Cheese Curds

As part of the Windham Foundation, whose mission is to promote Vermont's rural communities, one of the ways we do that is to be an integral part of our community.

And around these parts, February is a busy month for us.

SKI JUMPING

We are proud to be a sponsor of the 90th year of Harris Hill Ski Jumping, which will take place in Brattleboro February 18 & 19 (11 am start each day). And YES, they have the snow! Snowmaking has been taking place on the hill for the past two weeks (thanks to Mount Snow) and it's looking great.

This year, the ONLY FIS (international ski federation) ski jump in the US is at Harris Hill, so the best of the best will be on-site. Watching athletes jump more than 300 feet in the air at nearly 60 mph, literally in our backyard, well, there's nothing else like it. And of course, we will be on-site sampling cheese, hanging out and enjoying the vibe (with excellent coupons for our two retail stores). Visit www.HarrisHillSkiJump.com for more.

ICE FISHING

For our fourth consecutive year, we will present an Ice Fishing Derby on the Retreat Meadows (water across the road from our Brattleboro facility), as part of the Brattleboro Winter Carnival activities. It will be held Saturday, February 25. On-ice registration starts at 5 am and the competition runs from 6 am - 3 pm. Prizes for kids for the biggest fish. 50/50 raffle. Cash prizes for the 4 biggest fish for adults. It's a great time out on the ice!

Thanks to Food.com for this great recipe.... perfect for football playoff season. And since we're in New England, we anticipate enjoying this as the Pats head to another Super Bowl berth.

• 3 large Vidalia onions or any 3 large sweet onions; coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter or 2 tablespoons of margarine; melted

• 2 cups of two year Grafton Village Cheddar cheese (2-year aged or Maple Smoked suggested); shredded (8 oz.)

• 1 cup of mayonnaise

• 1 to 2 garlic cloves; minced

Directions:

1. Cook the onion in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until tender.

2. Combine the onion, cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce and garlic; stir well.

3. Pour into a lightly buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole dish

4. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

5. Serve the dip with tortilla chips or assorted crackers and enjoy!

Read more at : http://www.food.com/recipe/vadalia-onion-cheese-dip-44985#ixzz1iPgGSVVh

The holidays are just around the corner and this cheddar bake is an easy and delicious breakfast that can be made ahead of time. Featuring Grafton Tavern Select Maple Smoked Cheddar, this cheese is cold-smoked over smoldering maple wood chips giving it a smooth, subtle and smoky flavor that really enhances the dish.

Ingredients

2 tsp butter

8 slices bread

1/2 lb cooked ham (ground or finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp mustard (mixed with 1 Tbs milk)

1 tsp parsley

8 oz Grafton Tavern Select Maple Smoked Cheddar

1 1/2 cups milk

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 tsp salt

1 dash black pepper

Methods & Steps

Butter an 8" glass baking dish. Trim crusts of bread and fit 4 slices into dish.

Combine ham with mustard and parsley and mix well.

Spread ham on half the bread, then sprinkle cheese over ham. Top with remaining slices of bread cut diagonally.

Combine milk with eggs and seasoning and stir well. Pour mixture over bread. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Serves: 4

Vermont's Favorite Indulgences

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The creative minds here at Grafton Village Cheese recently teamed up with Long Trail Brewing to create the ultimate pairing guide for the holidays. No matter where you are spending the holidays, these delicious pairs bring your taste buds right here to snowy Vermont. Our Master Cheesemaker Dane Huebner paired up with Long Trail Brewing's Head Chef Matt Pond to create a guide that's perfect for holiday entertaining and indulging.

Grafton Village Cheese 2 Year Aged Cheddar

- Pairs best with: Altbiers and Brown Ales

- Suggested Pairings: Long Trail Ale, Long Trail Harvest (seasonal)

- Dane Says: "The slight fruit and bitter noted in both the cheddar and beer play with each other."

