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 Pawlet from Woodlawn Creamery, Pawlet, VT
Seventh-generation farmers Seth and Kate Leach of Woodlawn Creamery are a dedicated dairy family rooted in the Mettowee Valley of Vermont, where Seth is a seventh-generation farmer and Kate Leach— mother of two, avid gardener, and passionate home cook—loves creating comforting dishes with their farmstead Pawlet cheese.
Pawlet is a farmstead Italian-style toma made in West Pawlet using raw milk from the Leach family’s own Holstein herd. Aged for several months, this supple, natural-rinded cheese develops a balanced character—creamy and buttery at first bite, followed by gentle grassy notes and a subtle, lingering nuttiness that reflects the richness of the farm’s pasture-based milk.
Named for the town the family has called home for generations, Pawlet is both a tribute
to place and a testament to thoughtful, small-scale craftsmanship. Its consistent quality
and depth of flavor have earned recognition from respected competitions including the
American Cheese Society and the World Cheese Championship, underscoring its
standing among Vermont’s most notable artisan cheeses.
Try using Pawlet for your favorite grilled cheese with sourdough or for an Alpine-style
fondue. Try out Pawlet shaved into warm grain bowls, melted over roasted potatoes, folded into risotto, layered in breakfast strata, tossed with sautéed mushrooms, baked into savory bread pudding or in Macaroni & Cheese!
Macaroni & Cheese
Featuring Woodlawn Creamery’s Pawlet
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 oz. elbow macaroni or penne rigate
- 12 oz. grated Pawlet cheese
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup dried breadcrumbs or panko
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
2.Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil; set aside.
3.Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan. Add breadcrumbs and toss with a small amount of cheese. Set aside.
4.Wipe out the saucepan and melt remaining butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux, then gradually whisk in milk. Cook until sauce reaches a gentle boil.
5.Stir in grated Pawlet cheese and cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
6.Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture.
7.Bake for ~30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
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
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.