Seriously though, my cheese of choice this month is Midnight Moon. Know how I chose it? Well, it was simple. I just can't seem to stop eating it. Upon a quick review of my ever growing tab here at the shop (a girl's gotta do her research) I realized that all my little 1/8 of a pound slivers of the Moon had accumulated to just shy of a whole pound. Any cheese that I get that attached to certainly deserves a bit of recognition, don't you think?

Midnight Moon is a rather addictive goat's milk cheese brought to us by the fine folks at Cypress Grove Chevre out in California. While this cheese does have US citizenship, or, shall I say, cheeseship, it was really born in Holland, where it is made exclusively for Cypress Grove using an old, secret recipe. The cheese is dense and creamy, slightly nutty in flavor, and has the most delightful miniscule crunchy bits due to 12 months of aging. It is mildly tangy, but never barnyardy, and it has the most divine sweet salt balance this side of bacon and maple syrup. It is actually reminiscent of the wonderful salt topped caramels that I've been enjoying lately. Not to be misleading, it isn't truly sweet, but it does dance around the thought a wee bit. This cheese can stand alone, crackerless, and be perfectly content. Add fresh fruit, some toasted almonds, and a bottle of Trimbach Riesling and that contentment is instantly upgraded to bliss. I've also been known to grate it into salads or make a grilled cheese out of it. It is also a perfect cheese to suggest to any of your friends who swear that they hate goat's milk cheeses. They might just realize that they were mistaken all along!