staged in London last November with a blind tasting of 1,100 entries from Europe, North America and South Africa, recognized Rogue with trophies for Best American Cheese, Best Blue Cheese and a prestigious gold for the Best Blue Vein Cheese made outside the United Kingdom. Former Tillamook employees Rod and Melissa Volbeda left the big time to found Willamette Valley Cheese Co. with a herd of Jersey cows and Rob’s background as a food science major at Oregon State University and work as a lab technician in a Holland cheese factory before joining Tillamook as a technician. The Volbedas are making farmstead Havarti and Gouda cheeses introduced at Oregon farmers’ markets last summer with a variety of natural flavorings including smoke, dill and cumin. A transition from film directing to artisan cheese production was made
by Connie Collins to open Oregon Gourmet Cheese in Albany. She was
teaming with her Australian husband George Miller in the production of
Aussie film epics (including “Man From Snowy River”) when they admired
farmstead cheeses served in Melbourne restaurants. Connie studied
cheese-making at Melbourne University and then returned in 2000 to Albany
to begin a new professional career, with her husband as an investor (he
commutes between Oregon and Australia to continue film direction).
Goats support other operations Three other Oregon farmstead cheese producers depend upon goats for their raw material. Juniper Grove Farm, Redmond, began cheese production in 1991 with owner Pierre Kolisch deserting a Grants Pass law practice. Juniper Grove produces a variety of flavored goat cheeses, led by Tumalo Tomme, aged 60 days from raw milk. Fraga Farm, Sweet Home, produces some 150 pounds weekly from a small goat herd, with farmer’s markets as the principal retail outlet. Alsea Acre Farm produces oil & herb-packed jars of goat cheese from a herd residing in the Alsea coastal valley, with sales dependent upon farmer’s market venues. There is another Oregon-produced cheese brand, Blue Heron, a French brie style sold only at the highway 101 Blue Heron gift mart just blocks from Tillamook brand headquarters outside that coastal community.
Cheese has ancient pedigree Cheese-making is estimated to have been practiced since 6000 B.C. The “Fertile Crescent” between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq was a birthplace of many agricultural practices known today. There milk from herds of cattle, sheep and goats was converted to cheese by allowing it to ferment and become solids and liquid...the curds and whey of Little Miss Muffet fame. The ancient Romans perfected cheese production skills and spread them throughout the empire. In the Middle Ages, monasteries were the site for developing techniques that resulted in producing many gourmet cheeses marketed today. If you’re inspired to make your own cheese, we recommend enrolling in the next Washington State University Cheesemaking Class, 3/7-10 2005 on the Pullman campus. WSU has been turning agricultural students into cheesemakers since the early ‘40's. Research sponsored by the school created a unique cheese canning process used today in producing a range of cheese products offered for sale to the public on the internet ( http://cougarcheese.wsu.edu) Cougar Gold year-old white cheddar comes in 30 oz. tins. WSU is producing 180,000 cans of cheese yearly, with 75% being Cougar Gold. Other cheese styles now available include American Cheddar, Smoky Cheddar and Viking, a semi-soft cheese in dill/dgarlic, sweet basil, hot pepper and crimson fire. Would that mass cheese producers could equal the superb quality of cheeses with a WSU education! We offer the following as an ideal recipe for Cougar Gold...you can substitute an extra sharp white cheddar if you can’t wait for your WSU delivery. This concoction is inspired by Raclette, which we have enjoyed in Switzerland following a hard day’s skiing...a wheel of Swiss Emmenthaler cheese is wedged to expose the cheese for melting on a rack positioned on a stone hearth before a roaring wood fire and as it melts, is scooped at with small new potatoes to pop in your mouth. Couglette Melt 1 lb. Cougar Gold in a large pan over low heat, use a spatula to swab the cheese on slightly mashed potatoes. Chili con Queso 1 cup chopped Onion
2 small cans chopped Green Chilis
Saute’ Onion, Chilis, Garlic in Oil, reduce heat to low and add all other ingredients except Tomato Juice, cook until Cheese is melted, add Tomato Juice gradually until desired dipping consistency is achieved...should make 3 1/4 cups of dip for Tortilla Chips. © 2004 Oregon Magazine |
goat
herds. Rogue Creamery of Central Point is by far the pioneer of the
bunch, started in 1935 by Tom Vella, son of an immigrant Italian family.
Tom’s son Ig still serves as master cheese maker, but David Gremmels and
Cary Bryant became owners in 2002. Rogue produces 100,000 pounds
of cheese per year and recently achieved a shining testament to its quality.
