Cowgirl Creamery

If you haven't yet been, you need to run directly to Cowgirl Creamery. They have the most interesting selection of cheeses I have found in the D.C. area. The U-shaped cheese counter is separated by animal (cow, sheep, goat) and they let you sample everything before you buy. Separate coolers house artisanal butters, chevre, creme fraiche, etc. as well as cheese accompaniments like olives, etc. The front of the store also offers wines, fruit spreads, bread and prepared sandwiches but the main attraction is the cheese.

On this trip, I picked up some of their St. Pat, a hunk of Vermont Shepherd, some Harbourne Blue, a bit of Sottocenere and a bit of what they call "Cabrales Butter."

St. Pat is a cheese they make each spring. It is a whole milk cheese wrapped in stinging nettles. Unlike my other favorite nettle cheese, Taylor Farms Stinging Nettle Gouda, here the nettles are not incorporated in the cheese, but used to wrap the cheese before aging. The leaves imbue the cheese with a fresh, herbal perfume.

The Vermont Shepherd is an old favorite from our days on the "cheese trail" each fall in Vermont. This is a natural rind sheep's milk cheese that is made in the summer, when the ewes have been grazing on fresh grasses and wild herbs. It is light, earthy and leaves a lingering nutty aftertaste.

Harbourne is a blue goat's milk cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy. It is a firm blue cheese (won't crumble easily, but also won't melt at room temperature) whose most appealing trait (in my opinion) is that it is light and almost sweet. This is a rich blue cheese without the "cotton mouth" effect.

Sottocenere is a sweet cow's milk cheese from the Venetto that is infused with black truffles. It is slightly salty and incredibly rich. When we got home, Kate made this into a sinfully rich macaroni & cheese.

"Cabrales Butter" is a 50/50 mix of cabrales cheese and butter. I have yet to try it, but it sounded too good to pass up. It is currently in my freezer and I plan to slice thin disks of it to dress tenderloins the next time I fire up the grill.

Be prepared for sticker shock - many cheeses are over $30 per pound - but many of these cheeses are not available anywhere else in the area, at any price.