Grafton Village Cheese Tavern Select 3 Year Aged Cheddar

- Pairs best with: Pale Ales, Reds, Wheats

- Suggested Pairing: Long Trail Pale Ale

- Matt Says: "The sharpness of the cheddar is accented nicely by the floral tones of a pale ale."

Grafton Village Cheese Tavern Select 4 Year Aged Cheddar

- Pairs best with: IPA

- Suggested Pairing: Long Trail Traditional IPA

- Dane Says: "The stronger bitter notes in this beer bring out more mature cheddar aromas and flavors in our four year."

Grafton Village Cheese Duet

- Pairs best with: Porters and Stouts

- Suggested Pairing: Long Trail Imperial Porter

- Matt Says: "The creaminess of the cheese and the malty undertones of the porter are incredible; it's a match made in heaven!"

After a short hiatus we’re back and with some wonderful news! At the world's largest and most diverse cheese competition last week, the World Cheese Awards, Grafton Village Cheese earned five awards taking home one gold and four bronze medals. Our winning cheeses are all from the new Grafton Cave Aged Line, courtesy of Master Cheesemaker Dane Huebner.

Since joining us here at Grafton Village Cheese, Dane’s expertise and creativity have produced some really unique (and delicious!) mixed milk cheeses that are proving to be as celebrated as our classic varieties. Grafton’s gold medal winner at the Birmingham, England competition is the Vermont Clothbound Cheddar. This cheese is wrapped in cheesecloth to retain natural moisture while it slowly ages in our cheese caves and develops a bold flavor.
Bronze medals went to our Barndance, Truffled Bismark, Shepsog and Red Vask cheeses. At the competition 216 judges evaluated 2,700 different cheeses from around the globe.

We’re very excited to earn such honors on an international level, and we can’t wait for these new varieties to become available to the public. The winning Cave Aged Vermont Clothbound, Barndance and Truffled Bismark, along with three others, will be available for purchase in specialty cheese shops and online in 2012.

We are thrilled to say that both Grafton Village Cheese and the town of Grafton have fully recovered from hurricane Irene and are preparing for a spectacular fall foliage season. The scheduled milk deliveries are now back in place allowing for both locations to be handmaking cheese, including the usage of our cave aging facility at the Grafton location. Our retail stores in both Grafton and Brattleboro are open for business.

Take a look a this video to see for yourself that Grafton is back to its quintessential Vermont beauty. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/pUYgDA

Come visit us soon!

Grafton Village Cheese and Grafton Village Recuperating Quickly from Hurricane Irene’s Flooding, Moving Forward

—Most business in Grafton, Vermont are Open and Access In and Out of Village Exists—

Grafton Village Cheese of Grafton, Vermont and the Village of Grafton are recovering at an astonishing speed after flooding that resulted from Hurricane Irene. The creamery in Grafton, which was surrounded by water during the highest flooding, is still in tact. Cleanup efforts are running smoothly. Grafton’s cheese-making facility in Brattleboro is unharmed. Grafton’s retail stores in both locations are open for business. The Old Tavern at Grafton Inn is also open as the Village moves forward in the wake of the storm. While the Grafton creamery is not making cheese due to interrupted milk deliveries within the state, they expect to be back to handmaking cheese as soon as possible.

Route 35 from Chester, VT is OPEN as a route in and out of the village and provides the best access for vehicles. It should be noted, however, that this road has some missing shoulders. They are well marked but please drive slowly and during daylight hours if at all possible. Officials opened this road on Tuesday morning, August 30. Crews are working to make alternate routes passable. 

