This week’s cheese recommendation is from guest blogger Dana Romero, proprietor of La Fromagerie D’Acadiana in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Morbier (more-bee-YAY) is one of France’s best-known cheeses. It is a semi-soft, aromatic and surprisingly mild French cow’s milk cheese, defined by the dark vein of vegetable ash streaking through its middle.

Today, the ash is purely decorative, a nod to the method by which Morbier was once produced in the small village of Morbier in eastern central France, bordering Switzerland. It has a rind that is yellowish, moist and leathery. The cheese is aged for at least 60 days and up to four months. It has an assertive scent, but a mild, sweet, buttery taste and a nutty aftertaste.

Morbier cheese is easily recognizable by the layer of ash in the middle. Photo courtesy MurraysCheese.com.

Morbier is a byproduct of Gruyère. Way back when the cheesemakers in France’s Franche-Comté region of France were concentrating on producing Gruyère de Comté, they often had leftover curds at the end of the day. However, they didn’t have enough to make a full Gruyère de Comté, so the cheesemakers would make a smaller cheese. After packing the leftover curds into a mold, they would blacken their hands by rubbing them on the exterior of the copper pot used for cooking cheese curd. The resulting ash was smeared on top of the evening curd to keep it from drying out overnight.

The next day, there would be more excess curd from the morning cheesemaking session, and that would be laid on top of the ash. The Morbiers of Jura and Doubs (départments—think counties—within the province) both benefit from an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation, although other non-AOC Morbiers exist.

Do not confuse Morbier with the American Mobay cheese, a Wisconsin semisoft cheese made of one layer of goat’s milk and one of sheep’s milk. In appearance, it is similar to Morbier, with ash separating the two layers. The taste, however, has nothing in common since the milk is not the same.

Morbier is excellent served with Gewurztraminer or Pinor Noir.

Find more of our favorite cheeses.

– Citrus Arugula Salad
– Flank Steak With Citrus Salad
– Honey Mustard Citrus Spinach Salad
– Mango Chicken Stir-Fry
– Mango Grilled Chicken Salad
– Pear, Blue Cheese & Walnut Salad
– Pork Tenderloin With Citrus Salsa
– Thai Shrimp & Citrus Salad

Is organic citrus better than conventionally-grown fruit? THE NIBBLE tells all:

– Organic Vs. Conventional Citrus Fruit
– Dietary Help Or Media Hype: Are Organic Fruits & Vegetables Really Better?

Starbucks made the first move in early February, announcing an oatmeal “breakfast pairing” with a tall latte or a tall brewed coffee for $3.95 (among several breakfast pairings).

Called the Jamba Economic Boost Plan, the $1 oatmeal offer (generally priced at $2.95) is available through the end of March. Download a printable coupon for use at participating locations at OatmealForABuck.com, and enjoy the organic steel-cut oats plain (for maximum health benefits) or with the typical brown-sugar crumble and a choice of three fruit toppings.

– See why oatmeal is so good for you, and learn what is and what isn’t a whole grain, in our review of whole grain breakfast cereals.

Earthborn Steel-Cut Oats, a NIBBLE Top Pick.

A semi-hard cheese (or Schnittkäse), Kuh Heublumenkäse comes from Bavaria, the largest state in Germany. Bavaria contains the city of Munich, and according to GermanFoods.org, 75% of German cheeses are produced there. This cheese is made from cow’s milk, with floral and herb ingredients that include safflower, blue mallow, peony and marigold, with rosemary, oregano and a dash of unrefined rock salt.

So, as you wait out the arrival of spring in the bloomin’ cold, have a taste of a fresh flowering meadow. I encourage you to ask for this cheese from your local cheese monger and pair it with a Pinot Grigio. Or, for an authentic German experience, pair it with a dark German-style beer such as Gordon Biersch Dunkelweizen.

You can learn more about German cheese (and other foods) at GermanFoods.org. If you’re looking for German cheese in your local shops, keep an eye out for any names that end with the suffix käse—German for “cheese.”

1. Coffeemaker. Brew your morning cup at home. Resisting a three dollar cup of purchased coffee will save you nearly $1,000 per year. If your coffeemaker is old, you can upgrade…and buy great beans.

2. Freezer. In 2008, shipments of home freezers were up 5% as consumers started to realize the savings in stocking up on frozen sale items. Purchase meat, fish, poultry and costlier items you use a lot of (Haagen-Dazs, anyone?) while they’re on sale and stick them in the freezer. If you have room, buy a supplemental freezer and look for an ENERGY STAR model to save even more on energy costs.

The Ronco food dehydrator.

4. Your Favorite Foodmaker. What do you regularly spend money on that you could make at home, if you had the right appliance? If you have a daily need for cappuccino, smoothies, pizza or frozen yogurt, you might break even or be ahead of the game if you got the right appliance or gadget and fed your hunger at home.

5. Food Dehydrator. If you spend a lot of money on healthy dried fruit and veggie snacks, consider making your own with a food dehydrator. Ronco has a nice one, “as seen on TV.” If money is no object, see our Snacks Section for our favorite dried fruit and vegetable snacks.