Hobbitt Farm 'Snowy Mts Chèvre'

Fresh
Goat's milk (Swiss Toggenburg / Saanen )
Snowy Mountains
100g discs

If there's one thing I look for in goat's milk cheeses, no matter whether they're fresh, aged or blue, it's clean flavours. I don't mind so much if the texture's not quite right, or even if the cheese is a little too salty, but dirty flavours are what give goat's milk cheeses a bad name.

The flavour of Hobbitt Farm's 'Snowy Mts Chèvre' - from the hills just south of Jindabyne - is as clean and fresh as the Kosciuszko mountain air. Jindabyne holds a special place in my heart, as I wrote my Honours thesis there back in the mid-90's. But that feels like a lifetime ago, and a world away from the land of cheese that I now inhabit.

Hobbitt Farm
'Snowy Mts Chèvre'

Cheese-maker Mike Corbett could be the highest altitude curd craftsman in the country, and also leads ski tours in winter - possibly the best job in the world!

The cheese is snowy white, and the texture is very dense, but not at all dry. You can almost slice it like fetta, but it still has a lovely spread-ability, and absolutely no moisture pooling inside the packet. For my taste, the salt level is a little high, but this makes the cheese perfect as a fetta stand-in.

The chèvre is also available with various flavours and marinades, such as Tasmanian mountain pepper, or you can do what I did and just add some fresh rosemary from the garden to the plain chèvre. Delicious spread thickly on home-made crostini, accompanied by a vintage ale.

Small Cow Farm 'Fettice'

Fresh (Fetta*-style)
Cow's milk
Southern Highlands
180g discs
www.smallcowfarm.com

Did you know that Fetta means "slice"? A well-made fetta should be slice-able, rather than smooth and creamy and spreadable. It should also be salty, but not so salty that you can't actually taste the cheese.

Small Cow Farm 'Fettice'

Small Cow Farm's 'Fettice' - their take on Fetta - has both of these features in spades. In fact, it's about a close as you can get to traditional fetta without being made from sheep's or goat's milk.

The very sensible tub comes with 2 discs immersed in brine, so you can easily store what you don't use for another time. Not that there's much risk of that in my kitchen.

Spanakopita - that wonderful Greek pie made with leafy greens and cheese - is one of my current favourites. I particularly like it with lots of fresh mint and a generous squeeze of lemon juice - using Small Cow Fettice, of course. Yiamas!

*"Feta" is the correct spelling for the traditional Greek cheese, and the name now has PDO status in Europe. But the variant "Fetta" is more commonly used in Australia.

High Valley Wine & Cheese Co. 'Caerphilly'

Semi-hard / white mould
Cow's milk
Central Ranges
2.5kg wheels
6 weeks maturation
www.highvalley.com.au

Possibly the most unique cheese in NSW, High Valley Caerphilly is my pick from this Mudgee producer. Originally from South Wales, traditional Caerphilly was popular in the 19th Century with Welsh coal miners who liked it for its thick rind, which made it easier to eat with dirty hands while underground.

High Valley Caerphilly

High Valley's version replaces the outer rind of grey-brown moulds with a bloomy white mould, making it look like an oversized Brie.

The cheese has three distinct zones, each with its own flavour and texture. The thin rind has a fluffy white mould and a mild earthy flavour. Just underneath the rind is a more supple, golden layer with a smooth texture and hints of butter and mushrooms. The thick centre is paler in colour, with a chalky texture, and mild milky flavour. Perfect on a Ploughman's Lunch with slices of crisp, green apple.

I'll leave the last word to a very funny customer I had recently - complete with lilting Welsh accent - who suggested I cut the Caerphilly "carefully". Anyone for Welsh Rarebit?