Kid Chego

Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of attending a Cheese Makers' Resource Conference in New Holland, Pennsylvania. At the conference, we met and talked with dozens of the region's finest (and novice!) cheesemakers, many of whom maintain farmstead operations. We sampled an unbelievable amount of cheese, sat in on workshops about cheese pairings, yogurt-making and how to stand out at a farmer's market, perhaps the most entlightening aspect of the trip was our time spent at Amos Miller's Misty Creek Goat Dairy, located near the conference in Leola, Pennsylvania.

Despite the fact that we arrived during the evening milking session, Amos and his family welcomed us into their home and proudly showed us around their dairy. They entertained us with endless discussions of farmstead cheesemaking over a few tall glasses of cool and sweet goat's milk that had been collected earlier in the day.

Of course, Amos was also eager to share a few of his cheeses with us, too!

One of our favorite cheeses produced at Misty Creek Goat Dairy is "Kid Chego." While true Manchego is made of sheep's milk and comes from the La Mancha region of Spain, "Kid Chego" is a nice example of a young goat's milk version of the popular Spanish cheese.

"Kid Chego" has a fresh, milky aroma with a medium hard body and smooth texture. Its flavor is light and nutty, but rich. Although the rind is a natural, truly beautiful sight, I wouldn't eat it. However, I have no qualms in admitting that I'll happily gnaw right up to the crusty surface. As for platter pairings, try "Kid Chego" with figs (dried or fresh) and almonds. And maybe a glass of dry sherry.