Midnight Moon - Cypress Grove

Beautiful in appearance the black wax rind stands in stark contrast to the creamy, ivory-white paste of the cheese.

Savor the aroma; this cheese smells sweet and not a hint of goat to it. The cheese is pure and creamy with those wonderful tasty crystals found in aged Gouda. It melts on the palate and has a sweet taste to match its aroma. There are nutty, buttery and caramel notes and the savor lingers.

Aged six months or more, Midnight Moon is a blushing, ivory-colored cheese that’s nutty and brown buttery up front with a long caramel finish. As the cheese ages, protein crystals form and lend a slight crunch to the otherwise dense and smooth cheese.

Once Midnight Moon is aged for one year it develops a lovely brown butter flavor with dense and chewy texture and intense caramel undertones.

Quick Snacks

• Serve with fig jam and seeded crackers or bread.
• Try melted between slices of rustic sliced bread or as a decadent addition to macaroni and cheese.
• On a cheese board, Midnight Moon will reign supreme. With Greek olives in Sicilian Herbs, it will pair perfectly.
• Melt open-faced on a French Baguette and add a dollop of our Apple Horseradish Jam and you have a perfect companion for our Relish Roussanne .

Baked Penne Recipe

This penne pasta dish features both aged and soft goat cheeses, as well as the delicious flavors of pancetta, spinach and tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried penne, or other pasta
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz pancetta, roughly chopped
• 8 oz fresh baby spinach
• 10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes, each sliced in half
• 6 oz Cypress Grove natural chevre
• 8 oz Midnight Moon, grated
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cook penne al dente, according to instructions on the package. While the penne is cooking, heat butter in a large frying pan or Dutch oven. Sauté garlic and pancetta for a couple of minutes until pancetta is cooked and slightly crispy. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Add tomatoes and gently stir until warmed. Stir the cooked penne into the pancetta-spinach mixture. Add the cream, thyme, and most of the cheese, reserving two ounces of Midnight Moon® . Stir until the cheese is melted and the pasta is well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the entire mixture to a 9 x 9 baking pan, or another equivalent casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining two ounces of Midnight Moon on the top and bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

To optimize cheese quality, keep cheese cold (33°–35°F). To maintain original condition after cutting keep cheese wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying. Remove your cheese from the refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

Midnight Moon is the goat milk sister to Lamb Chopper, also made in Holland, following a Dutch Gouda recipe.

Ingredients - Pasteurized goat milk, salt, cheese cultures, and vegetarian rennet.