Cave to Co-op, March 2023

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 FORERUNNER from Mt. Mansfield Creamery, Morrisville, VT

Stan Biasini and Debora Wickart are the cheesemakers of Forerunner, a raw milk Havarti aged for three months in their caves. It features a full body flavor with buttery notes and is perfect for melted cheese on burgers and more.

With the creamery four miles from the farm, Stan transports their milk to the creamery on cheese making days. Debora milks the cows and still ships to St. Albans Cooperative. They make small batches of cheese only 8 to 12 times per month and are increasing production according to demand. They milk registered Holsteins and Brown Swiss cows that are on rotational grazing in the summer months and fed grain and hay during the winter.
Mt. Mansfield Creamery started in June of 2009 and they make cheese year around. Debora milks about 30 cows per day and receives awards for the quality of milk she produces. Stan, a graduate of Paul Smith’s College, has put his chef days behind him
to concentrate on their recipes for cheese.
The cheese facility is in the heart of Morrisville, in the old United Farmers Creamery building. Not only did they renovate the building, but they also built their own cheese cave in the basement. They wash and brush the rinds to keep them thin to ensure that their products are one hundred percent edible.

The Ultimate Queso Dip

  • 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder and ground cumin
  • 10 ounces Forerunner cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups pico de gallo, drained
  • Tortilla chips

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until light brown. Gradually whisk in the milk, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin. Bring to a boil; cook and whisk for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Reduce heat to low. Gradually whisk in the Forerunner until melted.
Remove from the heat. Stir in pico de gallo. Serve with tortilla chips.

Asparagus and Havarti Quiche

  • 8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
  • ¼ c unsalted butter, melted
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 c Forerunner cheese, shredded, plus additional for garnish 1 c whole milk
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

Heat oven to 350 degrees . Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray. Place phyllo
sheets , one at a time, into pie plate, and brush each layer with butter. Tuck edges of
phyllo into pie plate; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Havarti, milk, mustard, salt , and pepper.

Place half of the asparagus in the bottom of the pie plate, trimming to fit. Top with egg mixture and remaining asparagus. If desired, top with additional shredded cheese.

Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and gently place over quiche.
Bake 40 minutes, remove foil, and bake 10 to 20 more minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire cooling rack and serve warm.


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.