I love this combination. Last weekend our friends Anthony and David brought over a box of beautiful produce that we used to cook dinner together, including a couple of large bulbs of fresh fragrant fennel. One went into a sauce, but the other I sliced and served with our cheese course, pairing it with two soft, aged goats cheeses. It was delicious. The crunchy and slightly sweet, almost licorice flavor of the fennel was refreshing complement to the rich, earthy cheeses.
Fennel pairs well with almost any goats’ cheese, but one of my new favorties is Pico Picandine, a traditional French aged goats’ cheese from the Perigord. It’s soft and rich, has a thin edible rind and a flavor that’s earthy and warm without being assertively “goaty.” Perfect to serve just before dessert. It’s also a relatively accessibly priced treat at about $8 for 3.5 oz (100g) at www.murrayscheese.com.
For more cheese course ideas, see my previous posts Cheese! Bringing Back the Cheese Course, Cheese! #2 Parmesan and Dates, and French Cheese Leaves.
