On a recent trip to France I noticed that nearly every restaurant offered Fromage Blanc as a dessert. It would be served either "nature" or plain, or else dressed with a sprinkle of sugar or a spoonful of fresh berries. The cheese would come in a little dish and be eaten with a spoon, as if a flan or pudding. Its taste is slightly milky and wonderfully satisfying, even after a big meal. I've since learned that it is a popular French dessert because of its (relatively) low calories -- it's a low fat fresh cheese -- and for how it partners with sweet or savory toppings.
Once home from my trip I wished to have Fromage Blanc again but it wasn't so easy to find here in our markets. The ones I found in supermarkets were tasteless, like a neutered yogurt.
Until I found Tonjes Farm Dairy's Fromage Blanc.
Tonjes Farm Dairy is a family-owned dairy farm in Callicoon, New York, about 120 miles northwest of New York City, that has a herd of 50 Holstein cows. They sell products made from the cows' milk at the Union Square Greenmarket every Saturday. These include yogurt sweetened with fruit and honey, buttermilk, mozzarella, farmhouse cheeses, ricotta, and the best Fromage Blanc you can find outside of Paris.
Tonjes Farm's Fromage Blanc comes in two sizes: $2.50 for 8 oz. or $5.00 for a 16 oz. plastic tub of this soft, white and creamy cheese. Made with no-hormones whole milk, a culture and rennet, the texture is a cross between yogurt and cream cheese. The flavor is mild -- without yogurt's tang but not as milky as cottage cheese. Tim Tonjes who runs his family farm says that it's his lowest fat product and that in addition to selling it at the Union Square Greenmarket, it's purchased by some Manhattan restaurants and sold in some small markets upstate near his farm.
Fromage Blanc is smooth enough to be spread on bread or crackers, can be combined with either savory or sweet -- a sprinkling of fresh chives or a drizzle of honey, and substantial enough to be served with a fruit conserve or as Parisians love it -- with a spoonful of granulated sugar or chocolate sauce.
Recipes
Articles
