Cheese of the Week: Goat Rising Chèvre

I love it when I stumble upon local cheeses at the grocery store. More and more grocery stores seem to be featuring locally made items, so keep your eyes open for them in the cheese section. This week, nestled among all the mass-produced cheeses, I found Goat Rising chèvre made by The Farmstead at Mine Brook in Massachusetts. This fresh goat cheese is tangy and creamy with a texture that is lighter and less dense than some other chèvres, which make it easy to spread. I've been spreading it on sandwiches this week instead of using mayonnaise. It's packaged in a convenient container, too, which relieves you of having to figure out the best way to store the cheese in the fridge. I bought the unflavored, traditional goat cheese but Creamy Dill, Garlic & Herb, Horseradish & Chive or Wasabi are also sold.

The Farmstead at Mine Brook is open to visitors who can get themselves to Charlemont, Massachusetts where the farm is located. They make both raw and pasteurized cheeses from the milk of goats and cows they raise on the farm. Mine Brook also makes several other cheeses as well as soaps made from goats' milk.