Vermont Cheese Trail Map
Visit the Vermont Cheese Trail Map to plan your next excursion in Vermont.If you would like some printed copies, please send a request to info@vtcheese.com

Thank you retailers and other associate members for your support of the Vermont Cheese Council!

Billings Farm & Museum

Black River Produce

Brattleboro Food Coop

Castleton Crackers

Castleton Village Store

Cellars Group

Chees House

Cheese Traders &
Wine Sellers

City Feed and Supply

City Market

Daily Planet

Dairy Connection

Dakin Farm

Diamond Information Systems

Equinox Resort and Spa

Fairfield Cheese Co.

Hanover Coop

Harvest Market

Healthy Living Market

Hunger Mountain Coop

Jim Wallace Consulting

Joppa Fine Foods

Lebanon Coop

Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op

Mountain Cheese and Wine

Mountain Greens Market

Newport Specialty Foods

Norma's Restuarant at Topnotch Resort

Peter Dixon Dairy Consulting

Provisions International

Ren Hen Cafe and Bakery

Rock Art Brewery


South Royalton Market

Stratton Mountain Provisions

Sugarbush Farm

Sweet Clover

Upper Valley Food Coop

Vermont Cheesemongers

Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese

Wasiks Cheese Shop

Wine and Cheese Depot

Woodstock Farmer's Market

Facebook

Become a fan of the Vermont Cheese Council on Facebook!

Visit our Facebook page.

Post a comment or a photo about your favorite Vermont cheese.

Follow the Vermont Cheese Council on twitter

Visit our cheese makers online.

Blue Ledge Farm

Blythedale Farm

Bonnieview Farm

Cabot Creamery

Champlain Valley Creamery

Cobb Hill Cheese

Consider Bardwell Farm

Crawford Family Farm

Crowley Cheese

Dancing Cow Farm

Does' Leap

Fat Toad Farm

Franklin Foods

Grafton Village Cheese

Hildene Farm Signature Cheese

Green Mountain Blue Cheese

Hope Farm

Jasper Hill Farm

Jericho Hill Farm

Lakes End Cheeses

Lazy Lady Farm

Maplebrook Farm

Mt. Mansfield Creamery

Neighborly Farms

Orb Weaver Farm

Peaked Mountain Farm

Ploughgate Creamery

Plymouth Artisan Cheese

Sage Farm

Scholten Family Farm

Shelburne Farms

Spring Brook Farm

Taylor Farm

Thistle Hill Farm

Twig Farm

Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery.

Vermont Shepherd

von Trapp Farmstead

Willow Hill Farm

West River Creamery

Woodcock Farm

Recipe of the Month

By Courtney Contos, Culinary Consultant
@ chefcontos.com

Ricotta Gnocchi 2 eggs
2 egg yolks
12 ounces whole milk Ricotta, from Maple Brook Farm or Champlain Valley Creamery
3 ounces Willow Hill Farm's, Butternut cheese, finely grated
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
2 teaspoons Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup chiffonade basil for garnish

To make the gnocchi:
Combine the eggs, yolks, and ricotta in a large mixing bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Add parmesan cheese and fold with a spatula. Sift together flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then fold into egg mixture until just combined. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a log. Divide log into quarters with a pastry cutter or knife. Cover with a dry towel. Clear excess flour from the work surface. Working with one quarter at a time, roll the dough into long thin logs. Cut logs into consistent bite-size pieces. Dust with flour and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour. Refrigerate gnocchi to use the same day or freeze in a single layer then store in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to two months.

To cook the gnocchi:
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add gnocchi and return to the boil. Cook gnocchi at a rolling boil for two minutes. They should be floating. Check for doneness by removing a gnocchi and cutting it in half. The texture should be uniform and cooked through the center. Remove the rest of the gnocchi and serve tossed with olive oil and butter or tomato sauce garnish with fresh basil.

Cheese News

SAVE THE DATE!
The 2nd Annual Vermont Cheesemaker’s Festival
July 25th, 2010
Shelburne Farms,
Shelburne, Vermont

Visit the website for tickets.
Order early, limited availability, last year sold out.

view a video of last year's cheese festival

Last year we had over 60 volunteers and will be looking for more this year. If you are interested in volunteering contact Hilary.  

New Venture - Vermont Food Innovation Project

The Vermont Food Innovation Project is looking to create a connection between Vermont family farmers and the public, with environmental responsibility, education, sustainability, and community health as pillars of the project. As a community center, the public and the farmers will interact through food purchases and educational programs. There will be a commitment to innovation at all levels: how we recruit partners and investors, how the site is set and operated, how the food elements are cultivated and prepared, and how we inspire community involvement. For more information, contact Macy Mullican macymanae@yahoo.com 802-734-3431

New Vermont Dairy!

