It’s sometimes difficult to find organic goat cheese at your local natural and organic food store. When researching last Wednesday’s blog entry on the nutritional aspects of goat cheese, I came across a great organic food find: Coonridge Organic Goat Cheese in Pie Town, New Mexico.

The dairy has been making organic goat cheese since 1981, and you can order a phenomenal selection of flavored goat cheeses through its online store: Curry, Herbs and Garlic, Roasted Garlic, Basil Pesto, Black Peppercorns and Herbs, Flame-Roasted Green Chile, Habeñero, Herbs de Provence, Dried Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic, Scarborough Fair (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme—plus garlic), Italian Herbs, Southwestern Blend, Chipotle, Dillweed Onion and Extra-Hot Flame-Roasted Green Chile. Cheese may be ordered in several quantities, from a single jar to a full case (12 jars).

The Coonridge website also offers a bunch of mouth-watering organic goat cheese recipes—from Baked Apricots with Goat Cheese & Pistachios and Baked Goat Cheese with Arugula Salad to the ever-so-simple Coonridge Baked Potatoes and Coonridge Corn Casserole.

Nancy Nathanya Coonridge, the dairy’s proprietress, believes goat cheese does not have to be strong and “goaty,” and she prides herself on making a mild cheese that pleases the American palate. Tune in tomorrow for my exclusive interview with her about why it’s important to go organic.

“The most popular types of goat cheese in the United States are moderate in fat content,” says Karen Collins, MS, a registered dietitian in private practice and nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research. “Soft goat cheese—with a texture like cream cheese, but a more pronounced, pleasantly tart flavor—is lower in fat than most cheese, with 6 grams of fat and 80 calories per ounce. It is comparable in fat content to reduced-fat (light) cream cheese. You may find some low-fat versions of goat cheese that go further, with only 45 calories and 3 grams of fat per ounce.”

A little goat cheese goes a long way, Collins notes, because its flavor is stronger than many cheeses.

“Because of its unique flavor, only a small amount is needed to add sparkle to a salad, roasted vegetables or pasta-and-vegetable entrée,” she says. “Semi-soft goat cheese is a bit more concentrated, with a fat content more like other cheese: about 100 calories and 8 or 9 grams of fat per ounce. If you go for the ‘triple cream’ goat cheese, realize it has a whopping 150 calories and 15 grams of fat per ounce.”