The atlas of american artisan cheese

The Atlas of AMERICAN ARTISAN CHEESE Praise for The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese “Innovative but rooted in tradition, American artisan cheese production is making great strides forward Its quality and diversity are masterfully recorded in The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese.” —Jacques Pépin, chef, cookbook author, and host of numerous PBS-TV cooking series “The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese proves that there is a rich, thriving world of flavor, quality, and tradition abroad in the land This enormous undertaking by cheese aficionado Jeffrey Roberts makes us feel proud of what can come from American soil, passion, and culture Bravo to Jeffrey and all the American artisan cheesemakers!” —Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers Markets “Chock-full of charming cheesemaker stories and explanations of the cheeses they make, The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese provides us with an indispensable road map to American cheeses and helps us navigate the ever-growing collection made from California to Maine.” —Laura Werlin, author of The New American Cheese “Jeff Roberts has been a driving force in the movement to develop world-class artisan cheeses here in the United States In his new book, he shows us—farm by farm and cheese by cheese—why we have cause to celebrate Roberts proves this movement has finally come of age.” —Rob Kaufelt, proprietor of Murray’s Cheese and author of The Murray’s Cheese Handbook “U.S artisan cheesemakers have been quietly working on a food revolution, revitalizing American cuisine, our rural landscape, and farm viability Through the Atlas, Roberts takes us on a breathtaking culinary tour, profiling cheesemaking and the products of enterprising artisans.” —Catherine Donnelly, University of Vermont Professor and co-director of the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese “Jeff Roberts’ devotion to American artisan cheesemakers has helped put all of us on the map.” —Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, Cowgirl Creamery “The revival of artisan cheesemaking in the United States has been nothing short of breathtaking Finally, Jeff Roberts’ meticulous work allows that vast landscape to be viewed in all of its beauty and diversity.” —Paul Kindstedt, author of American Farmstead Cheese The Atlas of AMERICAN ARTISAN CHEESE Jeffrey P Roberts FOREWORDS BY CARLO PETRINI Slow Food International ALLISON HOOPER American Cheese Society CHELSEA GREEN PUBLISHING COMPANY White River Junction, Vermont Copyright © 2007 by Jeffrey P Roberts All rights reserved No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher Editor: Ben Watson Project Manager: Jonathan Teller-Elsberg Copy Editor: Collette Leonard Proofreader: Laura Jorstad Designer: Peter Holm, Sterling Hill Productions Design Assistant: Abrah Griggs, Sterling Hill Productions Printed in the United States First printing, May 2007 10 Printed on recycled paper Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roberts, Jeffrey P The Atlas of American artisan cheese / Jeffrey P Roberts ; forewords by Carlo Petrini and Allison Hooper p cm Includes bibliographical references eBook ISBN: 978-1-603581-64-6 Cheese—United States Cheesemakers—United States I Title SF274.U6R63 2007 637'.30973—dc22 2007004875 Our Commitment to Green Publishing Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using soy-based inks whenever possible This book may cost slightly more because we use recycled paper, and we hope you’ll agree that it’s worth it Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative (www.greenpressinitiative.org), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s endangered forests and conserve natural resources The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese was printed on ST Generation, a 30-percent postconsumer-waste old-growth-forest-free recycled paper supplied by RR Donnelley Chelsea Green Publishing Company Post Office Box 428 White River Junction, VT 05001 (802) 295-6300 www.chelseagreen.com DEDICATION Dedicated to my parents, Eleanor Francis Veleno Roberts and Nathaniel Roberts Their respective Italian and Romanian Jewish families shaped my food memories, as Parmigiano-Reggiano and cheese strudel linger with me today Contents Foreword by Carlo Petrini Foreword by Allison Hooper Acknowledgments Introduction How to Use This Book NEW ENGLAND Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Vermont MID-ATLANTIC Maryland New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia West Virginia THE SOUTH Alabama Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee UPPER MIDWEST Illinois Indiana Michigan Minnesota Ohio Wisconsin CENTRAL PLAINS Iowa Kansas Missouri Nebraska Oklahoma Texas MOUNTAIN WEST Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah PACIFIC RIM Alaska California Hawaii Oregon Washington Resources Bibliography Photo Credits A tribute to the flourishing production of American cheeses, which attract us with their taste