French Herb Chèvre

This week's featured cheese comes from a dairy that holds a very special place in my heart. Sam and Susie Byler, who are quite possibly the sweetest couple I have ever met, have owned and operated River View Dairy on their family farm in Emlenton, Pennsylvania for about 10 years. Not only are Sam and Susie incredibly kind, their farmstead is just 2 miles from the home where I grew up and where my parents still live, so I'm especially partial to their products since they come from the homeland! But trust me, their products are more than worthy of such an affinity!

In addition to their ever-popular drinkable goat milk yogurts, Sam and Susie's "French Herb Chèvre" is by far our most sought-after variety of goat's cheese - it's laden with "Herbes de Provence" like marjoram, rosemary and oregano. Since "chèvre" is French for "goat" and has become synonymous with this particular style of creamy goat's milk cheese, it makes sense that the "French Herb Chèvre" is our fan favorite.

This fresh and earthy pasteurized cheese is hand-pressed into loaves before being rolled in herbs and has a delightful tartness that is unique to goat's milk cheeses. If you'd like to recreate the simple meal featured above (in my case, it was breakfast), that's a loaf of rye from our new friends at Wood Street Bread Company of Wilkinsburg. You can find Wood Street Bread and our whole collection of local farmstead dairy products at "The Original" Mount Lebanon Farmers Market each Wednesday from 4-7pm at the Mount Lebanon United Lutheran Church on Washington Road.

For something a little more complex in flavor, try crumbling fresh "French Herb Chèvre" over a tangy beet salad or baked into a savory fruit tart or galette.