Burrata means "buttered"

Calling all cheese lovers.....you simply HAVE to try this (especially at our special price!) So sinfully delish.

Read about it here.

Virginia Farmstead Cheese - Meadow Creek Dairy

There’s nothing quite like a farmstead cheese made close to home. They are handcrafted gems, standing in the spotlight of the foodie’s delight, in a world filled with processed. They use the milk produced on their own farms, and the unique character of the herd’s milk comes out in the cheese. Just say yum. Here’s a little blurb about one of my favorites, right here in Virginia:

Meadow Creek Dairy (from their website)
“Meadow Creek Dairy is a family farm in the mountains of southwest Virginia. At an elevation of 2800ft, the combination of pure water, clean air and deep soils produce an ideal environment for growing diverse, mineral-rich pastures.

Since 1980, farming has been our craft. We have worked closely with our Jersey herd to give them the best care, develop the genetics best adapted to our farm, and in the process produce the highest quality milk. Now we take our craft to its next level, providing you with a full flavored, healthy, ecologically friendly cheese.
We practice sustainable farming methods, managing the land and cattle for health rather than high production. Our primary tool to achieve this goal is intensive grazing management. This involves giving our cattle fresh grass every day; they are not allowed back on the pasture already grazed, allowing the grass to re-grow and preventing overgrazing. We use no herbicides or pesticides on our land. Our only crop is grass. We are therefore able to provide excellent nutrition for the dairy herd while improving the health and fertility of our land.
Our milking season begins in late March when all calves are born coinciding with the grass growth. The cattle are never confined, but instead are born and raised on pasture. The cows graze a diverse mixture of perennial grasses and legumes supplemented with some grains, salt and Norwegian kelp. In the fall, when the grass growth wanes, the cows begin to wind down their milk production. Christmas Eve is the last day of the milking season and the beginning of a two month rest for the cows and our family. We avoid routine use of hormones or antibiotics by constantly monitoring our herd's health. We work toward developing and selecting cows with a healthy immune system.

The taste of our cheeses reflects the diverse pastures and soils of our region. We have created a variety of unique cheeses to showcase our herd's quality milk. We use only fresh, unpasteurized milk from our own Grade A dairy. Starter culture and rennet are added to form a curd. The curd is cut and manipulated according to the variety, then moves on to the pressing table. Our craft continues in the aging rooms where our cheeses are hand tended. We carefully pick cheese for sale only when flavor has reached its peak.”
In stock now at William Street: Meadow Creek Dairy’s Appalachian

“Supple, straw color paste and a white mould rind with glimpses of pink showing through. The flavor is mild and buttery with a spicy finish and a hint of mushroom.”

Try pairing this rich, gloriously delicious semi-hard cheese with a Pinot Grigio. Lovely on its own, but use a sliced baguette and make yourself an amazing grilled cheese sandwich, gourmet-style.

Triple Crème Heaven

Kunik, I have missed you so. We finally have this cheese back in stock, and the price has come down considerably (maybe the recession drove the price down, who knows) making it a semi-pricey, but completely worth it indulgence. Nettle Meadow is a creamery in upstate New York producing excellent farmstead cheeses. Farmstead cheeses are defined as having the complete cycle produced right on the farm; raising the animal, harvesting the milk and cream, and producing the cheese. Even Better Nettle Meadow pasture raises their animals making for healthful and flavorful cheeses.

Cheese lovers, if you haven't tried the Kunik, you have yet to experience cheese nirvana. Here is how the dairy, Nettle Meadow describes this cheese:

Kunik is a unique and voluptuous triple cream cheese only made in Thurman, New York in the Warrensburg area at our small family farm. It is a white mold-ripened wheel made from goat's milk and jersey cow cream. The blend makes Kunik far richer and more flavorful than a brie-type cheese yet more subtle and sumptuous than similarly ripened goat cheeses.

Here is what critics are saying:
"Kunik is dreamy mild-ripened cheese made from a mix of goat's milk and fresh Jersey cream. It ranges from earthy, grassy and slightly firm to supple and unctuous and pungent, depending on its level of maturity. Kunik is delicious at any age and deserves a much coveted place in your belly." Anne Saxelby's Selections, Saxelby Cheesemonger, Essex Market, NYC, 2006.

"Kunik, a soft, bloomy Jersey cow and goat's milk cheese from Warrensburg New York was killing me softly with its smooth, creamy, flavorful but not at all stinky song. Jersey cows are known for their high milk-fat output and it comes through brilliantly in the Kunik." Grocery Guy, Chuck Klosterman's blog. June 12, 2006.

"...this tart tangy triple creme made of pasteurized goat milk, but enriched with fatty jersey cow cream. The blend makes for a sumptuous, thick buttery taste that retains the kick of fresh chevre." Murray's Cheese, NYC, 2006.

"It doesn't make you tired like other cheeses... This, you want to have more. It is very inviting. You could eat this with a spoon, it is very addictive." Joseba Encabo, Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.

We Still Have Some Roquefort Cheese

We still have a few pieces of Roquefort cheese at our Plank Road store (next to Ukrops). In case you were not aware, this cheese is not currently being imported into America because of a trade war with France. Many people consider this the best blue cheese in the world and many recipes call for it. This is fair warning because I know I will get phone calls later this year asking if we have any Roquefort. While it will probably get imported again some time in the future, nobody really knows when that is. This cheese will be gone in another week so this is your last chance!

My New Favorite Cheese, and It's Local!

Just recently I took home a few cheeses for the house from our cheese selection. One was from a cheese producer I was familiar with but hadn't had this particular one. The Appalachian from Meadow Creek Dairy is my new favorite cheese. Meadow Creek is a darling of food writers accross the country yet relatively unknown in VA where the dairy is located. This must change.

Meadow Creek Dairy is a family farm in the mountains of southwest Virginia. At an elevation of 2800ft, the combination of pure water, clean air and deep soils produce an ideal environment for growing diverse, mineral-rich pastures.

Since 1980, farming has been our craft. We have worked closely with our Jersey herd to give them the best care, develop the genetics best adapted to our farm, and in the process produce the highest quality milk. Now we take our craft to its next level, providing you with a full flavored, healthy, ecologically friendly cheese.

They produce farmstead cheeses (meaning the whole cycle happens on the farm) of exceptional quality. The Appalachian which we have in stock now is described as having a:

supple straw color paste and a white mould rind with glimpses of pink showing through. The flavor is mild and buttery with a spicy finish and just a hint of mushroom.

It melts beautifully and is wonderfully flavorful. Pair with the Jefferson Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay or Linden Hardscrabble Chardonnay for a completely local experience.

Barely Buzzed at kybecca...

What happens when you take two Silicon Valley geeks and plop them in a Utah dairy farm?! You get the Beehive Cheese Company, makers of delicious, artisan cheddars, each with a unique twist. My favorite (today, anyway) is the Barely Buzzed, rubbed with fresh coffee and lavender. This cheese screams for a dry red wine, but try it also with figs and beer!