Staying true to Vermont’s dedication to community ingenuity and hard work, Grafton is pulling together to rectify and damage caused by the hurricane.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 60 Minutes

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (2 T. for baking dish)

2 cups whole milk

½ cup water

1 ½ cups fresh local corn kernels

½ cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

½ cup artisan stone-ground white cornmeal (such as Anson Mills)

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Pinch of ground cayenne pepper

1 cup shredded 1 year Grafton Village Sharp Cheddar

4 large eggs, separated

Directions

Conventional Oven: Preheat oven to 400˚F. Preheat 9” cast iron skillet while assembling ingredients. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water and milk. Bring to a low boil then begin whisking in the cornmeals, salt and pepper. While whisking steadily bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low heat. Add the corn kernels. Stir frequently until mixture has begun to thicken for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the shredded Grafton cheddar. Let cool 10 minutes. Mix in egg yolks. Remove cast iron skillet from oven.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft white peaks form with a pinch of salt. Gently fold the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture in 1/3’s being careful to keep the mixture foamy using a heat-resistant rubber spatula.

Butter cast iron skillet. Pour mixture into cast iron skillet. Place dish into oven and reduce heat to 375˚F. Bake until puffed, nicely browned on top but still slightly loose in the center so it can set, about 25-35 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving, still hot.

The Whip Bar & Grill in Stowe, Vermont at the Green Mountain Inn provides travelers respite, refreshment, and fine dining in a casual atmosphere. Featuring an extensive menu full of flavorful food prepared with Vermont food products and the freshest ingredients from Vermont local farmers.

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1/3 cup cream chese (room temperature)
2 cups flour

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Stir in flour until smooth. Shape into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours. Heat oven to 475°. Roll tart dough into a rectangular shape on a lightly floured surface and place in a 11" x 7" baking dish. Tuck excess dough around edge of dish to build a slight wall half way up the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and then bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside while making the filling.

Filling:

3 red onions sliced thin
2 large white onions sliced thin
1/4 vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider (can be omitted if unavailable)
1/2 cup white wine

1 cup 1 Year Aged Grafton Cheddar

Directions:

-Heat large sauté pan over high heat.

-Add oil, onions and stir with a wooden spoon to prevent burning.

-Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook stirring often until onions begin to darken (around 30 minutes).

-Add your liquids and scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate any of the caramelized onion bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Spread onion mixture evenly in pre-baked tart shell.

-Evenly cover tart with 1 cup aged Grafton Cheddar.

-Bake at 425° for 10 minutes.

-Let cool slightly before cutting.

Enjoy!

Led by Chef Kyle Bailey (below), Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac and Beer Director Greg Engert, Birch & Barley is made possible by a passionate team of professionals relentlessly committed to their craft. From relationships made with purveyors to the uncompromising quality of ingredients and execution, every detail is tended to in the pursuit of excellence and in the best interest of the guest. Visit www.birchandbarley.com in Washington, D.C.

Ingredients:

1 cup white stone-ground grits
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Grafton One Year Premium cheddar
Salt and white pepper to taste

Instruction:

1. Combine chicken stock, milk and cream in saucepan. Season with salt and
pepper. Heat to simmer.
2. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes over medium-low heat.
3. Turn off heat. Stir in cheese. Serve.

Michael's on the Hill is located in Waterbury Center, VT. They offer locally driven, innovative European cuisine and a welcoming, refined atmosphere. Michael's on the Hill menus change seasonally and are created around the best products available from our network of farmers. This recipe was developed by Laura and Michael Kloeti, chefs and owners of Michael's on the Hill.

Ingredients:

6 each Acorn Squash

2 ounces Onion, yellow, diced

3 ounces Celery Root, peeled and diced

3 ounces Parsnip, peeled and diced

3 ounces Apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced

1 ½ pounds Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and diced

1 ½ ounces Maple Syrup

4 cups Water or chicken stock

8 ounces Vermont Apple Cider

½ pound Winding Brook Farm Bacon,  julienne cut

2 Tablespoons Crème Fraiche

pinch Cinnamon, ground

to taste Salt

to taste Pepper, fresh ground black

6 Tablespoons Grafton Village Cheddar- 2 Year Aged, grated

2 tablespoons Butter, unsalted, melted

2 teaspoons Chives, chopped

6 sprigs Rosemary

Method for the soup:

-Roast vegetables and apple at 375 degrees F. until golden brown-approximately 25 minutes.

