Warming Up with Carles Roquefort

[caption id="attachment_1189" align="alignnone" width="244" caption="!FR-2019C"][/caption] As we get deeper into winter and the temperature continues to drop, I find my palette craving more robust complex flavors. Yet I am still not willing to let go of last season’s fresh fruits and bright accents. My cheese choice for fall has got to be Carles Roquefort, for good reason. This creamy-soft, salty-sweet, juggernaut of the blue cheese world is well worth the trip in to grab a bite. The beauty of this cheese matches the flavor; the pale white body accentuates deep dark green nooks and crannies, stained by our friend Penicillium roqueforti, derived from the distinct caves in which this cheese matures. These caves are found deep underground the office of Jacques Carles, the century old artist responsible for keeping this traditional hand-crafted cheese style just the same as it has been forever. This cheese gets its start from the milk of Lacaune sheep; the curd is ladled and packed into form by hand then stored on wooden shelves in the drafty moist cellars until aged to perfection. I like to enjoy this cheese with fresh apples and pears. The crisp crunch and sweet, aromatic flavors perfectly contrast Carles’ salty, soft, slightly gritty goodness and is also a great match with delicate dessert wines. This is one to kick back with and really savor; it’s full of complex flavors and surely comes to life when paired with the right sides and good company. This creamy dream can be yours, and Di Bruno’s is the place to get it!