Très Belle Chèvre
Goat Dairy & Fromagerie
Our Awards
Tuscan Pelote—Silver Medal, Flavor Added Soft Goat Cheese,
2009 US Cheese Competition in Wisconsin
Tuscan Party Disc—2nd Place, Flavor Added All Milks,
2009 American Cheese Society Convention, TX
Sweet Home Jalapeño —2nd Place, Flavor Added Cheese 
spread
spread 2009 American Cheese Society Convention in TX Plain Chèvre-----1st Place, Un-Flavored Soft Goat Cheese
2009 ADGA National Convention in NY
OUR CHEESE
Cheese Is a Living Thing
Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching ...Cheese, more than any other edible commodity, demands the use of all the senses, if proper judgments are to be made about its qualities and applications. Cheese by its very character—a [natural] product produced by organic processes aided by human expertise—demands, like wine, the awareness of the artist coupled to, at least, a rudimentary knowledge [of cheese and the cheese making process], if it is to be adequately assessed and fully appreciated.
To be a professional cheese judge takes years of training and experience. To be a layman with a knowledge of cheese, takes a natural liking for the commodity, plus curiosity, feeling, perhaps a desire for surprises, and five senses that are eager and well developed.
Eekhof-Stork & Bailey
The World Atlas of Cheese
Here at Belle Ècorce Farms’ we honor tradition and loving create a number of artisanal, farmstead cheeses: chèvre, a fresh cream cheese like goat cheese; several, French inspired, soft bloomy-rind cheeses; a hand-salted and a brined feta; aged, hard cheeses and, from time -to- time, some unique specialty cheeses.
At Belle Ècorce Farms we consider cheese making and its presentation to be a work of art, designed to please the eye as well as the palate. On our modest farm in South Louisiana we milk a limited number of goats. With our fresh milk we make beautiful rounds of flavorful goat cheese that are unique. We believe you can have art and something very special.
Fresh Cheese --Chèvre, Feta, Ricotta
Fresh cheeses are non-aged cheeses that depend solely on lactic fermentation for their character. Our fresh goat milk is pasteurized, heated, cultured and renetted to encourage curd formation, excess whey is drained off and curds are hung in bags or molded depending on type of cheese. Fresh cheeses have a delicate tanginess and moist texture. We do offer bulk size packages or our chèvre , feta and ricotta for restaurants and caterers.
CHÈVRE is a goats milk cream cheese that can be eaten plain when salted. The fresh chèvre can be put into containers when soft or made into logs when stiffened.Chèvre It can also be flavored and made into sweet or savory spreads or logs or Party Disks
FETA dates back for thousands of years and is traditionally made from un-pasteurized sheep’s milk, goat milk or a combination of the two. Our feta style cheese is made from pasteurized whole goat milk, is white and crumbly with a soft texture and pleasant saltiness. We process our feta in small 10-gallon batches. Curds are hand ladled into a mold, drained and dried for a couple of days, then cut into 1 inch cubes and hand salted. We do hand salted feta and a speciality whey brine feta. Our feta is usually quite young, usually under 3 to 4 weeks old. Our young feta has a milky taste taste with hints of spring grass and just bailed hay. Young feta available seasonally from April to November. Feta is brined at season end in order to supply our customers with feta year round.
RICOTTA is a soft,smooth, fresh, un-ripened cheese made with our fresh goats milk. We occasionally make small batches of ricotta during the summer and early fall. Feta can be special ordered. Made in 5 to 6 pound batches.
Fromage de la Chèvre as the French call it–cheese made with goat milk, is a thick, smooth, creamy cheese that brings nutrition and versatility to meals. Fresh whole goat milk ensures the flavor. A good table or cooking cheese, chèvre may be purchased plain or flavored with herbs, spices and fruits. Keeps well for up to 3 weeks and more, even enjoyed by some at 45 days. Molded or formed.
Goat Cheese Often Misunderstood
Goat's milk cheeses are the most misunderstood of all cheeses. Cheeses made from goat milk are often perceived as having a bad taste, tasting "the billy goat" or smelling like an old barn. Not true...only if the milk is not fresh, handled badly, fed poorly or the bucks are kept in close proximity with does is there any off flavor to fresh goat milk or cheese.
Fresh goat milk is delicate and mild, with a subtle aromatic background. If the goat milk is treated properly and handled with care, the cheese made form it will be delicious. A good goat cheese will be herbaceous and taste of the fresh grasses, herbs and flowers that the goats graze on.
Soft, Mold Ripened Cheeses
This is a very young bloomy-rind chèvre which has a mild creamy refreshing flavor that pairs well with dried and fresh fruits and desert wines and champagnes. Our Bloomy Rind (Mold-Ripened) cheeses are seasonal, artisan cheeses, available from about April to November. Ageing takes a minimum of two weeks and usually at least one month. Excellent keeping qualities. On bringing home discard cellophane and wrap in wax paper then foil. Size may range from 6 to 12 ounces more or less about 3 inches tall or so depending on the variety. Shapes include pyramid. logs and cylinders. Sold by the ounce.
Très Belle Chèvre Bloomy Rind Cheeses: Lil' Gracie, Brossard, St. Margaret (ashed bloomy rind) and Cheminèe Ècrevisse (ashed), Bûche de Chèvre, and our raw milk Catahoula Crottin, and Très Belle Bleu cheeses
Flowers On Your Cheese
We are well know for our beautiful chevre decorated with fresh herbs and edible flowers. We grow varieties of roses, calendula, borage, viola, salvia, clianthus, day lily , lavender, and cornflower. Also, herbs such as rosemary, thyme, dill, mint, sage, tarragon, savory, etc. These flower and herbs have centuries of kitchen and medicinal history. Many of our flowers and herbs are annuals or short-lived perennials, are easy to grow In our southern climate and are pollinated by bees, moths or butterflies.
Raw Milk Cheeses Always Aged OVER 60 Days
We do make a number of aged raw milk cheeses using our own goat milk. Gouda & White Cheddar recipes, which are traditionally made with cows milk , are adapted for goat milk. We do a speciality gouda and white cheddar flavored with Louisiana's own Abita beer with a touch of hops flowers for interest and flavor. Pecan Harvest is a favorite.
We also do other speciality cheeses such as a Spicy Cheddar and a Mole inspired Gouda (shown in photo to right), to name a few.
“Cheese is the soul of the soil. It is the purest and most romantic link between humans and the earth.” Pierre Androuet.
Pierre Androuet. 
Our newest raw milk cheeses, Très Belle Bleu and Catahoula Crottin, are bloomy-rind, mold ripened cheese aged just over 60 days. Très Belle Bleu has a distinct line of blue veining through the center and a bloom of blue and white P. Candidum on the exterior. Catahoula Crottin is remenisient of a traditional French Crottin with complex flavors which developes an earthyness as it ages. I am very pleased with these new additions to our raw milk line. These are seasonal cheeses.
