Exploring Artisanal Cheeses

This isn't really "new news" just that I'm finally getting around to writing about it. One of the reasons that I'm really looking forward to the summer is the chance it's going to give me to explore some of the artisan food makers in the region. This will be more successful after my first visit to the Carp Farmers market, which really kicks off it's season on Mother's Day weekend.... and since we all have a mother, we all know when that is, don't we?!... May 13th. I'm particularly interested in the local Sheep Cheese vendors.

If you talk to some of the folks involved in this budding industry they'll draw comparisons to the state of Ontario's wine industry twenty years ago - and you get that hint of "we're on the cusp of something great" feeling. Part of it is the lack of any regulatory oversight that has threatened so often to kill home-grown cheeses - think of the ridiculous debate that has gone on for so long about raw milk cheeses, and made the US cheese market the laughing stock of food lovers worldwide. In Ottawa we're particularly rich because of our proximity to one of the great cheese producing markets in the world - Quebec. The growth of a local artisanal sheep cheese market is such a bonus.

My first find in local artisanal sheep cheese was from the Back Forty Sheep Camp. I found out about these guys last fall when I was attending Ottawa's largest singles pick-up joint... (the Ottawa Wine & Food Show). I sampled their Ewe's Milk Feta - and it was marvelous. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to goat's milk cheese - if it's too strong I can't get away from the thought that I'm eating something that's been marinating too long in wool... too mild and there's not much point. So my Greek Salads suffer. Back Forty's Ewe Milk Feta is a perfect solution to the alternative of having to compromise all of my integrity with a Canadian Cow's milk feta. It's distinct saltiness, characteristic of sheep cheeses, is a great contrast to things like lemon, so it works wonderfully on salads, and it has a perfect crumbly texture, consistent with all good fetas.

I've also tried their Highland Blue and their Madawaska. The latter is a semi-soft mold rind cheese whose medium strength is terrific with some crackers, a nice medium Red (again, we're talking wine here), and fresh cucs on the side. The only challenge with Back Forty cheeses is trying to find them. There's a link on their website that points out where you can get them (4 spots in Ottawa), but typically the amount stocked is pretty low. The solution, of course, is a road trip to Carp on a nice summer weekend.

Not to dwell too much on Back Forty, there are some other artisanal cheese makers in the area too. In the opposite direction to Lanark is a little farmhouse cheesemaker south of Ottawa, Oxford Mills Creamery, who are producing some really great little sheep milk cheeses. I've only tried the Tomme-like cheese they make (Tomme de Gaston), which I'm able to find at Byward Fruit Market - so I'll be anxious to make a trip out there this summer so I can sample some others; they also have a Feta and a Blue. The Tomme is wonderfully subtle with that characteristic touch of saltiness, providing the perfect icy thin layer on top of oven-roasted tomatoes.

So as we move in to summer keep an eye open for other local cheese makers and let me know what you find; myself, I plan on a regular roadtrip to scout them out.