Delicious: Cherry Glen Goat Cheese

Eating "local" is one of the current food buzzwords, and Cherry Glen cheese from Montgomery County is about as local as a product can get -- especially in winter when the farmers markets are dark.

Goat cheese is one of my favorites -- a tangy flavor that stands out, but just a step or two down from blue cheeses that can be too sharp or gamy. The Cherry Glen cheese is an expensive treat ($19/pound), but its creaminess stands out. I bought some for Mrs. HowChow on a night when she was working hard, and she gave her greatest compliment: "If you hadn't said, I would have thought that was from Whole Foods."

I bought the Cherry Glen cheese at Roots, but the farm's Web site says that they also sell through My Organic Market (along with Whole Foods and The Common Market in Frederick). They also sell to Great Sage in Clarksville.

We tasted the "silver" cheese along with a variation that has a layer of ash. I like the ash, which doesn't change the cheese extraordinarily but makes the flavor a touch smoother. I was consciously trying to compare. They're close enough that I would only buy one next time, and I'll pair it up with something new.

If you want more information, check out Cherry Glen's cheese Web site.

My Organic Market (Columbia East)
7351 Assateague Dr. #190
Jessup, MD 20794
410-799-2175
http://www.myorganicmarket.com/

NEAR: It's on Rte 175 just east of I-95. There is a large shopping center on the right just after you cross Rte 1. Look for the Starbucks. MoM is in that shopping center. It's a bit tricky to return home. You have to exit east-bound on Rte 175 and U-turn at the next light.

Roots Market
5805 Clarksville Square Drive
Clarksville, MD 21029
443-535-9321
http://www.rootsmkt.com/

NEAR: It's on Rte 108 just north of Rte 32. The Clarksville Square shopping center is on the west side filled with "crunchy" businesses owned by the same people -- a restaurant, a pet supply shop, a decorating place. Look for the Jiffy Lube on Rte 108.