but also stand as the symbol of a real hope for a better future, for a better quality of life to be shared by all Carlo Petrini AN AMERICAN CORNUCOPIA A) Perdido, Sweet Home Farm B) Piper’s Pyramid, Capriole Goat Cheese C) Humboldt Fog, Cypress Grove Chèvre D) Old Kentucky Tomme, Capriole Goat Cheese E) Little Holmes, LoveTree Farmstead Cheese F) Lakes Edge, Blue Ledge Farm G) Tarantaise, Thistle Hill Farm H) Red Hawk, Cowgirl Creamery I) Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Carr Valley Cheese J) Wabash Cannonball, Capriole Goat Cheese K) Rogue River Blue, Rogue Creamery L) Big Woods Blue, Shepherd’s Way Farms M) Mont St Francis, Capriole Goat Cheese the fall, they gather and dry local chestnut leaves, reconstitute them with hot water, and wrap each round with a leaf and secure it with straw Upon opening the bundle, you are greeted by a very white, almost pure color, typical of sheep milk, with an aroma of grass, hay, and flowers, a semi-firm texture reminiscent of some feta, and a rich herbal, buttery flavor Serve with: Still single-variety cider • Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris • Amber or red ale SAMISH BAY CHEESE S uzanne and Roger Wechsler may not run the oldest farm operation in Skagit County, but they were the first of the three artisan cheesemakers now situated around Bow (see also Golden Glen Creamery and Gothberg Farms) In 1995, Suzanne and Roger, an early proponent and grower of organic food and produce, bought a local farm, now known as Rootabaga Country Farm, to cultivate organic strawberries, vegetables, nursery trees, and other crops In 1999, they purchased an adjacent dairy to make cheese; the combined farm, totaling 150 acres, integrates organic produce, cheese, eggs, and meat, where each product helps to support the others and nurture the landscape Similar to the other cheese producers, Samish Bay Cheese benefits from its relationship to the nearby bays and ocean Prevailing winds carry a rich, moist perfume of salty aromas, minerals, and other microscopic fertilizer that permeate the soil and help define the local terroir The herd, grazing on lush organic pastures throughout the year, enjoys different mixes of grasses and other plants during the four seasons The Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, and Dutch Belted cows are among the best for making cheese, and with the farm’s smorgasbord of plants, they produce outstanding milk for Samish Bay Cheese A wonderful side note: Rootabaga Country Farm comes from Rootabaga Stories, written by Carl Sandburg for his children, and published in 1922 In 1935, Sandburg’s wife, Lillian, started a herd of dairy goats, later known as the Chikaming herd, and made cheese that she sold in the Flat Rock community of North Carolina Perhaps a cheese seed was contained in Rootabaga Stories to inspire Suzanne and Roger! Established: 1999 Owners and cheesemakers: Suzanne and Roger Wechsler Address: 15115 Bow Hill Road, Bow, WA 98232 Telephone: 360-766-6707 Email: cheese@rootabaga.com Web site: www.samishbaycheese.com Visitors: Yes; call for hours Types: Farmstead, certified organic, pasteurized and raw Dutch Belted, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorn cows’ milk Varieties of cheese (all vacuum-packed 1, 2, 6–8 pound wheels): Pasteurized • Mozzarella Fresh; stretched curd, soft, buttery; pound ball Pasteurized and raw • Port Edison Aged six months; moist, sharp, full-flavored • Mont Blanchard Aged two months; Cheddar-style, mild to extra sharp Raw • Gouda Aged two months; washed curd, smooth, mild, creamy; plain, herb, cumin, nettle, and caraway • Aged Gouda Aged six to twenty-four months; washed curd, dry, crumbly, buttery • Montasio Aged three to nine months; natural rind, firm, dry, full-flavored Where to find: On-premises retail, mail order, farmers’ markets, and distribution in northwest Washington SEA BREEZE FARM I n 2000, Kris and George Page were living east of Seattle in an apartment with his chicken coop on the veranda maybe good for fresh eggs, but not endearing to the landlord Kris grew up on Vashon Island, located south of Seattle, and when they were ready to move, the island beckoned to them They landed on a 9-acre farm on the north end of the island, and in 2001 George got his first dairy goats The Pages embrace diversified farming with a capital D as a menagerie of animals— cows, goats, chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep— rotate across fields, each scratching, foraging, digging, fertilizing, and cleaning the pastures One result is healthy soil, grass, and animals, while the other is intensely flavored foods, whether fresh, cured, or fermented The farm produces meat, fresh dairy, and ice cream, eggs—even wine (Sweetbread Cellars) George takes an unusual approach to making cheese: he does not use any culture to ferment the milk Whatever ambient bacteria are present are the natural agents that develop each cheese After he molds the curds, the cheeses are stored in an underground cellar, part of the original house, where they mature along with his