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 Cranberry Windsordale, Vermont Farmstead, South Woodstock, VT
Founded in 2009 in South Woodstock on the site of a former water-buffalo dairy, Vermont Farmstead has grown into an award-winning artisan creamery dedicated to raw-milk cheesemaking, respectful farming, and regional craft. Earlier this year, Vermont Farmstead brought the historic Grafton Village Cheese brand into its fold, combining two legacy Vermont cheesemakers under a shared roof of values and distribution strength. Both operations continue under their existing names, producing handcrafted cheeses made from small-farm milk, while benefiting from collaboration in sourcing, aging, and national reach. When you bring home one of their cheeses, you’re bringing a slice of storied cheesemaking heritage, the flavor of place, and the spirit of independent craft.
The entire line of Vermont Farmstead cheeses is made in small batches at the farm and creamery in South Woodstock, Vermont. The farmstead milk comes from their mixed herd of Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorn. This blend makes for exceptional milk, with each breed contributing a different component for a unique and excellent combination for cheese.
Whole cranberries burst with tart flavor in this raw-milk, British-style WindsorDale cheese, made with a late 1800 farmhouse Wensleydale recipe. This delicious hard cheese has a honeyed aftertaste and firm, flaky texture that loves that additional cranberry zing.
Cranberry Windsordale pairs well with sparkling cider, off-dry Riesling, toasted pecans, buttery shortbread, roasted turkey, and pear compote. The perfect cheese for a holiday cheese board!
Recipes of apple galette, cranberry–cheese biscuits, pear & Windsordale crostini, fall harvest salad, or turkey panini all are excellent using Windsordale. More recipes can be found here. Try this Cranberry and Apple Cake for your next family or friends gathering.
Windsordale Cranberry & Apple Cake
Featuring Vermont Farmstead Cranberry Windsordale Cheese
Ingredients:
• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 4.4 oz (~½ cup) Cranberry Windsordale cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (for topping)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 °F (170 °C). Grease an 8-inch round or springform pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk. Sift in flour and baking powder, then fold until just combined.
4. Fold in ¾ of the apple slices and the crumbled Cranberry Windsordale cheese.
5. Spoon batter into the pan. Arrange remaining apple slices on top and sprinkle with brown sugar.
6. Bake 50–55 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.
Recipe and photo from EatSleepWild.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.