Supple, fruity, nutty Comté on Rye
My first Toast Post. I can’t say that I planned on using Comté specifically, but it was in the fridge–and this is always the magical thing about cheese and toast–the element of surprise. Cheese and toast is not planned for– you just reach into the cheese drawer and see what’s left. You also end up doing an impromptu “tasting” when making any version of this. For you will surely have nothing to do while you await the toasting of the toast, but lean against the kitchen counter and snack on a bite of cheese and contemplate life.
And in the case of Comté you will think, “man, this is good, why don’t I buy Comté all the time? I should totally pack this in my purse for an impromptu snack if I get stuck on public transit. It so smooth and supple and mmmmm, if that toast doesn’t hurry up all my cheese will be gone.”
Comté in 11 words or more: AOC designated cheese from France (Jura mountains). Raw cow milk. Must pass a 20 point rating system where a 15+ score is an A and the cheese gets a green label. A rating under 12 means the cheese cannot be sold as Comté. Huge wheels (75-120 pds) originated to keep the cheese through harsh winters. Comté producers are fairly small in size and produce about 12-24 wheels a day. There is an aroma wheel for Comté which includes 83 terms, grouped into 6 families–let me know if you smell some boiled egg yolk in your cheese…..
cheese and toast 