wine As he gains knowledge and expertise, we can only look forward to more creative, delicious foods George believes strongly in local food for local people and sells only in Seattle or from his farmstand So take a ferry ride to Vashon Island and visit them Established: 2002 Owners and cheesemakers: Kris and George Page Address: 10730 SW 116th Street, Vashon Island, WA 98070 Telephone: 206-567-5769 Email: george@seabreezefarm.net Web site: www.seabreezefarm.net Visitors: Yes; retail store open daily, am–9 pm Types: Farmstead, pasteurized Holstein, Jersey, and Milking Shorthorn cows’ milk and Alpine goat’s milk Varieties of cheese (partial list): Cow • Vashembert Aged two to four weeks; soft ripened bloomy-rind; ounce round • Mozzarella Fresca Fresh; stretched curd, soft, buttery; pound ball • Fromage Frais Fresh; soft spread, rich, buttery; ounce container Goat • Fromage de Chèvre Fresh; soft, moist, tangy; ounce container Where to find: On-premises retail, Vashon farmers’ market, and Washington State distribution STEAMBOAT ISLAND GOAT FARM D eep into the southern fingers of Puget Sound you discover Totten Inlet, the watery west side of Steamboat Island on which Jason Drew operates his cheese business Influenced by the Slow Food movement, he decided to put his academic background in public affairs and environmental policy to work in a direct way—producing excellent local food that reflects sustainable practices With his family’s interest and support, he built a small creamery, rounded up a herd of Alpine goats, and opened for business in 2006 He made cheese during the summer and early fall, and the aged Cheddars of his first season became available later in the fall We applaud Jason’s commitment to hard work and his belief in how great food can nourish the body, the soul, and the community Established: 2006 Owner and cheesemaker: Jason Drew Address: 9201 Steamboat Island Road NW, Olympia, WA 98502 Telephone: 360-866-8568 Email: jasondrewolywa@comcast.net Web site: None Visitors: By appointment Types: Farmstead, seasonal, raw French Alpine goat’s milk Varieties of cheese: • Cheddar Aged two to six months; smooth, firm, buttery, floral; waxed 4–5 pound wheels Where to find: Olympia Food Co-op stores Additional Washington Cheesemakers GRACE HARBOR FARM 5157 Drayton Harbor Road Blaine, WA 98230 360-371-9060 Farmstead goat cheese PORT MADISON FARM Beverly and Steve Phillips 15015 Sunrise Drive Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 206-842-4125 Farmstead goat cheese QUESERIA BENDITA Benedita Aguilar 512 South Third Street Yakima, WA 98901 Hispanic-style cheese WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY CREAMERY I magine going to college in a place where you can enjoy one of the best and most long-established artisan cheeses in the country not to mention the ice cream! Washington State University has a long history of both ice cream and cheese production In 1926, the university completed construction on Troy Hall, which housed the Dairy Department and a private dairy company that leased the Milk House In the 1930s, the Dairy Department developed a research project to investigate the methods used to store cheese During World War II, the federal government and the American Can Company funded the research, because they needed to ship cheese overseas for the war effort One cheese—complete in its can—outshone all others, and Cougar Gold was born, a cheese named after Professor N S Golding In 1948, the university took over the cheese operation and opened Ferdinand’s, the on-campus ice cream shop that also sold Cougar Gold In the 1970s, after the dining halls began buying milk from other dairies, all of the WSU Holstein milk went to the creamery In 1992, the creamery moved to a new facility in the Food Quality Building that strengthened its education and research programs, while enhancing ice cream and cheese production Annually, the creamery makes over 220,000 cans of cheese, 75 percent of which are Cougar Gold Revenue from cheese and ice cream sales fully supports the creamery, which in turn offers students real hands-on experience in crafting real food for the Pullman community and beyond Established: 1948 Owners: Washington State University; Manager: Russ Salvadalena Cheesemakers: Christie Alexandre-Zeoli and student employees Address: 101 Food Quality Building, Pullman, WA 99164 Telephone: 509-335-7074 Email: creamery@wsu.edu Web site: www.wsu.edu/creamery Visitors: Yes; Monday–Friday, 9:30 am–4:30 pm Types: Farmstead, pasteurized Holstein cow’s milk Varieties of cheese (all in 30 ounce tins): • Cougar Gold Aged twelve months; moist to dry, sweet, full-flavored; ACS & WCA • Viking Aged four months; Monterey Jack–style, moist; plain and three flavors • American Cheddar Aged twelve to sixteen months; sharp and eight flavors Awards: Numerous American Cheese Society and World Cheese Awards ribbons Where to find: On-premises retail and mail order RESOURCES Academic California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo, CA 805-756-7266 Professional education—short courses Cornell