Three Sisters Serena

The women who chose Three Sisters Cheese as the name of their company probably wanted to conjure up images of lightness and harmony.

Think of the Andrews Sisters, singing about the boys who went to war. Or the Dixie Chicks, singing to bring boys home from war.

Oh, I know only two of the Chicks are actually related. But maybe all is not perfect blissful symmetry with the dairyland siblings, either.

Maybe the youngest, as a girl, was a tag-along, a source of adolescent annoyance to her elders. Or perhaps the middle child, as a teen, flirted a bit too ardently with the older girl's boyfriend.

Who knows? Family ties are mysterious -- sometimes they're sweet, sometimes sharp. Striking the right balance between tender and tangy is no mean feat.

Judging by their Serena variety, anyway, I'll bet the cheese-making sisters get it mostly right. Because this farmstead cheese, made from the unpasteurized milk of a herd of Jersey cows, is a marvelous example of how contrasting tastes, when balanced just exactly so, can make a powerfully good combination.

It's a semi-hard variety, full of firm, nutty flavor. The first tastes are all sweet cream -- lush, full-bodied and buttery. But then, in an instant, the flavor turn to a sharp bite, a slight swirl of tanginess that evens out that initial sweetness.

In fact, Serena kind of reminds me a little bit of Parmigiano. Though it is not nearly so complex and refined as that greatest of cheeses, it does seem slightly related. Not a sister, perhaps, but at least a second cousin, once removed.

Try some. While you're at it, remember to share it with your family.