Warning, dog lovers!  Yes, you love dogs, and you also love cheese. But I’ve had many stories over the years.   The holidays are upon us, and you’re ready to buy that most special cheese.  You come to my shop when I’ve stocked up on the most cheese for the year. The selection’s fantastic. You’ve sampled a number of beautiful artisan cheeses, from Maine, Spain, and Italy. You’re willing to pay for the best. It’s a special occasion.

The Garroxta from Spain is a perfect example.   Goats on the southern coast of Spain graze on wild rosemary and thyme.  The flavor comes through their milk.  A natural rind, beautiful cheese; the taste is complex, rich and lovely.  You’re hooked. You buy it. I’ve told you have to let it sit out for at least an hour to get the full flavor.  But I don’t know you’ve got a dog.   You take it home. You love your dog. It’s a beautiful, well-trained, purebred dog that gets the best of everything.  You’re busy, guests, it’s the holidays.  That most delicious, aromatic cheese is sitting all by itself out on a table, warming, getting perfect.  But it is not alone, it has a new friend, your dog.  If it had been just a regular Brie or a 3-month red wax Gouda, or even a Lappi from Finland, it wouldn’t hurt so much, but the Garroxta! Yes, it’s inevitable, your dog does get the best of everything, including the taste of goat’s milk permeated with rosemary and thyme.   All of a sudden, you’re happy with whatever consequences your dog suffers, after consuming the entire wheel in 5 seconds.  I promise I will have some Garroxta left for you at the shop.

Filed under: Cheese and Meats by kris