Boston Post Dairy will open their retail shop at the end of May. With both goats and cows on the farm, they are currently making goat’s milk cheese, but will also be producing cow’s milk cheeses.

Located at 2061 Sampsonville Road, Enosburg Falls, VT. You’ll be able to check out the view through the windows into the cheese room, purchase goat milk soaps and maple products, as well their fresh Chèvre. They also have plans to make Colby and Gouda this summer. For more information, call 802.933.2749.

Keep Local Farms

Please help support this program that will in turn help support the Vermont cheesemaking community as well as many other farmers, the working landscape and the ability to produce farm products for our community. Read more

New Cheeses

Maplebrook Farm Whole Milk Feta is made in small batches using the highest quality cow’s milk from local Vermont farms. Finished with just the right amount of sea salt, the feta is creamy, smooth and has a silky texture.

802-440-9950
www.mountainmozzarella.com

Events

May 29 & 30, 2010, from 10am to 5pm
Billings Farm & Museum
Celebrates the 1st Annual Cows & Camembert Weekend 

Kicking off National Dairy Month in June with a celebration of Vermont’s dairy heritage, featuring Vermont cheese producers, showcasing the farms Jersey cows, judging Jerseys with the farm manager, cow trivia contest, making a cow pizza, and dairy education programs.

Lend a hand making chocolate ice cream, and enjoy animal programs, historic games, name the calf contest, and other hands-on activities.The operating dairy farm, farm life exhibits, and the restored and furnished farmhouse are included in the entrance fee.  Admission also includes our 25th annual commemorative spring button. For information, please contact the museum at 802-457-2355 or www.billingsfarm.org.

Cheesemaking Classes

Artisan Cheesemaking Workshops at Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, Vermont. 
Two-day workshops in making and aging cheese on the farm, taught by Peter Dixon. Contact Peter Dixon at Tel. 802-387-4041 or email dixonpeter@mac.com
 

June 8-9, 2010. Beginners Class Cheesemaking and starting an artisan cheese business. Topics include: starting up a creamery; properties of sheep, cow, and goat milk, and their use in cheese making; use of starter cultures and rennet: making lactic curd cheeses (Chevre) and Tomme from goat and cow milk; cheese brining; cheese ripening; and financial and marketing information.

July 6-7, 2010. Mediterranean Cheeses Two days of cheesemaking where class participants will make Feta, Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Corsican basket cheese from goat and cow milk. Topics include: properties of sheep, cow, and goat milk, and their use in cheese making; use of starter cultures and rennet; cheese brining; and cheese ripening.

August 17-18, 2010. Beginners Class Cheesemaking and starting an artisan cheese business. Topics include: starting up a creamery; properties of sheep, cow, and goat milk, and their use in cheese making; use of starter cultures and rennet: making lactic curd cheeses (Chevre) and Tomme from goat and cow milk; cheese brining; cheese ripening; and financial and marketing information.

September 7-8, 2010. Cheesemaking & Affinage Techniques, microbes and facilities. Exploring the craft of cheese making and ripening. On day one we will make a tomme cheese. On day two we will follow the steps for ripening this cheese and many others. The focus will be on ripening cultures, bio-reactions, affinage techniques, quality control, and how to design and construct facilities for ripening many types of cheese.

Learn more about these classes...

The Vermont Institute For Artisan Cheese Classes

May 24 - 26, 2010
Summer Cheese School:
Essential Principles and Practices of Cheesemaking

May 27, 2010
Hygiene and Food Safety in Cheesemaking

May 28, 2010
Quality and Chemistry of Milk

June 7-8, 2010
Summer Cheese School:Cheese Chemistry

June 9, 2010
Starter Cultures

June 10, 2010
Basic Sensory Evaluation

June 21-23, 2010
Summer Cheese School: Essential Principles and Practices of Cheesemaking

June 24, 2010
Hygiene and Food Safety in Cheesemaking

June 25, 2010
Quality and Chemistry of Milk

June 28-29, 2010
Summer Cheese School: Cheese Chemistry

June 30, 2010
Starter Cultures

See their website for many more classes

The Fairfield Cheese Company has an extensive Spring 2010 schedule at their Cheese School in Connecticut, visit their website for a complete listing.

As a Friend of the Vermont Cheese Council, we welcome your donations to assist us with our endeavors to improve the production and advancement of Vermont cheese. Your generous support helps us to continue to grow and expand our technical support for members, while providing you with delicious Vermont cheese. Learn more about the benefits of becoming a friend of the Council or sign up now!

As an Associate Member of the Vermont Cheese Council, we welcome all industry related businesses and individuals who see the value in having a strong cheese industry in Vermont. Learn more about the benefits of an Associate Membership on our web site.

For more information, you may contact our main office at: 866-261-8595 or visit www.vtcheese.com

This newsletter can also be viewed on our website.