Dessert or Morning Cheeses

Appears in

Published 1989

About

The fresh cheeses we love for breakfast or dessert have not been aged at all. They are flown to the States every week from France and Italy or are made in local neighborhood shops. Fresh American farm cheeses are seen more frequently, too. Seek out the creamy white cheeses, such as mascarpone, ricotta, and sweet Brousse de Brebis. Luscious fresh berries are all you need and, perhaps, a California Riesling or a glorious French Sauternes.

Brebioux: This delicious cheese is made of all sheep’s milk with a touch of Roquefort, which gives it a rich, delicate flavor. It is pleasantly light and fresher and milder than most sheep’s-milk cheeses. Brebioux is packaged in a traditional cylindrical shape in a resealable container, which makes it easy to serve and store. Each cheese weighs about 5½ ounces. Don’t let it sit around at room temperature. Serve it chilled.
La Bergère Brebiboum: Another incredible product from La Bergère, this natural yogurt made from sheep’s milk is the sweetest we’ve ever tasted. Serve it cold in little glass bowls garnished with sweet berries. You’ll need no sugar or honey with this yogurt.
La Bergère Brousse de Brebis: This is an excellent dessert cheese from Ste. Fromagère de St.-Georges. This low-fat (20 percent) sheep’s-milk cheese is perfect with sweet biscuits, but it’s also lovely for breakfast sprinkled with sugar, drizzled with honey, or spooned up with our Four-Berry Preserves.
Mascarpone: The crème de la crème of dessert cheeses. We long to eat fresh mascarpone right from the container with a spoon. Its creamy fresh flavor is perfect for coeur à la crème or a delectable Tiramisu. Seek out the delicious fresh tortas made with layers of mascarpone and sweet Gorgonzola.
Ricotta: We had a wonderful tasting of fresh ricottas with our friend Henry Kaplan, owner of De Choix Specialty Food. He treated us to the sweet, creamy ricotta alia panna flown in from Milan. This in no way resembles the ricotta you buy in supermarkets. Other fresh ricottas can be found in Italian cheese shops. Serve with fresh sweet berries for a luscious dessert.
Robiola del Bek: This mild, creamy, and light cheese comes from Italy. It has a soft fresh taste that is savory but refined. Spread it over crusty slices of Italian bread and top with sliced tomatoes and fresh cucumbers sprinkled liberally with pepper. We like to spread Robiola on wheat toast with tart raspberry jam for a delectable breakfast. Some Robiolas come mixed with pear, pineapple, or walnuts.