410648 Tue Jun 12 10:55:32 -0700 2007 19 8 Midwest 0 2652681 I'm sure this is a dumb question, but does anyone know where I can find fromage blanc, preferably in St. Paul? It was mentioned in another thread on General Chowhounding Topics and I've been curious ever since. I haven't done an exhaustive search, but it's not at Byerly's, Mississippi Market or Kowalski's. Any ideas? Could it be under a different name? Thank you muchly! ~TDQ Tue Jun 12 10:55:32 -0700 2007 12005 The Dairy Queen 1 2652992 Whole Foods lists it on their web site. Tue Jun 12 12:07:00 -0700 2007 2652681 11110 MSPD 2 2653308 Ha! Good suggestion. I scanned the fridge case when I was rushing through Whole Foods recently (can't remember why--I was on the hunt for something else very specific at the time), but didn't see it, and didn't bother to ask, and promptly forgot about it. Will have to go back and look more thoroughly and/or ask if I don't find it. Thank you! ~TDQ Tue Jun 12 13:24:23 -0700 2007 2652992 12005 The Dairy Queen 3 2653320 what is this cheese like, besides white? Tue Jun 12 13:27:52 -0700 2007 2653308 11890 faith 4 2653393 French? I'm not completely sure--I think it's like cottage cheese. Here's the post that intrigued me: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/406395#2618922 ~TDQ Tue Jun 12 13:45:23 -0700 2007 2653320 12005 The Dairy Queen 5 2653542 Fromage blanc is like thickened yogurt with no sourness. Or really soft cream cheese. It's often used in desserts (or eaten alone as dessert) and it's really yummy! I've seen it at Surdyk's, but not very often - I think it's a specialty item. Another place to check is Clancey's Meats in Linden Hills. Anne Tue Jun 12 14:20:51 -0700 2007 2653393 12541 AnneInMpls 6 2653758 Thanks for that, Anne! ~TDQ Tue Jun 12 15:10:42 -0700 2007 2653542 12005 The Dairy Queen 5 2678185 It IS originally French, but it represents the sort of fresh, soft farm cheeses that are found it all cultures, an uncombed curd cheese (cottage cheese is a combed curd cheese)...Ricotta, and other soft white cheeses were usually the easiest cheeses to make, and the ones a framer's wife would typically make at home... The French often use 0%, 20% and 40% fromage blanc for all kinds of uses. Since it's thivkened by the use of a rennet, as opposed to a culture, like yogutr, it has a better mouthfeel, and it's not as tangy. Wed Jun 20 12:32:14 -0700 2007 2653393 11108 galleygirl 2 2657463 I saw Fromage Blanc in the dairy case at Whole Foods (Minneapolis) yesterday. It was by the cream cheese. Wed Jun 13 15:07:33 -0700 2007 2652992 10516 MplsM ary 1 2655396 I just picked up some fromage blanc from Love Tree Farm's stand at the St. Paul Farmers Market last weekend. It was more pungent than what I remember other fromage blanc tasting like, but it was delicious on crackers with some plum mostarda! Wed Jun 13 06:25:57 -0700 2007 2652681 20410 tipitina 1 2658302 Okay, yes, I found it at Whole Foods in St. Paul--it's in the "cheese" section (duh--I was previously looking in the dairy section amid the yogurts and sour creams etc.) in an 8 oz blue tub, right next to the Creme Fraiche and in the same section as you'd find the fresh mozzarella. The brand is the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company. I didn't notice that it was near the cream cheese as Mpls Mary did when she saw it at the WF in Mpls, but I'll bet it was there. It's a little more sour than I was hoping for (actually, when I saw it next to the creme fraiche, I was hoping it would be like that, but fat free. Wishful thinking, eh?) but I do like the texture, so I will have to try to mix it with stuff and see how it goes. It reminds me of yogurt cheese, actually, though yogurt cheese isn't really cheese, but strained yogurt. Tipitina, thanks for spotting it at the Love Tree Farm booth at the St. Paul Farmers' market. I will look for it there, too, to see how it compares, though it might take me a couple of weekends to get there. Thanks everyone! ~TDQ Wed Jun 13 19:56:20 -0700 2007 2652681 12005 The Dairy Queen 2 2658480 Hey tdq, I'm just moving back to the twin cities after some time away, but I feel certain that the mpls. wf had authentic french fromage blanc when i was there a couple years ago, not this vermont hoo-ha. The french fromage blanc is pretty much to die for and I suspect that the vermont people have not got it right given your ho-hum response to it. Next time I'm over at the mpls wf I'll check it out. . . .and now that you've got me frothing for fromage blanc, I'm guessing I'll head over there sooner rather than later. Wed Jun 13 21:24:59 -0700 2007 2658302 101536 cinnamongirl 3 2659047 Welcome home! Very kind of you to follow up for me. I did look around (half-heartedly) to see if they have any other brands, but none leapt out at me. But, they carry numerous brands of yogurt, etc. why not of fromage blanc? So, just to put us all out of our misery, I called WF St. Paul this morning and asked if they carried any other brands (aside from the Vermont Butter & Cheese Co one) and they said no, not in the St. Paul store. I asked if the Mpls store might have something different and he said yes, that there store is bigger so they might get different/more stuff in. ~TDQ Thu Jun 14 06:54:39 -0700 2007 2658480 12005 The Dairy Queen 4 2699640 Hi TDQ, I did finally talk to a "specialist" at WF in Mpls about the fromage blanc I remember so fondly. They haven't had it for three years! Exactly the amount of time of my hiatus from the cities. Here's great news, though--apparently it fell under a fresh cheese ban by the FDA (I don't know the details) and WF has "worked something out" and the fromage blanc will be back in August! As for the 0% fat thing, I sincerely doubt it, but we'll see. Wed Jun 27 10:57:54 -0700 2007 2659047 101536 cinnamongirl 3 2678163 Perhaps the French fromage blanc you had was 20% or 40% fat, which are available there, in addition to 0% fat? The Vermont Butter and Cheese hoo ha is 0%... Wed Jun 20 12:27:42 -0700 2007 2658480 11108 galleygirl 4 2678192 Yes, the 0% fat is the key. Pure fromage blanc (or, fromage frais) is apparently 0% fat--but they often add cream to it to make it taste better (of course it tastes better!) I'm after the 0% fat kind, alas. ~TDQ Wed Jun 20 12:33:03 -0700 2007 2678163 12005 The Dairy Queen 1 2667303 Traders Point Creamery in Indianapolis is an organic farm that had grass fed dairy products, including fromage blanc. I really like their milk, and from what I've read, their cheese is pretty top notch as well. Their map at the dairy shows they sell their products at the Lake Calhoun Whole Foods. You could probably call them to see if that is one of their products that gets shipped out to MSP. www.traderspointcreamery.com Sat Jun 16 20:14:47 -0700 2007 2652681 44048 tex888 2 2670350 I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but I tried a sample of something at the new NE Lund's that was like a really fresh-tasting,delicious farmer cheese in an 8 oz tub. Wish I could remember the name--but if you said it was like farmer's cheese they would probably know which one I'm talking about. It was in the cheese cooler with all the fancy cheeses. Mon Jun 18 08:54:28 -0700 2007 2667303 11890 faith 1 2672694 Have you tried the Premier Cheese Market in Edina just south of 50th and France? Doesn't list it on the website, but maybe if you call them, they can help you. The times I've been there, the owners have been very nice. http://www.premiercheesemarket.com/ Mon Jun 18 22:36:50 -0700 2007 2652681 44048 tex888 1 2674854 E's Cheese (at the Village in Mendota Heights, on the north side of 110) carries imported fromage blanc. I just called them for you. They are temporarily out of stock and only Elizabeth ("E"), who isn't in right now, knows when the next shipment is due. Her number: 651-452-0903 Or if you want to make it yourself: http://www.hertzmann.com/articles/2001/fromage/ Tue Jun 19 13:52:53 -0700 2007 2652681 85422 clepro