March 19, 2012 - Fearlessly Archived - Still a fun read, price & availability may have changed.

The Stuff of Legends

The allure of goat cheese is of mythical proportions. No kidding. In Homer’s The Odyssey, it was a favorite indulgence of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who crafted it in his caves. And in Trader Joe’s The Cheese Section, it is consistently a top-selling comestible.

Its charismatic appeal encouraged us to consider adding
a new variety to cover an underrepresented subcategory: savory goat cheeses. After trying a bunch – some with herbs, some with peppers, some with sundried tomatoes, some with… we discovered a standout: Chevre Goat Cheese with Kalamata Olives. The delicate tang of the goat cheese intermingles gracefully with the rich, meatiness of the Kalamata olives. Hand crafted in Wisconsin using traditional cheese making techniques (some sampled from the Cyclops, if you can believe it), this cheese begins with fresh goat’s milk that’s collected in small batches from independent family farms. The curd is drained slowly to achieve its characteristic creaminess. Then it’s blended evenly with generous amounts of salty-sweet, deep purple Kalamata olives (you can see the chunks). Another goat cheese legend in the making? At our price of $2.99 for each five ounce log, it boasts all the right stuff.

Culinary Curiosity: Like goat cheese, olives also carry legendary status. Greek mythology records that Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and peace, struck her magic spear into the Earth, and it turned into an olive tree. Thrilled by the gift, the Greeks named the resulting city after the Goddess.

Rustic Mediterranean Pizza—Get the recipe!