Good Taste: Nanticoke cheese from Valley Shepherd

I crave hard cave-aged cheeses because of their complexity.

But that complexity takes time - at least 60 days by law in the United States if it's made from raw milk, plus extra weeks to harmonize.

But aging time, of course, costs money, both for producers and consumers. And raw milk cheeses can't be eaten by everyone (i.e. pregnant women).

So Valley Shepherd Creamery's Eran Wajswol has come to a tasty compromise with a new cheese made in the Italian caciotta-style. His latest creation, called Nanticoke after one of New Jersey's Native American tribes, is made from 100 percent pasteurized sheep's milk cheese and finished within just 35 days, as opposed to the 90-plus typical for many of Valley Shepherd's other products.

To compensate in flavor for lack of aging time, the caciotta method uses a secondary cooking process in which whole wheels are reheated in hot whey, a method that boosts the speed of the fermentation process.

To add even more oomph, Wajswol also washes the rind in a simple brine to add an extra layer of earthy savor.

The result is a cheese that is firm, but with a center that's still pliant and creamy. The grassy tang of fresh sheep's milk is still vivid in its flavor, but there's also a shade of nuttiness and cellar musk that adds depth. With less saltiness than firmer aged cheeses, it's a perfect snacker for warmer months.

Even better, the shorter aging time translates to a slightly less-expensive price, so I can eat more all summer.

- Craig LaBan
Nanticoke, $19.99 a pound at Valley Shepherd Creamery, Reading Terminal Market, 267-639-3309; valleyshepherd.com