Goat and Sheep Cheese

I have shared my spouse's passion for cheese before - always goat and sheep cheeses. While I prefer mild cheeses, he likes those with lots of flavour. I like to surprise him with new discoveries - a cheese with truffles, or a new Quebec cheese.

This is his favourite breakfast. My trips to Atwater Market always include a stop at La Fromagerie Atwater. I get great advice on the many cheeses available there. One of his favourites is an ash covered cheese, Charbonnier made by a Quebec cheese maker - Ruban Bleu. We stopped at their farm a few years ago and, though we weren't able to visit the goats, we were able to sample a variety of their products.

Shopping at Atwater Market

I'm definitely a city person, taking advantage of the culture a city has to offer. But when it comes to shopping, I'm more of a smaller town person. I hate the big box stores and impersonal supermarkets. While I do shop there I never feel the same as when I go to Atwater Market. This is not a farmer's market - the individual store owners get meat, fish and produce from a variety of sources. What I like are the personal interactions. At each stall or shop I can talk to the people serving, get recommendations and get questions answered.



This organic stall is staffed by lovely people. As I make my selections we chat - about food, about the weather and even about politics.



This cheese store is a frequent stop for me. A number of the clerks recognize me when I enter and are ready with suggestions for the cheeses they know I like to buy. My spouse prefers to eat goat and sheep cheeses. Quebec has many fine cheese producers. Yesterday, included in my basket, was a new raw milk goat cheese by a Quebec artisanal cheese maker.



While flowers are not usually on my shopping list, yesterday I stopped and bought a small pot of primroses. In addition to learning about how to care for them (this just doesn't happen at a supermarket), I learned about how the owner keeps track of the weather and knows when people are more likely to come and buy flowers.

The people in the organic butcher shop recognize me. I get a smile and "À la prochaine" (see you next time)  as I leave. The fish store makes sure the fish I buy is really fresh and lets me know where it comes from. I leave the market laden with bags of good food and a feeling that I have not just ticked items off my list but I have visited the village stores and built relationships.

Cheese

Cheese, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

My spouse is passionate about cheese, particularly goat and sheep cheese. They know me at La Fromagerie Atwater, in the Atwater Market. I always head straight to the corner where most of these cheeses reside. I have learned that a bit of mould on cheese is fine as it is "noble mould". And this often means the cheese is really ripe and more pungent tasting which is definitely to P's taste. I have brought home many varieties for P to try, both local and from afar.

The clerk told me he had France. "You mean cheeses from France," I suggested. And then he showed me France, a goat cheese. Despite the price, I couldn't resist buying it.

Brittany and Normandy have now disappeared, as has the Loire. Burgundy and Champagne are still ripening. It's hard to tell how much longer France will last, but I can assure you it is doomed.

To Market, To Market

Fresh Berries, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Nothing like a summer trip to the market with fresh produce enticing one to buy. Berries beckon. Tomatoes, in a variety of hues and sizes, seduce with their field ripened aromas.

A visit to the cheese shop brings more temptations with cheeses from around the world. My spouse is a particular fan of goat cheese and the choices are many from hard cheddars to soft, unctuous varieties.

The flower stalls are still standing - full of big potted flowers - interesting varieties. They sit soaking in the summer rays, much happier in the heat than I am!