The Cheeses of Flavors

Vermonters know that this is a great place for anyone who loves cheese. I live in Taftsville and the variety of cheese sold in my local country store rivals that of small gourmet shops in a midwestern city. Of course, as I was reminded today, making cheese is a necessity for some farmers simply because there's no way to make a decent living selling milk today.

There were some great cheesemakers represented at Flavor this year.

Vermont Butter & Cheese Co., a venerable Vermont cheesemaker, was showcasing some of their aged goat cheeses this year: Coupole, Bonne Bouchee, and Bijou. They served at room temperature and were perfect. I particularly like the Bonne Bouche; it's aged in poplar ashes, which cuts the sharpness of the rind just a tad.

Cobb Hill Cheese is certainly well known locally--that their stand at the Norwich Market is typically mobbed. They were sampling both their award-winning Ascutney Mountain Cheese and the Welsh-Style Cheddar. The cheddar is smoother and more buttery than the extra-sharp Vermont-style cheddars. The Ascutney Mountain cheese is a multiple national award-winner. No website, but you can email Jeanne Kilbride. (Photo above: Cobb Hill Ascutney Mountain Wheel 99 gets cut for sampling.)

Who knew that Organic Valley made Vermont cheddar cheeses? The national, farmer-owned coop was sampling medium, sharp, and extra sharp Vermont cheddars.

Like chevre? The fresh, soft goat cheese is very popular and can be used for a huge variety of dishes. Or eaten fresh. Fat Toad Farm from Brookfield uses its goat cheese as a base for a large variety of flavored chevres, including one for olive lovers and another flavored with sundried tomatoes and basil.

Finally, Jericho Hill Farm from Hartford was sampling its Jericho Jack and Colby cheeses. These cheeses are made from the milk of a small herd--seven cows, in fact. The fifth-generation farm began making cheese to stay in business when milk prices dipped. Linda Miller credited the Vermont Cheese Council and Vermont cheesemakers--including her neighbors at Cobb Hill--with helping Jericho Hill get started. "It's wonderful how collegial people are here," she said.