Harbison: Creamy, Tasty Cheese of the Gods!

With the holidays coming up - or just plain old chilly fall and long winter nights -- you need to discover this cheese and stock up for decadent snacking in front of the fire or with a book, TV or a a friend.

Prepare to come back and tell me your reaction in the comments!

From Jasper Hill Farms in Greensboro Vermont comes the cheese I serve to the most refined sophisticated foodies and regular palates, like myself. Be prepared: The first dip into it quickly produces a moan. The next utterance: "What IS this?"

Harbison presents as an almost liquid, impossibly creamy brie - but you don't cut into it. Instead you delicately cut the entire top off and serve as is. The edges stand up to hold the contents - but what it's made of also serves to impart a slightly woodsy flavor.  You see, when young, the cheese is wrapped in spruce cambium strips - the inner bark layer harvested from trees on the farm.

Inside is the creamiest, rich-tasting ambrosia! It's flavorful without being intense - so whether you prefer bold taste or mild, this manages to please both palates!

Use a knife to spread some on a cracker or scoop some out with a chip or crudite or crusty french bread tips. And think of all the light and fruity or bubbly libations that you could pair with it - I recommend this fantastic rosé, but last weekend we ate it with icy seltzer and fresh squeezed lime.



 

As always, I did my usual exhaustive search to find the best prices for you. If you can do it, I suggest you go straight to the people who make it - because it's important to support small businesses and local farms.  Click  buy it straight from Jasper Hill Farm for $21. At 9 oz, it's great for 4-6 ppl depending on what else you serve.

I always have one on hand because it's a great thing to bring to special parties or serve to guests.

But, I am obligated to report I saw it at Whole Foods, who had it on sale (said no one ever) for the price of 2 Starbucks Latte's. It must have been getting near it's expiration date.


Winner of Best American Cheese at the World Cheese Awards in BOTH 2015 and 2016.

TIP: It is not a stinky cheese in flavor, but it can be a little stinky in the fridge as time goes on. The outer wrap can look gray or even moldy but that is how it's supposed to be.


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