Sep. 21, 2011 - Issue #831: The Sandwich Issue

Expand your horizons

Going beyond Kraft Singles when picking cheese for a sandwich

Cheese is an invaluable component in a sandwich, but it is often overlooked for its impact as an ingredient. What would the grilled cheese sandwich be without a sharp taste of cheddar? What would the Philly Cheese Steak be without the melted provolone? How could you eat a hot reuben sandwich without the Swiss cheese? Face it. A sandwich isn't a sandwich without cheese.
Different types of cheese can change the taste of a sandwich dramatically, but sadly, too often people are afraid to step outside their basic orange cheese comfort zone. While children in Amsterdam have been eating sandwiches with Gouda, and les enfants in France have grown up with Camembert served on baguettes, many of us grew up with processed cheese slices—but not all of us.
Holly Gale is the creator of Smoky Valley Goat Cheese. While other kids were pulling the plastic wrapper off a Kraft single, Holly was busy milking goats and making cheese with her family. She continued the practice into adulthood and often gave away her homemade cheese to friends and family. After spending five years dabbling in French cheeses, this self-made cheese maker was ready to share her gift of turning goat milk into traditional artisan cheese.

Smoky Valley Goat Cheese is a one-woman operation that is now in its second year of business. With a variety of goat cheeses in production, the process is very labour intensive. The goat milk is sourced from a local farm before it is pasteurized and turned into curds. The curds must be set into molds, salted, ashed—a process of covering the cheese in a food-grade ash which mellows the acidity—and placed on racks which must be turned once a day in the ripening room. After coming out of the mold, the cheese goes into a brine which helps form a rind. "The hardest part is putting the curd into the moulds," explains Holly. "It has to be done very quickly and can be difficult to clean up." After a few weeks, the cheese is packaged and ready to make the trip from the farm north of Smoky Lake to Edmonton.
While some people may think that goat cheese is a distinct taste that is best reserved for cheese boards and paired with wine, Holly feels that it is an everyday taste that can appeal to everyone. "We have so much goat cheese here that we use it like butter. You can spread the chèvre on bread and it makes pretty good sandwiches, especially with something as simple as a tomato and sprout sandwich."

For those looking to update their next grilled cheese sandwich, the Farmer's cheese is a lightly sharp, hard cheese that melts well. The slightly earthy taste brings a sophisticated character and style to the ultimate comfort food—a grilled Smoky Valley cheese sandwich served with tomato soup. 

Smoky Valley Goat Cheese can be found at specialty cheese shops throughout the city, as part of the menu at Edmonton restaurants committed to promoting local producers, or directly from Holly at the city market downtown on 104 street until Thanksgiving. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus