Vermont Cheese Council e-Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 1 March, 2011
In this issue:

Awards

Cheese News

New Cheeses


Good Cheese Reading

Events

Cheesemaking Classes

Recipe of the Month


Join the Vermont Cheese Council

...more info


"Vermont's
Got the Blues"

Our, Fall / Winter print newsletter, can be read on our web site.


Vermont Cheese Trail Map
Vermont Cheese Trail Map ThumbnailThe new Vermont Cheese Trail Map has just been reprinted! Visit our web site for the latest version, or if you would like some printed copies, please send a request to info@vtcheese.com


Thank you retailers and other associate members for your support of the Vermont Cheese Council!

Billings Farm & Museum

Black River Produce

Brattleboro Food Coop

Castleton Crackers


Castleton Village Store

Cheese Traders &
Wine Sellers


City Feed & Supply

Dakin Farm

Dairy Connection

Equinox Resort and Spa

Diamond Information Solutions

Fairfield Cheese

Hanover Coop

Harvest Market

Healthy Living

Hunger Mountain Coop

Jim Wallace Consulting


Joppa Fine Foods

Lebanon Coop

Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op


Mountain Cheese and Wine

Mountain Greens Market and Deli

Norma's Restuarant at Topnotch Resort

Newport Specialty Foods

Peter Dixon Dairy Consulting

Provisions International

Ren Hen Cafe and Bakery

Rock Art Brewery


South Royalton Market

Stratton Mountain Provisions

Sugarbush Farm

Sweet Clover

The Cellars Group

The Cheese House

The Cheese Shop/ Wasiks

The Daily Planet

Wine and Cheese Depot

Upper Valley Food Coop

Vermont Cheesemongers

Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese

Woodstock Farmer's Market




Facebook

Become a fan of the Vermont Cheese Council on Facebook!

Visit our Facebook page.

Post a comment or a photo about your favorite Vermont cheese.




Follow the Vermont Cheese Council on twitter






Cheese makes a wonderful Valentine's gift. Many of our members sell their cheese  through their web site. Visit our cheesemakers online.

Blue Ledge Farm

Blythedale Farm

Bonnieview Farm

Boston Post Dairy

Cabot Creamery

Champlain Valley Creamery

Cobb Hill Cheese

Consider Bardwell Farm

Crawford Family Farm

Crowley Cheese

Dancing Cow Farm

Does' Leap

Fat Toad Farm

Franklin Foods

Grafton Village Cheese

Hildene Farm Signature Cheese

Green Mountain Blue Cheese

Jasper Hill Farm

Jericho Hill Farm

Lakes End Cheeses

Lazy Lady Farm

Maplebrook Farm

Mt. Mansfield Creamery

Neighborly Farms

Orb Weaver Farm

Peaked Mountain Farm

Ploughgate Creamery

Plymouth Artisan Cheese

Sage Farm

Scholten Family Farm

Shelburne Farms

Spring Brook Farm

Taylor Farm

Thistle Hill Farm

Twig Farm

Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery

Vermont Farmstead Cheese

Vermont Shepherd

von Trapp Farmstead

Willow Hill Farm

West River Creamery

Woodcock Farm


Awards

us cheese awards

Vermont Winners in the
U.S. Championship Cheese Contest

Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery
Best of Class: Surface (Mold) Ripened Mixed Milk Cheese -   CREMONT
Second: Surface (Mold) Ripened Goats Milk Cheese -   COUPOLE
Third: Flavored Soft Goats Milk Cheese - HERB CHEVRE
Third: Soft Goats Milk Cheese - PLAIN CHEVRE

Jasper Hill Farm
Best of Class: Smear Ripened Soft Cheeses - WINNEMERE

Farms for City Kids Foundation (Spring Brook Farm)
Best of Class: Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses - TARENTAISE

Consider Bardwell Farm
Second: Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses - RUPERT

Cabot Creamery Cooperative
Best of Class: 2+ Year Cheddar - EXTRA SHARP
Best of Class: Low Fat Cheese - 75% REDUCED FAT
Second: 2+ Year Cheddar - EXTRA SHARP
Second: COTTAGE CHEESE

 


Cheese News


SAVE THE DATE!
The 3rd Annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival
Sunday, July 24th
, 2011
Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms

Enjoy over 100 cheeses, plus artisan foods, wine, & beer! Take part in Tasting Seminars, and Demonstrations.

The website is live, and tickets are now on sale! Get yours today ~ tickets sell out early!

VT cheese fest

Last year we had over 60 volunteers and will be looking for more this year. If you are interested in volunteering, email Rachel for details.

 

cbf new cave Consider Bardwell Farm recently opened a new cave for aging its Manchester and Rupert cheeses. Designed and built by CBF proprietor Russell Glover, the cave uses an innovative, energy efficient liquid cooling system. The cheeses in the new 650 square foot space are aging beautifully, and the cave is filling up quickly. Rumor has it a new cave is already in the works!

farm to plate

Farm to Plate Strategic Plan Released!

Eighteen months in the making, the Executive Summary of the Farm to Plate Strategic Plan is released! The Farm to Plate plan assessed Vermont's food system as a driver of the state's economy, finding that total economic output is at least $2.7 billion annually, while employing over 55,500 people at nearly 11,000 private sector businesses across the state. To read the Executive Summary, you can download a copy or stop by the office at 3 Pitking Court in Montpelier.


rural cooperativesRead the January /February 2011 issue of USDA's "Rural Cooperatives" magazine.  To request a hard copy or for more information contact dan.campbell@wdc.usda.gov.



Keep Local Farms

Please help support this program that will in turn help support the Vermont cheesemaking community as well as many other farmers, the working landscape and the ability to produce farm products for our community.





nat and paulBack at the Vat
at
Shelburne Farms

Nat and Paul made the first cheese of 2011 on March 2nd, with about 4,900 pounds of milk in the vat. Nat reported it a "happy cheese." And the 600 pounds of cheese meant a high yield of 12.5% (10% is average). Dairy Manager Sam Dixon attributes this to the herd's diet of quality feed and last year's great silage, making their milk rich in proteins and solids. Nat and Paul will be making cheese four days a week through April, when production will kick up. Check out this short video wherein Nat narrates his first day of 2011 cheesemaking .


New Cheese

Boston Post Dairy 

Creamy Maple Chevre, one of their seasonal flavors, is available in 8 oz tubs. Get it now! This treat is only available during late winter and early spring.


Good Cheese Reading

~Thoughts on Cheese and Life ~

Orb Weaver Farm

Saxelby Cheesemongers & Cutting the Curd

Culture Magazine

Bob-White Systems

 


Events

May 28 & 29: Cows & Camembert Weekend camembert & cows

Come out to Billings Farm & Museum and celebrate Vermont’s dairy heritage with two days of sampling and purchasing delicious Vermont cheeses made by artisans, plus dairy education programs, ice cream and butter making, and judging Jerseys with the farm manager. Take a cow’s tour of the farmhouse and test your knowledge of cow trivia.


Cheesemaking Classes

Artisan Cheesemaking Workshops in Westminster, Vermont. 

Two and three-day workshops in making and aging cheese, taught by Peter Dixon.
 
May 28-29
Hands-On Cheesemaking

June 23-25
Introduction to Artisan Cheesemaking

Click here for more information & a complete list of workshops.

 

fairfield

April 5
American Artisan Cheese & American Craft Beer

April 12
Cheese 101

April 26
Left Coast Cheese

May 3
Regional Focus: Buon Gusto! The Cheeses of Italy

May17
Goat-a-palooza

May 24
Cheese 101: Entertaining with Cheese

Click here for more information.

 


cheese

Cheesemaking with Jim Wallace the 'Tech Guy' at cheesemaking.com






April 9-10
Your Next Big Step in Cheesemaking

April 9-10
Semi Soft & Early Ripening Cheeses

May 21-22
French Cheese Making

Click here for complete details.



The Vermont Institute For Artisan Cheese Classes

 

April 4-6
Artisan Cheesemaking Practices: Alpine Cheeses

April 7-8

Affinage: Behind the Scenes

April 25-28
Essential Principles and Practices of Cheesemaking

April 29
Quality and Chemistry of Milk

May 2-3
Cheese Chemistry Short Course

May 4
Hygiene & Food Safety in Cheesemaking

May 5
Basic Sensory Evaluation

May 23-26
Essential Principles and Practices of Cheesemaking

May 27
Quality and Chemistry of Milk

May 31 - June 1
Cheese Chemistry Short Course

Click here for more information and a complete list of classes.


Recipe of the Monthchef contos

By Courtney Contos,
Culinary Consultant @ chefcontos.com

kopanisti - whipped feta dip

Kopanisti (Whipped Feta Dip)

12-ounces Vermont Feta
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 pepperoncini peppers, stems removed
Pinch of finely ground pepper

Garnish options - chopped parsley, chopped mint, aleppo chilies, smokey paprika, red
pepper flakes, or lemon zest.

Place all ingredients in the food processor and mix well. Transfer mixture into a serving
bowl and enjoy with vegetables (radishes or sliced cucumber), pita chips, crackers,
spread on sandwiches or a wonderful garnish for lamb. Can be made a day ahead of time.


Become a Friend or Associate Member of the
Vermont Cheese Council

As a Friend of the Vermont Cheese Council, we welcome your donations to assist us with our endeavors to improve the production and advancement of Vermont cheese. Your generous support helps us to continue to grow and expand our technical support for members, while providing you with delicious Vermont cheese. Learn more about the benefits of becoming a friend of the Council or sign up now!

As an Associate Member of the Vermont Cheese Council, we welcome all industry related businesses and individuals who see the value in having a strong cheese industry in Vermont. Learn more about the benefits of an Associate Membership on our web site.

For more information, you may contact our main office at: (866) 261-8595 or visit www.vtcheese.com

This newsletter can also be viewed on our website.