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“3 Corner Field's Frere Fumant”

This week, the Strong Buzz Cheese Wiz Sasha Davies introduces us to Frere Fumant, a Basque-style, raw sheep’s milk cheese from 3 Corner Field Farm in Shushan, New York.

The first time I visited 3 Corner Field Farm was about three years ago at the tail end of a 35-dairy tour that took me across the country and back. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by any farm at that point in our trip- we had seen farmers and cheesemakers doing things all kinds of ways- and yet Karen Weinberg and Paul Borghard’s operation did just that, it absolutely knocked us out! The farm is four hours from Manhattan, about an hour northwest of Albany, making Karen’s biweekly trips to the Union Square Greenmarket remarkable.

At the Portland Farmer's Market (very cold)! 

3 Corner Field Farm is the product of years of hard work and Karen’s lifelong dream to have a farm. Although Karen knew she wanted a farm it wasn’t until their family spent a couple years living in France (they went for Paul’s work) that she feel in love with sheep’s milk cheeses and started to think about having sheep and making cheese. Today they milk approximately 100 ewes from late spring through early winter. The ewes and also all of their offspring (males and females) are raised on pasture- around 120 acres.

Lambs are weaned and transitioned to pasture after 4-5 weeks and the remainder of the ewes’ milk is transformed into yogurt, fresh cheese, feta, a soft-ripened camembert style cheese, and aged cheeses like the Frere Fumant and Battenkill Brebis. The animals at 3 Corner look vibrant and healthy, as do the pastures, but it’s when Karen and Paul talk about what they do and how they do it that everything gets much more interesting. For example, they raise all lambs born on the farm, those not destined to be milkers are raised for meat. The lambs are also weaned in a very specific way so as to not stress the lambs or their mothers. A strong consideration of what is best for the land and the animals is at the root of all decisions made on the farm.

And the results are stellar. You don’t have to drive to Shushan to get an appreciation for the transparency of this farmstead producer- just visit their stall at the Greenmarket where you will find beautiful cuts of lamb, a fantastic array of sheep milk dairy and even gorgeous animal skins (3 Corner believes in using all parts of the animal). If you want to read more about 3 Corner Field Farm please visit www.cheesebyhand.com/?cat=28 where you can find various articles I’ve written about them as well as an audio interview we conducted with them during our first visit.


About the Cheese:

Frere Fumant (Smoking Brother) is an aged and smoked cheese made from raw sheep’s milk. Its closest European cousin is a cheese called Idiazabal that is made in the Basque region. It is a six-pound tomme that can be eaten either young (2 months minimum because it is unpasteurized) or more aged (4-6 months). Karen got the idea to produce this cheese when she learned that there were monks near her farm who had a smoker and were smoking cheeses for some cheesemakers in Vermont. The nice thing about the sheep’s milk is that it has the depth of flavor to stand up to smoke so you can still taste the lactic and nutty flavors of the cheese.

In order to make aged cheeses Karen had to convince her husband Paul to convert the basement of their home on the farm into a cheese cave. It is ideally suited for this purpose because it is below ground and constructed from stone that allows for some moisture transfer and helps maintain humidity. Things have been sailing along smoothly since their first batch of cheese entered the caves.

Karen is also making Battenkill Brebis, which is essentially the same as Frere Fumant minus the smoking- the two make for an interesting tandem tasting at their Greenmarket stand. I’ve also heard rumors that she is playing around with a sheep’s milk blue so keep your eyes peeled for developments on that.

Pair with:

Wines- Red: 2001 Altos de Luzon by Finca Luzon in Jumilla ($19-24). A luscious red with enough fruit, cinnamon and vanilla to stand up to a smoked cheese. White: 2005 Sierra Cantabria Organza Blanco in Rioja ($25). The oak used on this wine will lend a smokey characteristic that blends beautifully with the cheese.

Beer- Look for a rauchbier- a beer that has been made with barley that is dried over an open flame- imparting a subtle smokey flavor to the malt. Two domestic options are Alaskan Smoked Porter and Rogue Smoke Ale.

Condiments- I know it is “so Manchego” but a lovely condiment to pair with this cheese is quince paste or membrillo. The bright flavors of quince and the spices are a perfect match for the rustic flavors in the cheese.


Available at:
Union Square Greenmarket: 3 Corner Field Farm is there on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Marlow & Daughters: 95 Broadway, Brooklyn
Saxelby cheese: Inside the Essex Street Market

 

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Posted: March 2, 2009

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