A few years ago at the American Cheese Society Conference in Portland, Oregon, I tasted an amazing cheese called Seastack made by the Mt. Townsend Creamery. I talked to the makers about the possibility of bringing it to Woodlands Market, but was told that they weren’t selling outside of their Port Townsend/Sequim, Washington area. Luckily for us, they have recently begun Bay Area distribution.

Mt. Townsend Creamery was founded in 2005 by Matt Day, Ryan Trail and Will O’Donnell, all in their early thirties, and their cheeses reflect a fresh young take on traditional European cheeses. Using local milk from grass based dairies that use no hormones, antibiotics or chemical fertilizers, they have created cheese to get excited about, and here at Woodlands, we are now happy to feature two of their best.

Seastack, named after the rock formations found up and down the Pacific Coast line, is a soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese, coated with ash. It has a creamy smooth white interior, with an oozy edge just under the rind. The cheese is mild with a touch of earthiness that gets stronger as the cheese ages. Try serving it with a sparkling wine, pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon.

Trailhead is a whole milk medium hard white cheese that has been aged for 6 months. It’s a smooth yet slightly sharp American version of French Pyrenees Mountain cheeses. Its firm texture makes this a great cheese to take on those hikes on Tam or to put out at a backyard barbeque.

Not everything about cheese is about cheese. We were very excited to have a representative of the Valley Produce Company at Woodlands recently. Valley Produce Company specializes in not cheese but cheese condiments. Started by Australian chef Christopher Smith, with products sourced from Australia’s Yarra Valley, Valley Produce has products to make your cheese plates spectacular!

Here at Woodlands, we already carry their Truffle Honey, fresh black Perigord Truffles infused into red gum and clover honey from the Yarra Valley (try it drizzled over blue cheese with prosciutto and fresh figs. Delicious!) and their Fruit Pyramids in three flavors: fig & almond; pear & hazelnut; and apricot & pistachio. (You may have seen these little guys in the cheese department, but you may not know that they contain over one pound of reduced fruit, with no added color or artificial flavors -- they are also wheat and glutton free. Their fruity soft yet firm texture goes great with blue, brie or cheddar cheeses.)

I am looking forward to finding out how these and other VPC products are served Down Under, and hope to see many of you there!