That’s Cheesy!

“When I hanker for a hunk of, a slab or slice or chunk of, I hanker for a hunk of cheese.” – circa 1977 T.V. PSA

 

As a Baby Boomer, I was raised on processed cheese slices and pimento cheese from jars, and I loved nothing more than a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup on a cold rainy day. But as an adult, disaster struck when cholesterol terrorized our arteries and fear of additives made many of us seek out healthy substitutes. Well, thankfully the word “moderation” has returned to our vocabulary, and cheese has been welcomed back to our tables. Also, thank goodness that South Carolina has its share of artisan cheeses to tempt any cheese lover’s taste buds.

 

Scott Bishop, the wine and cheese steward at Lowe's Foods in Surfside Beach makes fresh mozzarella almost daily. Scott said the bagged mozzarella, most commonly sold in grocery stores, is very different in terms of texture and taste than fresh made mozzarella. He finds that bagged cheese is somewhat bland, with little flavor. (Not to mention the additives in there to keep the cheese from clumping).

 

American Mozzarella is made from cow’s milk where the curd is "kneaded" (in 160 degree water) until the proper consistency is reached and then formed into "balls" by squeezing the cheese up between the thumb and forefinger, forcing it up to form a very smooth ball. This slightly salty, flavorful cheese is akin to its Italian brother, which is fresh and creamy.

 

 

 

Scott recommends a slice of fresh mozzarella and a slice of ripe tomato topped with a fresh basil leaf, all drizzled with olive oil. The taste is clean and fresh, and it’s a wonderful treat as a snack or appetizer, particularly when paired with Chianti.

 

Clemson University in upstate South Carolina may be best known for their winning football team, but they also produce some of the best blue cheese you’ll ever taste! Since the cheese is only available in the Hendrix Student Center, you have a perfect excuse for a road trip.

 

Clemson Blue Cheese is an artisan cheese, made the old fashioned way. Each 288-gallon vat makes a batch of about 240 pounds, which is then salted, waxed and aged for 6 months. When it is ready, each hoop is scraped and packaged by hand.

 

In 1941 the original cheese was aged in the Stumphouse Tunnel near Issaqueena Falls. The tunnel was an abandoned attempt to build a railroad passage from the Midwest to Charleston, SC, but was stopped because of the Civil War. A forward-thinking professor believed the humidity and temperature of the tunnel would be perfect to grow the blue mold. In 1956 the Agricultural Center was built. Air-conditioned cheese ripening rooms were designed to duplicate the tunnel's high humidity and temperature allowing cheese lovers year-round access to their favorite blue.

 

 

Split Creek Farm in Anderson is a working Grade A dairy where visitors can get a close-up look at the kids that will grow up to produce milk and cheese. The staff knows that survival of small farms is dependent on educating the public about rural life and the origin of their foods. Since this is a working farm, and a great deal of time is spent daily with milking, feeding and processing cheese, visitors are encouraged to schedule a tour for a better look at the farm and how it is operated.  

Evin Evans didn’t start out to become a cheesemaker; she was a farmer. But in order to extend the shelf life of their milk product, she thought about making cheese from the goats’ milk.

 

“I went to Wisconsin and Minnesota to visit homestead operations. I took notes. I took pictures and I ate lot of cheese. Then I got in my truck and headed home thinking ‘I don’t really want to make cheese. By the time I finished the 1,200 mile drive home, I knew I wanted to make cheese.” And, she was determined to make a quality cheese product.

 

“We give a lot of attention to detail and we believe in being meticulous with the animals. Good milk makes good products and the farm’s artisan cheeses are made by hand with purity and freshness. Hormones are never used to get the does bred or to produce more milk. Herbicides and pesticides are not used on the pastures in keeping with the commitment to produce an all natural product.”

 

Split Creek Farm makes several types of cheeses including: Feta, Fromage Blanc (soft and spreadable), Chevre logs (made in the French farmstead tradition – moist, creamy and easy to slice).

The Farm Shops is open Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday 1:30-6pm to sell the milk, cheese, fudge and soap produced by the farm. Pat Bell's folk art is also available.