Mont d'Or

When I was passing through the market or picking something up at the fromagerie recently, I noticed a new cheese called Mont d’Or and sold in a little round wooden box.  There are other cheese that are sold in similar boxes, like Camembert, but this cheese had an uneven surface and looked a little different.  I was intrigued but didn’t try it out until I saw an article with a recipe for serving the cheese warmed, almost like a fondue.

Mont d’Or is a cheese from the Jura region of France.  During the summer, the cows graze on pastures in the mountains and their milk is used to make Comté (a very popular cheese here in France).  When the temperature drops, the cows are brought back into the stables for shelter and the change in their diet (to cold weather grasses and grain) is reflected in the milk they produce.  The farmers use this winter milk to make a soft, unpasteurized cheese with a thick wavy rind.

The cheese is sold in pine boxes of different sizes, which can be baked to melt the cheese and create a very special winter treat.  I wrapped the box in aluminum foil, poked holes in the rind, then pushed halved garlic cloves into the holes.  I then poured a little white wine over the top, put the lid back on the box, and baked it in the oven until the cheese was fully melted.

We dipped bread into the melted cheese and spooned it over boiled potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, and a little charcuterie.  It was mild, nutty and slightly infused with the aroma of pine from the box.  We had our cheese with a white wine from the region and it all combined to be a delicious dinner on a cold night.