-Cut top off acorn squash, and scoop out seeds. Cut off bottom-just enough for the squash to be able to stand easily, but do not allow a hole to form, or the soup will leak. Rub the squash and the cut off top with olive oil and roast until it slightly browns. Remove from oven to cool. Stick Rosemary sprig into the top of the squash cover to resemble the stem.

-Add the apple cider, water and maple syrup to the roasting vegetables.

-Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat. Cook about 10 minutes until extremely soft.

-Season to taste with salt and pepper

-Puree.

-Mix the crème fraiche, cinnamon and salt and pepper together.

Method for the bacon:

-Cook slowly over low heat to render the fat, until bacon is crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon from the pan onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess fat.

-To serve, place warmed acorn squash into a wide soup bowl.

-Pour in hot soup, top with cheese, a dollop of crème fraiche, and the crisp bacon.

-Sprinkle with chopped chives and put acorn squash top on.

-Enjoy!

Yield: 6 Servings

We’re losing a few members of the Grafton Village Cheese Company family this winter, ranging in tenure with us from two to 40 years. As we reflect on these departures, we recognize that we are, indeed, a sum of our parts. The parts that truly matter, and that define who we are as a company, are our people. We are blessed with a small, tight-knit staff with amazing dedication and commitment to our values: quality and community, history and tradition, and the Vermont way of life. As a company of the Windham Foundation, we work hard at our mission, and the pride shows clearly in the spirit of each one of our workers. We will truly miss the folks that are leaving, but we believe that they have gained much from their association with us, and more profoundly, we have been enriched by their connection with us. All the best, friends.

The Northeast was hit hard this past weekend with several inches of beautiful snow. I can say beautiful, because I wasn't around when it hit.  While we admire its beauty, it doesn't make life easy for cheese deliveries over the holidays.  In fact, UPS didn't even pick up packages on Monday because of the dangerous roads. This has caused a few delayed shipments, but it sounds like they are back on track the rest of the week.

This is all minor compared to the extra work a dairy farmer must do after a major snow.  Hours are spent shoveling, snow-blowing and bedding cattle with extra straw.  Let's not forget about the driveway getting cleared out before the milk hauler comes to pick up the milk.  Let's face it, many of you (and most GVC employees) likely go out a few minutes early to clear out the driveway and dust off the car before heading to work. It's really not so bad once you put it into perspective. 

Now imagine, going out to the barn for morning chores and realizing that the lights don't work. You struggle a little to figure out what's wrong, but come to find out that the barn roof has caved in from all of the snow.  Not exactly what you want to see (or can't see) at 4:30 in the morning.  This isn't that exaggerated of a story. Many dairies lost barn roofs due to recent heavy snow in the Upper Midwest.  It's times like these when neighbors, friends and family get together and accomplish great things. 

We all have struggles and hurdles to stride. It seems that they're especially prominent during the holiday season. But what we need to remember is that we're all in this together.  Whether it's the dairy producer, milk hauler, UPS delivery-person, a cheese-maker, or consumers like you, we all depend on each other for success - and we're not going to let some snow get in the way... and we all know it takes more than a little snow to keep us from the delicious cheese made here at Grafton Village Cheese!

You may have read my post last year when I talked about white vs. orange cheddar.  I was so shocked about the opposition to orange cheddar in New England.  Well, a year has passed and I no longer feel that way.  I'll still eat orange cheddar, because I know there's no taste difference, but I've become a little biased towards the white stuff. And if there isn't orange cheddar available (except for the shredded stuff in a bag), than white cheddar seems like the norm. 

My good friends in the Midwest can continue to eat their orange cheese and my new good friends in New England can continue to eat their white cheese.  Whatever makes you happy, ok?! But guess what Midwest, you're missing out on some tasty stuff. Our cheddar is white, just like all of that snow you have and we love it.  

