“Beautiful Vermont”

 Mt. Alice – Waitsfield, VT

Pasteurized, cow’s milk

About: “Since 2009, the von Trapps have been making organic artisan cheeses at their family’s dairy farm in Waitsfield, Vermont. They keep an organic herd of about 50 Jersey, Ayrshire, Normande and Montbeliarde cows, and strive to be an example of how a small family farm can be economically viable by producing small-batch cheeses.

Showcasing the farm’s organic milk with its richness and creamy texture, Mt Alice wears a thin bloomy rind and has a supple paste that becomes gooey with age. Younger wheels are bright and milky with flavors of crème fraiche, white button mushroom, dough and floral lemon. The cheese becomes earthier as it ages, offering flavors of cultured butter, cooked brassica and shiitake mushroom, with a woodsy rind” www.cowgirlcreamery.com.

Twig Farm Goat Tomme – West Cornwall, VT

Raw, goat’s milk

About: “Michael Lee and Emily Sunderman are partners in life and in cheesemaking. They have been making cheese at Twig Farm, their idyllic 20-acre property just outside of Middlebury, Vermont, since 2005. A small herd of pastured does produces most of the milk for their aged raw milk cheeses, and the farm also sources additional milk from neighboring dairies. Lee, a former cheesemonger who honed his craft at Vermont’s Peaked Mountain Farm, uses traditional cheesemaking methods along with careful affinage techniques to create award-winning cheeses with stunningly beautiful rinds.

An earthy, soft gray-brown rind covers this dainty drum of firm, aged goat cheese. Underneath, the paste offers bright flavors of herbs and grass, a perfect reflection of the clean, delicious milk that Twig Farm’s goats produce” www.cowgirlcreamery.com.

Tarentaise – Spring Brook Farm, Reading, VT

Raw, cow’s milk

About: “On a trip to England, Karli and Jim Hagedorn were inspired by a program that taught city children about farming. Once home, they created the Farms for City Kids Foundation, a program that brings students from nearby cities, most of whom have never had the chance to travel, up to the farm in southwestern Vermont to spend time learning while helping out. The farm has a small herd of Jersey cows, vegetables, orchards and a maple sugar house that gathers from over 3,000 taps. Cheesemaking has recently been introduced as a means of financially supporting the foundation, and the Spring Brook Farm cheese house is designed with a glassed-in viewing area, so the students can watch the cheesemakers while they work.

Inspired by the French cheese Abondance, Tarentaise is made from a recipe created by John Putnam at Thistle Hill Farm. Made in copper vats from traditional methods, Tarentaise is a firm cheese with robust nutty flavors, and a hint of spiciness on the finish. It is wonderful alongside a few slices of speck and a rich brown ale” www.cowirlcreamery.com.

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Bonus Vermont item: Big Picture Farm Goats Milk Caramels!  These caramels are absolutely delicious, a true treat! ….and the goats are adorable!  Check them out at: https://bigpicturefarm.com/

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For those of you with the added Charcuterie of the Month:

Red Wine & Garlic Salami – Vermont Salumi, Plainfield, VT – “A combination of fresh ground pork and spices in all-natural casings. Each link is hand tied, fermented, and aged for three weeks to develop superb taste and texture”www.vermontsalumi.com/salami.