Foodie Hall of Fame

The first inductee into my Foodie Hall of Fame is Beecher’s Flagship Reserve cheese, which was named Best Cheddar Cheese in America in 2007. Michael and I first tasted this cheese on our recent trip to San Francisco. While there, we visited the out-of-this-world farmer’s market at the Ferry Building Marketplace. After wandering around the stalls outside for a bit, we headed inside the actual marketplace. One of the merchants is a cheese market called Cowgirl Creamery:
http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/cowgirl_creamery.php.

They were sampling Beecher’s Flagship Reserve, which is actually made in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. It’s not cheap at $22.95/lb., but we enjoyed it so much that we bought two small pieces. In fact, we loved this cheese so much that we were determined to get our hands on more of it when we got back home! As luck would have it, my beloved Central Market sells this cheese in its fantastic cheese shop…so we can easily buy more anytime we need a fix!

According to the Beecher’s Cheese website, Flagship Reserve is a special version of their signature Flagship cheese. It’s made only on days when the milk composition is just right. The last curds are used to produce this cheese. This allows for slightly lower moisture, a higher salt content, and a richer taste and texture…while still maintaining a clean, creamy finish. Flagship Reserve is traditionally cloth-bound and open-air aged. This allows a 14 to 16% moisture loss during aging, which concentrates its already rich flavor.

All I know is that this stuff is FANTASTIC!! You can eat it by itself, but I have also served it with some good-quality crackers and grapes. Beecher’s Flagship Reserve also pairs nicely with a Syrah or even with brown ale. I really want to encourage all of my cheese-loving friends to give this phenomenal cheese a try!!

P.S. Cowgirl Creamery makes superb cheeses as well. My favorite is Mt. Tam, a creamy triple-cream cheese. It’s firm, yet buttery…a bit similar to brie. By the way…Mt. Tam won 1st Prize in the soft-ripened category at this year’s American Cheese Society competition.