Each month, your Neighboring Food Co-ops feature our region’s artisan cheesemakers by offering a specially selected cheese at a 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 Selection:
GOOD OLD GOUDA, COBB HILL FARM, HARTLAND FOUR CORNERS, VT
Raw Jersey cow milk, extra-aged, Jeannine Kilbride, Cheesemaker.
Cobb Hill is an intentionally planned community in Hartland Four Corners, begun by Donella Meadows, renowned founder of the Sustainability Institute (now called Academy for Systems Change). In 1997 two local dairy farms were purchased and merged into a 260 acre co-operative community and farm. The community members are all dedicated to living in ways that are socially and ecologically responsible. Cobb Hill cheese is made from the raw milk of their grass-fed Jersey cow herd. Cobb Hill cheesemakers follow the age-old process of heating milk, adding lactic bacteria and vegetable rennet, hand stirring the curd, hooping and pressing, then aging to perfection.
All of their cheeses are made from raw milk from pastured Jersey cows that are bred and raised at Cobb Hill Farm by their dairy enterprise partners Cedar Mountain Farm. From May to September the herd grazes on pasture maintained without artificial pesticides or fertilizers. During the non-pasture season, the Jerseys eat hay from our own fields and neighboring farms.
Good Old Gouda is a washed curd cheese extra-aged 10-12 months and is based on a Dutch Gouda recipe. This complex and nutty natural rind cheese is made with rich and creamy raw Jersey cow milk, which imparts a smooth and buttery flavor.
Use Good Old Gouda in your favorite recipe calling for a gouda and try it in this cheese-filled pastry.
Gouda Puff Pastries – Kassbroodjes
makes 6 pastries
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 1 T all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- ½ t Dijon mustard
- 1 cup grated Good Old Gouda
- 1 egg mixed with 2 T water for egg wash
- 6 slices ham or prosciutto – optional
pre-heat oven to 400°F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour until well incorporated. Cook, stirring, for one minute. Add milk and whisk to mix. Add mustard and a pinch of salt. Continue whisking as the mixture thickens, cooking for about 10 minutes or so. Set aside. Divide the puff pastry into 12 equal rectangles. Place 6 of them on the baking sheet. If using ham, place a slice on each rectangle, top with 1 tablespoon of the sauce and the 2 tablespoons of cheese. Leave a bit of an edge around the outside of each rectangle. Brush the edge with the egg wash and cover with the remaining dough rectangles. Seal the edges with a fork. Brush the tops with egg wash and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool slightly then serve.
Gouda Dip w/pretzels
makes 1 ½ cups
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 2 T all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/3 cups shredded Good Old Gouda
- lots of pretzels
Place butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour until well incorporated. Cook, stirring, for one minute. Add milk and whisk to mix. Continue whisking as the mixture thickens, cooking for about 10
minutes or so. Add the cheese slowly, whisking until it melts and the dip is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and serve with pretzels of your choice!
Grilled Gouda w/mushrooms and onions
makes 2 sandwiches
pre-heat oven to 400°F
Ingredients
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 sliced medium onion
- 2 T olive oil
- 4 T unsalted butter
- 4 slices bread
- 1 cup of shredded Good Old Gouda
On a baking sheet toss sliced mushrooms and onion in olive oil. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. While butter is melting, assemble sandwiches. On one slice of bread, layer shredded Gouda, the roasted mushrooms and onions, then more Gouda. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with the other slice of bread. Lightly press together. In the melted butter place one sandwich down for one second, and then gently flip it over to the other side. Repeat with other sandwich.
Cook for about 2 minutes, until lightly browned, then gently flip sandwich on other side, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sandwich is golden brown. Slice and serve!
CAVE TO CO-OP IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PROVISIONS 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 30 FOOD CO-OPS IN NEW ENGLAND, LOCALLY OWNED BY MORE THAN 130,000 PEOPLE LIKE YOU. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.NFCA.COOP.