"Goats are nice, they're not in a rush. Goats make cheese for everyone."
Lovie sings this on the
way to Haystack Farms to meet the goats. After we arrive, it occurs to me that her song has perfectly captured the essence of the goats. Goats get a bad rap - people think they are stinky, indiscriminate eaters. But we found them to be friendly, content and truly, not in a rush. I have a whole new goat respect for them.
While we were there, I asked the lady running the place what their most unique cheese was and without a moment's hesitation, she pointed to the Haystack Peak, a small pyramid shaped cheese. She told me that it was the first cheese they had made on the farm, a fresh ripened cheese with a bloomy-rind surface that was still their favorite. I added it to my collection, brought it home and have been storing it since we visited a couple of weeks ago. Today I opened it. The scent caught me as soon as I undid the first corner of the wrapper, a whiff of pungent cheese mold. As I unwrapped it, I uncovered a beautiful soft but firm white tower of cheese with an off-white bloomy rind. I was amazed at the wonder I had been hiding in the fridge. Actually, I was surprised at everything about this cheese. As I cut into it, the knife revealed an almost fluffy interior that is snowy white. The inside smells clean and nothing like the blue moldy scent of the rind. As the creamy middle melted in my mouth, I began thinking how great this cheese would taste with fresh fruit, maybe a pear. It really does taste a little bit like a Brie, but it has a rounder and smoother flavor, reminiscent of summer fields. A piece cut a bit closer to the rind took on a sharper flavor - it was almost a little bitter, which was surprising, too. 
The rind is mild and tastes like soft blue cheese. To have three distinct tastes in one fabulous cheese is a marvel. Apparently, other people think so too, as this cheese has won several awards, including The American Cheese Society 2004 award and was named one of America's best artisanal cheeses by Saveur Magazine in April of 2005. This is one of the more unique cheeses I have had and simply tasting it makes a great case for seeking out fresh artisanal cheeses. What a change from the hoardes of plastic wrapped, artificially colored packages that generally pass for cheese in this country. This is in a league of it's own!
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