August is National Goat Cheese Month, and we’re taking that as a very good reason to eat more goat cheese. From fresh chèvre to bloomy-rind beauties and aged wheels, goat milk can take on an impressive range of flavors and textures.
Build an All-Goat Cheese Plate
Why choose one goat cheese when you can taste your way through several? Start with a fresh, tangy chèvre, then move into softer bloomy-rind cheeses and finish with something aged and firm. As goat cheese matures, its bright acidity can mellow into nuttier, more savory flavors, while aged cheeses can develop milky, toasted, even caramel-like notes.
A few to try: Montchevre goat cheese logs come in flavors ranging from blueberry lemon to garlic and herbs and cranberry cinnamon. La Petite Reine Ripened Buche brings a thin white rind, fudgy center, tangy goat-milk flavor, and citrusy notes. For something a little different, Solera Winey Goat is a semi-soft cheese washed and rubbed with local wine during aging, giving it a rich goat flavor and aromatic wine notes.
Visit a Goat Dairy
Go straight to the source! A visit to a local goat dairy is a fun way to celebrate—and yes, there will probably be baby goats involved. We consider that an excellent bonus.
Make Goat Cheese at Home
Feeling DIY? Fresh goat cheese is surprisingly simple to make. Goat milk, an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and cheesecloth for straining are all you need to get started.
Cook With It
Goat cheese isn’t just for cheese boards. Crumble it over breakfast, stir it into pasta, spread it onto toast, or use it to add a creamy, tangy twist to desserts. Even brownies can get in on the action with a goat cheese frosting.
However you celebrate, August is a pretty delicious month to goat all in!