Amish Cheese by Martha

The week before the beach, I stopped at the Del Ray (Alexandria, VA) market to visit with Tom, the Amish cheese guy. He comes to the market rain or shine, just about 12 months a year, bringing food made by the Amish. He's not Amish, himself, but brings cheese, yogurt, baked goods made in Pennsylvania.

I picked up a piece of cheese to bring to the beach that's my favorite. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. It's bouche, an unpasteurized cave cheese. Aged 12 months, it is tangy and sharp and left to age at room temperature, you can actually see this cheese change in character. At first the cheese is semi-soft, but as it ripens (never to a hard cheese stage), it develops a lacy texture. I like to just shave a taste off and pair it with a slice of tart apple and a good red wine.

Because it's unpasteurized, it's unavailable in any stores, so it's a real treat.