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[1] An “everything” goat cheese log (all photos © Vermont Creamery).
[2] Serve any seasoned cheese log on a cheese board, or as an optional add-on to the salad course. You can buy an everything log ready-to-serve from Vermont Creamery, or season your own plain log.
[3] One of the 8 varieties of seasonings you can use on a log or cheese ball. Here, dried cranberries, sultanas, rosemary, and orange zest (the recipe).
[4] Fresh herb and nut cheese ball
[5] Clover honey-flavored goat cheese, one of Vermont Creamery’s seven goat cheese log varieties.
[6] Smoky pepper jelly-topped goat cheese log, another of Vermont Creamery’s seven goat cheese log varieties.
[7] Thank you, ladies!
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If you love goat cheese, this tip’s for you. You can take a plain goat cheese log, roll it in your favorite herbs and spices, and add eye appeal to your cheese board. You can combine your favorite spices and herbs to create, for example, an:
Everything Goat Cheese Log, with everything bagel seasonings (garlic, poppyseed, sesame, etc.—photos #1 and #2)
Herbed Goat Cheese Log, with your favorite fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.) and optional nuts (recipe—photo #4)
Holiday Goat Cheese Log, one log with red herbs and spices, one log with green
Hot Goat Cheese Log, with cayenne, chipotle, fresh minced jalapeño, peppercorns (black, green, pink), etc.
Fruity Goat Cheese Log, with dried cherries, cranberries, raisins and sultanas and optional freeze-dried raspberries (recipe—photo #3)
International Goat Cheese Log, with herbs and spices from a particular cuisine (France, Greece, India, Middle East, etc.)
Nutty Goat Cheese Log, with assorted chopped nuts, optional fresh herbs and dried berries/raisins (recipe)
Valentine Goat Cheese Log, with dried cherries, dried cranberries and freeze-dried raspberries
No doubt there are more options, but these are the ones we made.
TRIVIA: What countries eat the most cheese? See the top curd lovers below.
HOW TO SEASON GOAT CHEESE LOGS
The ingredients are simple: goat cheese log(s) and seasonings of choice.
To make the everything bagel goat cheese log, you can purchase everything bagel seasoning, or mix your own from black and white sesame seeds, dried minced garlic and onion, poppy seeds, and fine sea salt.
1. PLACE a few tablespoons of seasonings on a flat plate or a piece of wax paper or parchment.
2. ROLL the goat cheese log in the seasoning to cover the entire log. As necessary, press the seasoning into the log. If you need more coverage, place more seasoning on the plate and continue to roll.
3. WRAP the log in wax paper or parchment and twist the ends to seal. Refrigerate until ready to use.
VERMONT CREAMERY GOAT CHEESE
One of our favorite American cheese companies, Vermont Creamery has been making exquisite fresh and aged goat cheeses, cultured butter, and other dairy products (crème fraîche, mascarpone, sour cream, quark).
They are truly wonderful products. One item in the line, goat cheese logs, are available in:
Classic Goat Cheese
Clover Blossom Honey Goat Cheese (photo #5)
Cranberry, Orange & Cinnamon Goat Cheese
Everything Goat Cheese (photos #1 and #2)
Herb Goat Cheese
Smoky Pepper Jelly Goat Cheese
Wild Blueberry, Lemon & Thyme Goat Cheese
Each of these is absolutely delicious, and we can eat an entire 4-ounce portion for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
That’s how much we love goat cheese and Vermont Creamery goat cheeses in particular.
See them all, plus a store locator, at VermontCreamery.com.
While we prefer Vermont Creamery’s moister, creamier, artisan goat cheese logs, you can purchase less expensive mass-produced logs at Trader Joe’s, Aldi and other markets, and roll your own.
CHEESE TRIVIA: WHAT COUNTRY EATS THE MOST CHEESE?
Our immediate reaction was “France,” but we were surprised at these statistics:
1. Denmark takes top honors. The country consumes 28.1 kilograms of cheese consumption per capita. That’s 62 pounds!
2. Iceland is second, with 27.7 kilograms.
3. Finland is third, with 27.3 kilograms.
4. France is a close fourth, with 27.2 kilograms.
5. Cyprus rounds off the top 5, with 26.7 kilograms.
Next up:
6. Germany, 24.7 kilograms per capita.
7. Switzerland, 22.2 kilograms
8. The Netherlands, 21.6 kilograms.
9. Italy, is the ninth highest consumer of cheese at 21.5 kilograms
10. Austria, at 21.1 kilograms
11. Sweden, is at position eleven with a consumption of 20.5 kilograms
12. Estonia, at 20.0 kilograms
13. Latvia, 19.8kilograms
14. Norway, 19.8kilograms
15. Israel, 18.9kilograms
16. United States, 16.8 kilograms/37 pounds.
The top 3 cheese-consuming states in the U.S. are Wisconsin, California, and Idaho; Wisconsin and California are the two largest cheese-producing states).
The top consumers of cheese are mainly countries in colder regions. This is mainly because cheese can be chilled and preserved for future use. People living in cold weather requires high protein levels, which cheese provides [source].
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEESE
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GOAT CHEESE
> THE HISTORY OF CHEESE
> THE HISTORY OF CHEESE BALLS
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