Wondering where you can find some of our white goodness in your area? Click here for locations. We don't want to be greedy.

Want to whip together a cheese platter for your holiday guests? We have some suggestions, but feel free to get creative. We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

May your days be merry and bright
And may all your cheeses be white...

I'm not the type to get all excited about Black Friday. There's something about having my personal bubble burst and the anxiety of finding the perfect deal, that causes my blood pressure to rise.  

Instead, I celebrate Black Friday by tuning into my favorite holiday music.  I wait an entire year for this day. From Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" to Alvin and the Chipmunks, my car stereo is pumping. I only allow myself one new holiday CD per year therefore, I'll have quite the collection by the time I reach my golden years. 

What does this all have to do with cheese? Everything, of course. It means that it's time for me to start planning what cheese to send home for the holidays and what wine to pair with it. It means the mad rush of shopping and food begins. There's no better time.

So tell me this, what is your favorite holiday tune and what is your favorite cheese to bring home for the holidays?

My cousins are running around screaming and my grandpa is passing out the wine like it's water.  Fifteen people are crowded in the kitchen, when there should only be four. There's homemade pickles, deviled eggs, a cheese platter and rolls sitting on the tiny round table amongst the human sardines. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. This is Thanksgiving.

I love my family and I love our traditions. There's nothing more satisfying than to be surrounded by people you love, and who love you. My extended family is rather large as my father has eight brothers and sisters, who all have children. It's always impossible to catch up with everyone in one day, so thankfully Christmas is only a month away.

Grafton Village Cheese also has its traditions. We understand that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a full Thanksgiving meal. In fact, recent surveys show that 1 in 6 Vermont children and more than 1 in 8 Vermont households are food insecure. 

Grafton Village Cheese recently donated over 10,000 pounds of cheese to the Vermont Food Bank and over 400 pounds to local schools and nonprofits. Fortunately, these families and individuals will have a full stomach this Thanksgiving.

What traditions do you have? We'd love to hear your story.

No, we don't mean Rodin's "The Thinker" sculpted out of a block of cheese.  We're referring to the art of lovingly handcrafting a batch of cheese using time-honored traditions and carefully selected natural ingredients.  When you gaze into a cheese case, with its myriad shapes, rinds, milks and textures, you want to meet the makers and hear their stories. When you look at a cheese plate artfully created with wedges and slices, you get a subtle, yet powerful, sense of the creators.  When you taste the final product, it's the perfect expression of the craft; your senses come alive with appreciation as you take in the complexity that can only be found in an artisanal cheese.  Join us in celebrating the cheesemakers this holiday season.  Give their art to your friends and family.  Bring their craft to your holiday gatherings.  Treat yourself. Seek out the special, the handmade, the small, the historic.  Honor the art, praise the maker, and savor the cheese.

Have you checked out the November 2010 issue of Ladies Home Journal? If you have, you probably noticed a familiar cheese. 

Our Grafton Clothbound Cave Aged cheddar was featured on their cheese board, and we couldn't be more flattered.  The rest of the article includes tips to create your own cheese board, as well as the perfect  accompaniments for your cheeses.

I may be a week late with this, but I just had to share. This was my lovely pumpkin carving creation for the year. Let me know what you think!

As Halloween draws near, I can't help but dream about my pumpkin carving design for the year.  It's really hard to focus on work when I know that I have this wort-loaded pumpkin sitting on my front steps, just waiting to be carved into some kind of crazy/dairy creation. 

You see, nearly everything I do has a dairy flare.  I can't help it, it's in my blood.  From cow-shaped donuts to Got Milk? posters in my cubicle wall, it's everywhere.

So I'm asking you a favor - what should I carve my pumpkin into this year? I only have one requirement: dairy.  Cheese being the likely topic here, tell me what you've got.

This was my lovely pumpkin carving creation last Halloween season.