Bangalow Cheese Co 'Tintenbar' Triple Cream

Triple Cream
Cow's milk (mixed Friesian/Guernsey/Jersey/Swiss Brown)
Northern Rivers
150g rounds
3 weeks maturation
www.bangalowcheese.com.au

Winter is not normally the best time for local white-mould cheeses, but 'Tintenbar' Triple Cream, from the rolling green hinterland of Byron Bay, is an exception. Perhaps its the sub-tropical warmth of the northern rivers region, relative to other parts of NSW, or maybe cheesemaker Justin Telfer just has a knack for transforming delicious fresh cream and milk into indulgent treats like this.

Bangalow Cheese Co
'Tintenbar' Triple Cream

Justin starts by boosting fresh full-cream milk, from a single herd of pasture-fed cows, with additional cream to raise its fat content to around 10%. He carefully hand-crafts the cheeses and allows them to ripen with a combination of P. candidum and Geotrichum moulds for around 10 days, before wrapping them in their delightful blue gingham papers. They stay in the maturation room for another week before being moved to a regular coolroom to prevent further ripening.

Unlike so many other Australian triple cream cheeses, 'Tintenbar' is not heavy or cloying on the palate. It has a vibrant marigold colour and lovely white rind that is not too thick. The flavour is like cultured cream with a hint of mushrooms, and a delicious, slightly sour tang on the finish. Perfect with some crusty bread and a glass of sparkling wine.

Over the Moon Non-Homogenised Yoghurt

Yoghurt
Cow's milk (Jersey)
Mid-North Coast
350g or 550g tubs
www.overthemoonmilk.com.au
www.johnsonsfarmgate.com.au

OK, so it's not exactly cheese, but it's one step closer to immortality than plain old milk. Not that there's anything plain about Over the Moon milk - it's 100% Jersey, non-homogenised and absolutely luscious! The milk comes from a single herd of grass-fed Jersey cows in the Hastings Valley, near Wauchope, and is sold by Johnson's Farmgate at various farmers' markets around Sydney and the Hunter Valley.

Over the Moon Yoghurt

The yoghurt is just full cream milk with cultures - no thickeners, no milk solids, no flavourings. I picked it up at the Newcastle Farmers' Market on the weekend.

Like non-homogenised milk, there's a thick layer of cream on the top. Underneath, the yoghurt might look a little lumpy, but the texture is silky smooth, and the flavour is mild and sweet with a very faint lemony tang. It has an absolutely clean, refreshing finish, with no cloying mouthfeel. So many commercial plain yoghurts leave a distinct 'essence of wet cow' character lingering on the back of my palate, but not this one.

When I asked the farmer what the cows are eating at the moment, he answered proudly, "grass". I commented that it's obvious they're not being fed silage, because there's no nutty flavours. "Just wait till Spring when the clover comes on," he said. "You can really taste the difference then." I'm looking forward to that.

Small Cow Farm 'Small Cow Blue'

Blue
Cow's milk
Southern Highlands
2kg wheels
3-4 months maturation
www.smallcowfarm.com

This is one of Australia's strongest and most characterful blues, and it's made just a short distance from Sydney at Robertson in the Southern Highlands.

Small Cow Blue

Created by Mark and Lesley Williams, 'Small Cow Blue has quite a spicy tang, with a distinctive underlying sweetness. The milk for this cheese comes from a single herd in the Southern Highlands, rather than the Williams' heard of Dexter cows, whose luscious milk is better suited to making soft, white-mould styles.

While the maturation details are a closely-guarded secret, the cheese is allowed to ripen with a natural blue mould growing on the outside, which adds to its full-bodied character. I suspect the cheese is at least partially matured under a wax coating, which may explain its sweet, fruity notes.

At last year's ASCA Sydney Cheese Show, two version were entered. The aged version was really powerful - big, spicy, fruity, sweet - but the slightly younger entry was spot-on for me. It had the perfect balance of salt and spice, with a gorgeous underlying creaminess and a lovely tang on the finish. It reminded me of my favourite all-time blue, Valdeon from Spain (minus the Sycamore leaves).

Small Cow Blue is perfect for Winter, particularly when paired with a rich, raisiny tokay or PX sherry.