Thursday, October 6, 2011

Seastack Cheese

I recently bought a small wheel of my favorite cheese: Seastack, made by Mt. Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend, Washington, a great little place about 40 miles from Seattle.

Seastack Cheese

This is very indulgent of me, because eating a whole round of this cheese by myself is so decadent! Usually it's part of a cheese platter meant to be consumed by many more people.

Seastack Cheese

Seastack is a soft-ripened cheese, such as Brie or Camembert, but much more strongly flavored. It almost has hints of a bleu.

Seastack Cheese

In terms of texture, the cheese is semi-lactic, so it almost resembles velvety goat cheese.

Seastack Cheese and Sesame Melba

See how it's melty at the edges and firmer in the middle? This means it's at the perfect temperature to eat. I let it sit out for about 45 min after taking it from the fridge.

Serious Eats wrote about this cheese, and according to the writer, a New Yorker, Seastack is "one of the best American cheeses available." Because it's a small-batch local cheese, only those of us lucky enough to live in the Pacific Northwest get to eat it. :D "The flavor is mushroomy and even almost nutty -- seriously delicious." Needless to say... I agree!

Seastack Cheese and Sesame Melba

I'd love to hear about cheeses you enjoy, both local cheese and ones that are nationally available!