We recommend removing your goat cheese (or any cheese for that matter!) from the refrigerator about 30 to 45 minutes before serving. This allows time for the cheese to develop its full flavor and best texture for serving.

Once opened, fresh cheese is best stored in its original packaging or in tightly closed waxed paper. We suggest wrapping aged cheeses first in waxed paper and then in plastic wrap. Check the cheese every few days to be sure moisture isn’t being trapped in the wrapping, or that the cheese does not become dry.

Some ideas...

• Fresh rounds can be served whole or sliced with crackers or bread.
• Fresh plain rounds can be sprinkled with fresh herbs, garlic, cracked pepper, laced with roasted red pepper, pesto or diced anchovies, and drizzled with olive oil.
• Tubs of fresh cheese can be spread on crackers, bread, pita, or bagels. We like the following pairings in particular:
  • Chipotle cheese with pretzels or tortilla chips.
  • Garlic Chive cheese stirred into scrambled eggs or crumbled into baked potatoes.
  • Herb cheese sprinkled on salads or pizza.
• Cut soft-ripened cheeses such as Missouri Moon or Prairie Bloom into wedges before serving. Remember the rind is edible and delicious.
• Use the Walloon as a grating cheese, or sliced for sandwiches. Slice or cut into cubes before serving with crackers.
• Moniteau Blue is ideal served in wedges with grapes and crackers. Use it to make your favorite Blue Cheese Dressing or just sprinkle it directly on a salad.
• Alice Waters created one of our favorite ways to feature fresh goat cheese: Coat ½ inch slices with bread crumbs or chopped pecans, warm in the oven until cheese becomes soft, and place on salad.

Enjoying Cheese with Friends...

Many people enjoy a cheese course at the end of a dinner with friends, often in lieu of a more traditional desert. Generally, between one and two ounces of cheese per person is suggested, and a variety of types will be appreciated.  Accompany the cheeses with fresh or dried fruit, bread or crackers and perhaps toasted nuts.  Walnuts are especially delicious with fresh goat cheese.

Generally, we find that fresh goat cheese pairs well with crisp white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Chenin Blanc. With our soft-ripened cheeses—the Missouri Moon and Prairie Bloom, we suggest a red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. A sherry or port generally works well with the Moniteau Blue. Ask a wine merchant for help with these pairings.

We recommend the following books which are filled with interesting and useful information on cheese—its history, how it is made, the different types and how to use them. Have a look at:

• The Cheese Course by Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books, 2000)
• The Cheese Plate by Max McCalman and David Gibbons (Potter, 2002)
• The Cheese Primer by Steven Jenkins (Workman, 1996)
• New American Cheese by Laura Werlin (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2000)