Each month, your Neighboring Food Co-ops feature our region’s artisan cheesemakers by offering a specially selected cheese at great price. Look for the “Cave to Co-op” sign in the cheese section at your local food co-op. To find one near you, visit www.nfca.coop/members.
This month’s special cheese is Four Corners from Cobb Hill Cheese, Hartland, VT
Nestled in Hartland, Vermont, Cobb Hill Cheese crafts raw Jersey-milk cheeses using traditional farmstead methods with care for their herd and the land. Four Corners is a Welsh-style cheddar made by hand on the farm from the milk produced by their cows, which graze on fresh grass from May through October.
The cheese is golden when made from summer milk and snowy white from late fall through early spring milk, reflecting the seasonal character of the herd. Each batch is crafted in a Dutch vat with culture, vegetable rennet, and salt, then brined in a whey-salt solution and aged in the farm’s natural cave. This process develops a natural rind and allows the cheese to mature with a firm yet slightly crumbly texture, buttery tang, and subtle farmstead richness. As a Caerphilly-style cheese, a traditional Welsh cheese known for its mild, tangy flavor and approachable texture,
Four Corners is versatile on a cheese board, excellent on its own, or incorporated into cooked dishes. Wonderful as grilled cheese or cheese and apple paninis. It pairs well with apples, pears, seasonal fruits and nuts on a charcuterie board or with crisp dry white wine or pale ale.
Cobb Hill is an intentional cohousing community comprised of people learning to live lightly on the earth and building community among ourselves and with their Hartland neighbors. The intention of sustainability underlies the living, farming, land stewardship, learning and teaching activities across all components of the community.
Welsh Rarebit
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter (15 g)
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon English mustard powder (or Dijon)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1–2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, plus extra to serve
- ½ cup beer (150 ml)
- Pinch of sugar (optional)
- 10 oz. cheese (300 g) — ideally a 50:50 mix of Four Corners and mild cheddar
- 4 thick slices good quality white sandwich bread
Instructions:
1. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook
for 1–2 minutes.
2. Add the mustard powder, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, then
gradually add the beer. Cook for another 2 minutes to cook out the flour.
3. Reduce heat to low. Add the shredded cheese a handful at a time, stirring
until fully melted. (Adding all the cheese at once can cause the mixture to
split.) Allow to cool slightly. This mixture can be made ahead and
refrigerated.
4. Preheat your broiler (grill) to high. Toast the bread slices on both sides.
Divide the rarebit mixture among the four slices and spread evenly.
5. Place under the broiler until the cheese is molten and bubbling, 1–3
minutes. Score the top with a knife and drizzle with extra Worcestershire
sauce if desired.
6. Serve with a leafy salad and mustard dressing for a light lunch, or add a
fried egg on top. Alternatively, pair with fine chutney as a post-dinner
cheese course.
Recipe adapted from Chef Alex Vines on Wales.com
Cave to Co-op is a partnership between Provision International and the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) to support local, artisanal cheese producers in our region and make their products more easily available to co-op shoppers. The NFCA is a network of more than 40 food co-ops in our region — including yours — that are working together to advance their vision of a thriving regional economy, rooted in a healthy, just and sustainable food system and a vibrant community of co-operative enterprise. For more information, please visit www.nfca.coop.