I recently discovered Sweet Spring at the Troy Farmer’s Market and I’m kicking myself for not stopping by for a sample and purchase sooner. I skipped the chevre and jumped right to their bloomy«White Lily» and«Phoenix»(but I need to re-evaluate my leap and give the chevre a try as the grassy notes evident even in the funky robust cheeses I tried were lovely). The White Lily, while described on the farm’s website as reminiscent of brie or camembert, was way more complex then any brie or ‘bert that I’ve ever had and the only thing reminiscent of either of those things was the white rind; it is rather tangy and robust and yes, very creamy. It is a semi-soft cheese that becomes a a little runny at room temperature.(I enjoyed it with slices of granny smith apples; it was an interesting pair) The Phoenix is another bloomy rind cheese but it is covered with vegetable ash and shaped in a point-less pyramid. Less robust than the White Lily, people might like this if they are just venturing into«funky cheeses». The only downside, which isn’t a downside really because we are talking about true artisan products here, is the price. For 3.4oz of the White Lily it was $ 4.50 and I think the Phoenix was 8oz for $ 10-ish. Totally worth it, but I’m going to have to limit myself to bi-monthly visits to this stand.
