Mary Keehn is one of the producers we have to thank for the American artisanal cheese movement that started in the 1980s. On a quest to find healthy milk for her children, Mary noticed her neighbor had a herd of goats for brush control. She wanted to buy a couple goats, but her neighbor told her that if she could catch them, she could have them! It took days, but eventually she lured her first two goats, Esmeralda and Hazel, and so was the start of her herd and her creamery, Cyprus Grove! Along with a few other female cheesemakers (dubbed the “goat ladies of the 80s”), Mary helped provide to consumers cheeses that weren’t bright orange, presliced and plasticky, broadening our horizons and tantalizing our taste buds.

Humboldt Fog, Cyprus Grove’s flagship cheese, came to Mary in a dream as a snowy white cheese with a line of ash through the middle inspired by the fog that blankets the Humboldt County coastline. Subtly tangy with notes of buttermilk, fresh cream, and herbs, Humboldt Fog is for goat cheese obsessives and goat cheese dabblers alike. Spread it onto slices of baguette and drizzle with honey or add it to a board with prosciutto, tart apple slices and Marcona almonds. Pair it with a bubbly cider or a dry, minerally rosé - these will help clear your palate of the rich cheese, so after a sip, you’re ready for your next bite. Sip, cheese, sip, cheese, it’s a wonderful pattern.