Spanish cheeses

Valdeón

I don't need much of an excuse to go and buy great cheese.

Putting together a cheese course for a Spanish themed dinner gave me a chance to indulge in a bit of extravagance and check out some new types made from sheep and goats milk.

My favourite cheese shop - Alex Cheese Farms - always makes it easy to put a platter together, offering tasting samples and great advice. 

I googled what a cheese-lover was called, turns out "turophile" is the adjective for me!

Some new faves:

Don Heliodoro Roamrin is a semi-hard sheep's milk cheese. Wrapped in fresh rosemary, it is infused with this flavour.  Dense, firm and creamy texture with a lemony aftertaste. 

Murcia Al Vino - Drunken Goat - An enduring favourite.  Goat's milk, semi soft, it is bathed in red wine that turns the rind a rich burgundy colour.  Delicious flavour.

Montenebro

Montenebro (MON-teh-NEY-bro) Made in Avila west of Madrid, this goat cheese is bone white on the inside and creamy as can be.  Tangy, rich and peppery.

Valdeón (vahl-day-ohn) is a rich and creamy, full-flavored cow and goat's milk blue cheese, stronger than Stilton but less intense than Cabrales. Wrapped in sycamore leaves. Valdeón was named best blue cheese in a 2003 national competition in Spain.

Served with Ines Rosales Seville Orange 'Tortas de Aceite' Crisps by La Tienda. These tortas are a tasty Andalucian specialty made by hand with the same recipe Ines Rosales created almost 100 years ago. Women from the local village are still employed to hand-flatten and hand-wrap the tortas that are made in small batches.