For my first blog entry, I want to write about St. George. Not St. George and the Dragon. St. George, the cheese from Santa Rosa. Two weeks ago, a coworker who rides her bike to the Sebastopol Farmers' Market every Sunday asked me if I had been to the Matos Cheese Factory. I hadn't. She then proceeded to praise the qualities of this cheese made by Portuguese immigrants from the Azores Islands. After listening to my friend talk about this cheese and the cheese makers, I decided to search online. Last weekend, my partner, Rob, and I decided to visit this cheese factory. Hidden in between Santa Rosa and Cotati, the Matos Cheese Factory off Llano Road is a small family enterprise. They make one kind of cheese--St. George--named after the island the owner is from. Once you find the factory and drive all the way to the end of the gravel road, you will see a barn, and a house with an "Open" sign posted on the window during regular business hours. As soon as you open the door, a bell starts to ring and it doesn't quit unless you shut the door. The first thing you see is the counter with a round of cheese inside, an old cash register and a weight scale set at one single price per pound: $7.00. As you enter the small room you also notice maps and photos of the Azores Islands. And then, you see the room; the room with shelves and shelves of cheeses, all marked with the date they were made. As the attendant enters the room, she offers you a slice of St. George. Don't expect her to ask you if you like it. There is only one reaction: I love this cheese. Depending on its age, it could be a creamy, nutty cheese perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches. Aged a little more, this cheese is delicious with fruit or preserves and a glass of red wine from Sonoma County. Or just by itself. Last weekend we bought two pounds and it lasted exactly three days. Today, I bought five pounds or half a round of cheese. Let's see how long it lasts. As I was slicing the cheese tonight to put it over the power bread I got at the Sebastopol Farmers' Market and top it with the fig and muscat preserves from Kowalski Farms, I could not help but think that I was partaking in a tradition that started hundreds of years ago in a small island in the Atlantic Ocean. And then I was also reminded that my father's family migrated to Puerto Rico from the Canary Islands and also brought the art of making cheese to that Caribbean island. As I celebrate the first six months in this amazing part of Northern California, I salute the Portuguese immigrants who now live in our county. Obrigadissimo!
