Willowbrae Chèvre Cheese 'Marinated Chèvre'

Fresh (Marinated)
Goat's milk (mostly Toggenburg, with Anglo-Nubian & Saanen)
Hawkesbury Valley (Blue Mountains foothills)
300g jars

Willowbrae Chèvre Cheeses have been a permanent fixture at many farmers' markets around Sydney since the very early days of "growers" markets. Willowbrae's marinated chèvre - their flagship cheese - was the first NSW farmhouse cheese I ever tried, way back before I was a "cheese person".

Willowbrae Chèvre Cheese
Marinated Chèvre

Twelve years ago Karen & David Borg swapped corporate life for a patch of land at Wilberforce and a couple of goats, and have since grown their herd to 100 milkers, and their range of cheeses to around a dozen. David looks after the goats, Karen makes the cheese, and daughter Kate makes a regular appearance at many of the markets where the cheeses are exclusively sold.

Using a similar technique to gnocchi-making, Karen rolls the fresh chèvre into sausage-like logs then cuts it into small pieces, before marinating it in a delicate blend of sunflower and olive oils, with garlic and fresh herbs. I'm not normally a fan of flavoured and marinated cheeses - perhaps that's the cheese snob in me - but I like this one because the marinade is not overpowering, and you can still taste the distinctive goat's milk cheese underneath.

It's delicous spread on good, wholemeal bread with a slice of fresh, ripe tomato, and even better atop home-made pizza. Plus, the left-over marinade makes an excellent salad dressing.