Fall in Love with French Cheese…

La Montagne Des Saveurs is a family owned purveyor of French cheeses known as “maître affineur” (cheese experts). According to James Coyne (the man behind the counter) you can find them all over the South of France during the summer markets; in the Provence area, at the Christmas market in Nivelles, Belgium; at the New York City Christmas markets and in Southwest Florida during the winter season.

They travel year round to “expose some of our finest raw cheeses from our country to those who aren’t familiar with our French variety.” They take pride as maître affineur, and would like to share their passion with you.

A great French poet once wrote, “So many cheeses, so little time.”

La Montagne Des Saveurs offers French cheese from young to aged, mild to bold, and sweet to salty. The author sampled two semi-soft cheeses and two hard cheeses. They have many more selections at the Marco Island Farmers Market waiting to inspire your taste buds.

Sampling small pieces is the best way to experience the amazing flavors. The taste of the cheese varies depending on whether the milk comes from the cows fed with fresh summer alpine grass or fed with winter hay.

Tomme de Savoie – (Tom-De-Sav-wha) The word tomme implies that a cheese is made from the milk of more than one herd from the French Alps region of Northern France. It has a very rustic look to it with its grey powdery outer skin. It is a semisoft cheese made from raw skimmed cow’s milk after the cream has been drained to make butter. It is lower in fat content than the other cheeses. It’s mild at first taste, but has a very peppery after taste that reveals it’s self at the end.

Morbier – (More-be-yay) – a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese, which has two distinct layers created from the morning milk and a layer of evening milk. It has a mild taste and is recognizable by the layer of ash that runs through its middle, which is more decorative and is a distinguishable feature.

Comte – (Con-tay) is a hard mountain cheese made from the Franche-Comte region of the Jura Mountains bordering Switzerland. It is a very versatile cheese, creamy with an earthy nutty flavor. It makes a great snack with crackers or on a party cheese platter.

Beaufort – (Bow-fort) is a hard mountain cheese, almost sharp, and similar in taste to Gruyere with a firm, buttery taste that easily melts in your mouth.

Check their chalkboard listing for the selection of cheeses aged to the French standards, such as Abondance, truffles and sheep’s milk. Visit their website at www.lamontagnedessaveurs.com for additional information.

Bon Appetit!