Storage / Serving and Chefs
Storage
Cheese experts agree, a home refrigerator is not the best place to store cheese. They are too dry, cold and airless for most cheeses. But, since most of us have to store cheese in the refrigerator, the best thing is to put it in the vegetable drawer, as the humidity is usually higher in the drawer.Cheeses should be purchased at or near their peak, and consumed while they are “peaking”. Most of our cheeses come wrapped in special imported paper, allowing them to breathe and continue the ripening process right up to the time they are served. Once opened, cheeses with an exterior mold like our soft ripened cheeses should be stored, if possible in their original wrapping, are wrapped lightly in a waxed paper or plastic wrap, again, allowing them to breath. Also, each time a cheese is removed from the refrigerator and brought up to room temperature, if it is not entirely consumed, it should be re-wrapped in a clean plastic wrap so bacteria will not grow.
Most of our cheese products are the best if consumed within two to three weeks. Yogurts have a longer shelf life and should be eaten within about six weeks of purchase.
Serving
Our Cheeses are featured on the cheese boards in many fine restaurants. The cheese course has also been growing in popularity, for home entertaining. Old Chatham Sheepherding Company sheep’s milk cheeses are the perfect addition to any cheese plate. Choose complimentary cheeses with a variety of textures: soft, semi-hard, and hard. You might choose cheeses based on milk type: sheep, goat, and cow. Or, you might choose cheeses course as part of a meal, two ounces of cheese per person is probably sufficient. If the cheese course is the main course, allow four to six ounces per person. Unwrap all cheeses and bring up to room temperature before serving. Arrange the cheese in a circular pattern starting with the more gentle flavors and going clockwise toward the more assertive flavored cheese. Served with sliced breads, simple fruits or vegetables. Use your imagination. What about a thin slice of walnut toast with our fresh sheep’s milk cheese? Offer accompaniments like nuts, olives, and chutey.
Chefs
New York
Riad Nasr & Lee Hanson, Balthazar, NYC
Sydney Gooden, Café Cluny, NYC
Dan Silverman, The Standard, NYC
Daniel Boulud, Daniel, NYC
Dave Pasternack, ESCA, NYC
Ben Towill, The Fat Radish, NYC
Marc Meyer, Five Points, NYC
Bill Telepan, Telepan, NYC
www.Facebook.com Telepan Resaturant
Cathryn Dolcigno, Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill, Cold Springs, NY
R. Preston Faust, The Tavern at The Beekman Arms, Rhinebeck, NY
Jim Palmeri, Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY
Thomas Gisler, The Statler Hotel, Ithaca, NY
Massachusetts
Brian Alberg, Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, MA
Bill Poirier, Sonsie Restaurant, Boston, MA
California
Travis Lett, Gjelina, Los Angeles, CA
Adam Keough, Abinthe Brasserie, San Francisco, CA
Adam Timney, Starbelly, San Francisco, CA
Gayle Pirie & John Clark, Foreign Cinema, San Francisco, CA
Gary Danko, Gary Danko, San Francisco, CA
Christian Ojeda, Calistoga Ranch, Napa, CA
Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc, Napa, CA
National
Santosh Tiptur, Co Co Sala, Washington, DC
Clyde’s Restaurant Group, Greater Washington DC area
Rich Rosendale, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV
Josh Feathers, Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
John Farnsworth, John’s Island Club, Vero Beach, FL
Matt Hallberg, V.Mertz, Omaha, NE
J.L. Carrera, Morel’s French Steakhouse, Las Vegas, NV