• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Fearless Fresh logo

  • Learn to Cook
    • Free Cooking Charts
    • My Cookbook
    • Recipe Archive
  • About

Published: Oct 6, 2019

French Hoofbeats – A Capricious Winter Cheese Plate

French Hoofbeats - A Capricious Winter Cheese Plate on http://www.theculinarylife.com

– A French cheese plate that channels cheerful little hoofbeats. –

The dark weeks after the holidays always seem harder than the weeks before, don’t you think? For me January comes in like a freezing wet blanket, with its biting chill and blank, bewildered skies. The frenetic pleasure run of December is gone now. Maybe what I’m feeling is an activity hangover, or perhaps it’s grief over the sudden loss of holiday cheer. The world has traded its vivacious reds and greens for a more muted palette: dark gray, light gray, and that indescribably depressing color of dirty snow.

I’m not one to linger in apathy, though. I subscribe to the “feed a cold” line of thinking, and I treat bouts of seasonal lethargy the same way. And can you think of a better way to dispel the winter doldrums than with an inspired cheese plate?

These four French goat cheeses make up a lively cheese plate, each in their own individual way. Some are tart, others are more subdued. At least one prances between both camps, leaving little hoof prints across both your palate and your heart. If you’re feeling down, I recommend digging up a handful of almonds, a few fresh apples, and a bowl of dried cranberries — then faceplant straight into the middle of this cheese plate, no holds barred.

Just what the doctor ordered.

French Hoofbeats - A Capricious Winter Cheese Plate on http://www.theculinarylife.com

Crottin de Chavignol – France, Goat
A creamy little puck of fresh goat cheese, Crottin Chavignol is nothing if not alive. Tart and sour, with a fresh lactic nip, this is goat’s milk at its throaty, most minerally best. Faint whispers of sweet grassy fields and Loire breezes wind their way through this cheese’s squarely goaty persona, but in the end it’s the texture that won me over, both creamy and chalky, growing more compelling as you eat your way through the small wheel. A nub of lively love if there ever was one.

French Hoofbeats - A Capricious Winter Cheese Plate on http://www.theculinarylife.com

Bethmale – France, Goat
Semi-firm and gently fatty, this Bethmale is a more assertive version of its generally cow-centric cousin of the same name. Smooth and pocked with endearing little holes, Bethmale is understated with hardly a hint of goaty pungency. Instead you’re presented with a lightly buttery cheese, a kiss of lactic zing followed by a touch of gold on the tongue. I sense grassy, almost vegetal layers, with what I swear was a hint of asparagus (though I suspect that these green notes will be reinterpreted widely by every person who tastes it). This mild cheese is a good one for folks who don’t like being bowled over by strong flavors. It’s happy to smile and nod, a polite guest at your party.

French Hoofbeats - A Capricious Winter Cheese Plate on http://www.theculinarylife.com

Chabichou – French, Goat
This is a complex little goat cheese if there ever was one. Profoundly meaty while still grassy and nutty, Chabichou gives up the goods in a variety of ways; its chalky core is firm and stout, tart and awake, while the delicate creamline is perhaps the meatiest part of the whole cheese. A breathe of umami envelopes your palate, nearly as savory as a bowl of fresh, hot chicken soup. Drop this little unassuming little guy into the middle of your cheese selection and he will be the talk of the plate.

French Hoofbeats - A Capricious Winter Cheese Plate on http://www.theculinarylife.com

Florette – French, Goat
Another goat’s milk brie in a long line of them, Florette is robust at first, with initial meaty notes that come on like a high school wrestler. But after that first fisty handshake, you’ll find this cheese has a somewhat complex inner beauty: sweet as honey, with an fanciful Rico Suave smoothness. There’s a little goaty personality here to be sure, but the layers of sweet cream resonate with a nearly bovine influence. A curious little cheese that may be a good gateway for those not terribly enamored with the ways of the goat.

 

This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.

About Stephanie Stiavetti

I’m Steph, a classically-trained cooking teacher and professional recipe developer who’s going to show you how to COOK LIKE A BOSS.

Follow me for friendly-fierce guidance and training. Let's get you on the road to becoming a master home cook!

Previous Post: « Two Goats + Two Sheep = One Fabulous New Years Cheese Plate
Next Post: Death Warmed Over and Amish Funeral Pie, by Lisa Rogak »

Primary Sidebar

Stephanie Stiavetti

I'm a classically trained chef and cooking teacher. I can teach you how to be a ninja home cook.

THIS WEBSITE USES COOKIES. We use cookies to deliver our services and improve your experience. By using our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy. These documents are located in the footer of every page on this site.

Footer

  • Copyright 2019 – Fearless Fresh® – All Rights Reserved

Find out more:

  • Help & Support
  • About Steph
  • Testimonials & Praise
  • Contact

Legal goodness

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy + Disclosures
  • Cookie Policy
  • Digital Downloading Terms of Use
  • Store Policies
  • Giveaway, Contest, and Sweepstakes Rules

Copyright © 2023 · Fearless Fresh® · Terms & Conditions · Privacy Policy.