Local Cheese

A new Indiana cheesemaker, Jacobs & Brichford has come on the scene, offering tasty small-batch European-influenced cheeses. With fifteen-plus years in the dairy business, husband-and-wife team Matthew Brichford and Leslie Jacobs recently decided to devote space on their 1,200-acre Connersville farmstead to producing more than milk. The new cheeses come from their grass-fed Jersey, Normande, and Tarentaise cross cows. They began production just five months ago, and already they’ve been spotted on menus in Louisville, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis.

So far, the lactose-makers have released two cheeses. The first is an Arabella, a Taleggio–style, 60-day-aged cheese with a washed rind. Don’t let the super-aromatic smell fool you: The taste is much milder than the nose would have it. Second, the Briana, a semi-soft Fontina–style cheese, makes an excellent, mild table cheese. Lactose-tolerant fans can purchase Jacobs & Brichford cheeses at Vine & Table and Goose the Market .