In the Skagit Valley, we have the luxury of having not one Artisan, Farmstead cheese maker in the area, but three: Samish Bay Cheese, Golden Glen Creamery and Gothberg Farms, all within five miles of each other. Each local cheese producer makes Gouda and Cheddar cheeses – they are all different, and they are all good. But they also make many other unique and specialty varieties which are well worth trying.
At Samish Bay Cheese, they have branched out to include a selection of fresh cheeses in addition to their hard, aged varieties. I chose to try the Ladysmith, Queso Fresco, Fresh Mozzarella and Greek Style Yogurt, and invited a few friends over for an appetizer tasting. 
We began our sampling with the Ladysmith. We could see along the cut side of the baby wheel that the cheese was very open with lots of little “eyes”. The texture was slightly moist, and the flavor was mild at first. As we enjoyed slice after slice we noticed a pleasant, subtle tang lingering on our tongues. Since I had no Feta in the house (!?), I crumbled some Ladysmith onto our fresh bean salad – it was a perfect accompaniment with the crisp beans, cherry tomatoes and vinaigrette.
The Queso Fresco was also open and airy, yet a little more firm. The flavor was delicate compared to the Ladysmith, no tang and more salt – hence the drier, firmer texture. We found the Samish Bay Queso Fresco to be similar to the traditional Cotija style of cheese; great for tacos, enchiladas and salads. But we simply savored it with a light rose.
We then tasted the Mozzarella straight up, by itself. The texture was smooth and a little firm, with a light velvety interior and mildest of flavor – as a Fresh Mozzarella should be; simplistic and delicious to go with your vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil. We liked it even more with a little olive oil drizzled over the top, sprinkled with salt and pepper.
Then we tried the Greek Yogurt. When I removed the lid I inhaled the tangy aroma, and it tasted as good as it smelled; naturally sweet and rich. I scooped some yogurt into a bowl and added a blend of freshly chopped herbs from the garden – parsley, chives, oregano, thyme, and rosemary with a dash of salt and pepper– which made a tasty dip we devoured with Breadfarm wheat crackers.
As someone who appreciates the simplest of flavors and presentation, I believe fresh cheeses need not retain complexity just good, clean taste. Samish Bay Cheese has achieved such taste. 
The day after our tasting, a friend and I took the Ladysmith and Queso Fresco on vacation to Mount St. Helens, and we ate them on the trail with more Breadfarm crackers – how well a cheese holds up in a backpack on a hot, summer day is a testament in itself. We utilized and enjoyed every morsel of cheese; Queso Fresco mixed into scrambled eggs, the last of the Ladysmith melted on a pork steak sandwich… delicious each time!
On August 28th, the American Cheese Society presented Samish Bay Cheese with a first place award for their Ladysmith in the fresh unripened cheese catagory for cow’s milk cheese. Congratulations to Samish Bay Cheese!
