Three French Hens country market in Morris is in full swing this summer, with many visitors arriving early in the morning to make sure they get the choicest of their favorites.

And top among the favorites is Stamper Cheese Company, or “The Cheese Guy,” as many simply call owner Bret Stamper of Chicago.

“They’re our No. 1 seller,” said Monica Vogel, owner of Ruby Begonia’s and one of 3 French Hens’ organizers.

“When people call us about the market, we get the most requests about them. They call to see if they’re going to be there or if they’re going to have a certain kind of cheese.”

Stamper’s also sells at the Channahon Farmers’ Market every Wednesday morning through October.

The cheese guys have a rich selection of artisanal Wisconsin cheeses, and their cheese mongers are a pretty interesting bunch. The group of friends and family of Bret Stamper are artists, musicians, composers, and teachers when they’re not giving out samples of aged cheddar and baby Swiss.

“They’re my artistic family,” Stamper said.

“I’m surrounded by people who are like-minded. We all share a passion for art and cheese.”

Stamper said he seeks out those painters, keyboard players and college professors who enjoy taking his select cheeses to farmers’ markets in the Chicago area. The cheese season is in the summertime, from April until the end of October, he said, making the selling of it a nice side-job for those who have other professions.

The Stamper’s cheese monger who regularly does 3 French Hens in Morris, he said, is Jeff, who is a college professor specializing in the Middle East. He has a book out on Middle Eastern issues, Stamper said. Don’t get him talking about the subject, though, he said with a laugh, or he might forget all about the cheeses he’s selling.

Stamper himself, in addition to being owner of the Stamper Cheese Company, is a certified history teacher with a master’s degree in education and a composer who writes and records independent world folk music.

He plays 40 different instruments.

His love of cheese began when he was a child growing up in the dairy capital of the country, Wisconsin.

He began honing his palate for what he calls the finer cheeses when he worked for a friend who had his own cheese business.

Fine cheeses are much like a nice symphony, with their individual nuances and flavors all blending together to produce one beautiful product.

“I began thinking about cheese in a different way,” Stamper said, “and gaining the ability to distinguish between cheeses.”

Stamper later decided to start his own cheese business that would sell only at area farmers’ markets during the cheese season.

He began what he calls his “search for great cheeses,” looking only at smaller cheesemakers in pockets of southwestern Wisconsin.

One by one, he found a handful of artisan cheese makers who produced the quality of cheese for which he was looking.

“Artisanal cheese makers make a higher quality cheese they make in smaller batches,” he explained.

An example would be a cheddar made from milk from grass-fed cows, he said, that has aged for eight years. Others of his suppliers make European-style cheese, some of which are very difficult to make. An example is Pleasant Ridge Reserve, which Stamper said is a washed rind cheese. It’s very hard to make, he said, but has a beautiful and complex flavor.

Other of his cheese-makers use summer milk that is from pastures rich with flowers and sage.

“That produces a really amazing milk and cheese,” he said. “It has a sweetness and an earthiness, and it sometimes has a pineappley sweetness that comes out of it.”

Artisanal cheeses are a bit more expensive, he said, but well worth it. Making a market for them is good for the producers, as well, Stamper said, as it encourages good quality. He said that shortly after World War II, a large cheese company came in to Wisconsin and took over a big chunk of the cheese-making business, but only giving farmers pennies on the pound.

It was the large corporation that made all the money, he said, with mass production and a product that wasn’t as good. That’s exactly what he’s trying to overcome, by introducing a better product from smaller farms.

One of the cheeses Stamper sells at 3 French Hens is an Amish Swiss made from a world-champion cheese-maker. It’s amazing, he said. They also sell good Parmesans, aged cheddar, fresh mozzarella, and “the best mozzarella string cheese on the planet,” with plain and smoked flavors.

“It’s way better than what you can get in the store,” Stamper said.

They always offer fresh cheese curds, as well.

“We make a cheese run to Wisconsin every week,” he said, “and part of the reason is to bring fresh cheese curds. They’re fresh and squeaky. A mild cheddar. They make a nice snack.”

Offerings also include fresh basil or dill cheese, chipotle cheddar, goat cheeses, a cranberry cheddar, a Guinness stout cheese, and a pistachio roll with cheddar, sweet cream, and a touch of blue cheese rolled in pistachio nuts.

And the thing 3 French Hens-goers like best is that there are always give samples.

“People try it,” Stamper said, “and that’s why they’re blown away. It’s an untouchable table. It’s the best local artisanal cheese table you can get.”

Stamper said the best way to enjoy fine cheese is by keeping it simple. He eats cheese all three meals of the day by slicing it thin and serving small amounts on bread or a simple crisp cracker that doesn’t have too much flavor that would overwhelm the cheese.

Pair it up with some fruit or a fig jam, a handful of olives and a nice beer, he said, and you’ve got the perfect summertime meal. He recommends cheddar cheeses be paired with apples and brie be complemented with apricots.

Walnuts and port wine go especially well with blue cheeses. Good wine pairings can be found by Googling the cheese on the internet.

Stamper’s Cheese Company will be a vendor at this weekend’s 3 French Hens French country market in Canal Port in Morris, Saturday, July 9, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday mornings throughout the summer at the Channahon Farmers’ Market. Stampers also has a Facebook site.

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MARKET FACTS

• WHAT: 3 French Hens Country Market, featuring antiques, artisans, hand-crafted items, fresh produce, baked goods & flowers

• WHERE: Canal Port, on Illinois Avenue in Morris

• WHEN: Next market is this Saturday, July 9; other 2011 dates include June 11, Aug. 13, Sept. 10, Oct. 8 and Nov. 18-19

• WHO: More than 70 vendors will participate or have partcipated; a complete list is online at http://3frenchhensmarket.blogspot.com/p/market-vendors.html

• MORE INFORMATION: Available by calling (815) 941-0752 or online by visiting http://www.3frenchhensmarket.blogspot.com/