Hey culture. My husband and I are moving halfway across the country next week. We've been packing and doing all those tedious things you need to do when you move for a while, and we were ready for a fun break. Enter round two of Jasper Hill's newest cheese, now named Alpha Tolman! We were especially excited to see our shipment arrive safe and sound after a few changes in the shipping date. I was extra especially glad to see it finally come pretty late in the afternoon – due to a misspelling of our address which confused the delivery driver.

So after allowing the two new samples to come to room temperature, we plunked down amidst the boxes and packing tape to give them a closer inspection and have a much appreciated snack (moving is hard work!)

The first thing that caught our eye was the rind. Our first batch of wedges had uniformly orange, slightly tacky rinds that were clearly young. Our new cheeses had some white coloration on them and weren't sticky anymore. Sample #120109 had some blue-green coloration as well, which I found appealing. The pastes of both are a buttery yellow with small eyes.

I think my husband described sample #120109 best when he said, “It smells like macadamia nuts and tastes like wheatgrass!” This may be a gross simplification of the matter, but we both agreed that it has a nutty smell and a fresh, grassy flavor. I was, however, left wanting a little more salt. The cheese still needs time to develop complexity but it will get there. I can't wait to try it again down the road and taste how it has matured.

Our other wedge, sample #120125 was the only repeat from the first tasting, and I was really curious to compare my old notes to the new ones. Several months ago, this cheese was “fresh, nutty and buttery, with a slight lemony flavor and pretty mild salt” (my words). The lemony note is still there, and I am more pleased with the salt level this time around. This is our preferred round two cheese – it tastes more complex than sample #120109, although I'm hoping the aroma will catch up to the taste next time.

So, what do you do when half your household is packed and you've got some wonderful cheese just asking to be cooked into something great? You bust out the rolling pin (not yet packed) and make quiche, of course. And so I did. Because grilled cheese would just be too easy for a chef, right?! What we had in the fridge last weekend was what ended up in my quiche, but feel free to use whatever vegetables you like and have on hand. Turns out Alpha Tolman makes a great quiche. We're looking forward to cooking with it again. - Danielle

Alpha Tolman Quiche

2 C flour

1 pinch salt

11 T cold butter, shortening, or a combination

Up to 6 T ice water

2 eggs, beaten

½ C heavy cream

1 C whole milk

2 oz bacon, diced

4 oz Alpha Tolman, grated

3 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

• Make the pastry: In a food processor, combine the flour and salt by pulsing a few times. Dice the fat and add to the bowl. Pulse again until the fat is the size of small peas. Add water and combine until the dough just holds together. Remove from the processor, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic and let chill 2 hours.

• Meanwhile, cook the bacon until all the fat is rendered. Cook the mushrooms in some of the bacon fat over medium heat until light brown. Season with salt and pepper.

• After two hours, remove dough from the fridge. With a floured rolling pin and on a floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about ¼ inch thick. Carefully transfer it to a 9 inch pie plate and fit it down into the plate, gently lifting the edges to make sure it fits well. Trim the edges of the pastry so there is 1/2 inch of overhang and roll into a crust. Prick the bottom several times with a fork, then cover with aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another several minutes to brown the bottom. Remove from oven.

• In a large bowl combine the eggs, heavy cream, milk, bacon, cheese, mushrooms and onion. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if desired. Pour mixture into the prepared quiche shell. Bake at 375 degrees until the top of the quiche is light brown and it jiggles just slightly in the middle. Let cool at room temperature at least 2 hours before slicing to allow the custard to completely cook. Enjoy!