University Ithaca, NY 607-255-2899 Professional education, research, and technical services primarily for large-scale commercial production University of Minnesota St Paul, MN 612-624-7776 Professional education and technical services for large-scale commercial production Center for Dairy Research University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, WI 608-262-5970 Research and technical services for both artisan and large-scale producers Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese at the University of Vermont Burlington, VT 802-656-8300 Professional education; research, and technical services for artisan producers Washington State University Pullman, WA 509-335-4014 Professional education and technical services principally for large-scale commercial production Agencies and Organizations American Cheese Society 304 West Liberty Street, Suite 201 Louisville, KY 40202 502-583-3783 www.cheesesociety.org National trade association for artisan and specialty cheesemakers, distributors, retailers, and enthusiasts California Artisan Cheese Guild P.O Box 184 Guerneville, CA 95446 www.cacheeseguild.org info@cacheeseguild.org Maine Cheese Guild c/o State of Maine Cheese Company 461 Commercial Street Rockport, ME 04846 207-785-4431 www.mainecheeseguild.org info@mainecheeseguild.org NYS Farmstead & Artisan Cheese Makers Guild 295 Eighth Street Troy, NY 12180 518-271-0744 www.nyfarmcheese.org Ohio Farmstead Cheese Guild 740-926-1904 www.ohcheeseguild.com Oregon Cheese Guild http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oregoncheeseguild/ Ontario Cheese Society P.O Box 225 Grimsby Ontario L3M 4G3 Canada www.ontariocheese.org Société des Fromage Fins du Québec 8585, boul St-Laurent, bureau 310 Montréal (Québec) H2P 2M9 Canada www.societedesfromages.com Southern Cheesemakers Guild www.southerncheese.com Vermont Cheese Council 116 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-2901 802-828-3835; 1-888-523-7484 www.vtcheese.com Washington Cheese Guild 104 Pike Street, No 200 Seattle, WA 98101 206-322-1644 www.washingtoncheesemakers.org info@washingtoncheesemakers.org BIBLIOGRAPHY Carroll, Ricki Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses 3rd ed Pownal, VT: Storey Books, 2002 Carroll, Ricki and Robert Carroll Cheese-making Made Easy Pownal, VT: Storey Books, 1996 Chenel, Laura American Country Cheese:Cooking with America’s Specialty and Farmstead Cheeses Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1989 ——— America’s Cheese Book Berkeley, CA: Aris Books, 1989 ——— Chèvre: The Goat Cheese Book Santa Rosa, CA: Peaks Pike Pub Co., 1983 Fletcher, Janet The Cheese Course San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2000 Harbutt, Juliet World Encyclopedia of Cheese New York: Lorenz Books, 1998 ——— Cheese Minocqua, WI: Willow Creek Press, 1999 Jenkins, Steven Cheese Primer New York: Workman Publishing Company, 1996 Kaufelt, Robert, and Liz Thorpe Murray’s Cheese Handbook: A Guide to More Than 300 of the World’s Best Cheeses New York: Broadway Books, 2006 Kindstedt, Paul American Farmstead Cheese White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2005 Kosikowski, F V., and V V Mistry Cheese and Fermented Milk Foods 3rd ed Westport, CT: F V Kosikowski, 1997 Lambert, Paula Cheese, Glorious Cheese! New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007 Lang, Barbara A Guide to American Specialty and Farmstead Cheeses Delavan, WI: American Cheese Society, 1997 McCalman, Max, and David Gibbons The Cheese Plate New York: Clarkson Potter, 2002 ——— Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best New York: Clarkson Potter, 2005 Michelson, Patricia The Cheese Room London: Penguin Global, 2001 Ogden, Ellen Ecker The Vermont Cheese Book Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 2007 Ridgway, Judy The Cheese Companion: The Connoisseur’s Guide Philadelphia: Running Press, 1999 Rubino, Roberto, Piero Sardo, and Angelo Surrusca, ed Italian Cheese 2nd ed Bra, Italy: Slow Food Editore, 2005 Teubner, Christian, ed The Cheese Bible Denver: Penguin Studio, 1998 Tewksbury, Henry The Cheeses of Vermont Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 2002 Werlin, Laura The New American Cheese New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2000 ——— The All American Cheese and Wine Book New York: Stewart, Tabori &Chang, 2003 PHOTO CREDITS Unless otherwise noted below, all photographs are courtesy of the respective cheesemakers We appreciate greatly the generosity of the following individuals and organizations that provided photographs for this book AJF Photography ♣ David Bates ♣ Scott Blankenship ♣ Jim Bowie ♣ Roxie Broussard ♣ Ryan Burnham ♣ Ken Burns ♣ ♦ top Julie Cahn ♣ ♦, ♥ Courtesy of the California Milk Advisory Board ♣, ♦ Jay Cavallaro,♣ top Kindra Clineff (kindraclineff.com), ♣, ♦, ♠, ♥ bottom, †, ‡ Chris Dale ♣ Will Dealy ♣ Phil Falsone ♣ Karin Giesecke ♣ Jorge Goyco ♣ Kari Grimsby © 2006, ♣ top and logo, ♦ Jason Houston ♣ Allison Jansen ♣ Michael Kienitz ♣, ♦ Courtesy of Lancaster Farming, ♣ Paulette Likoudis, ♣ Robb Long, ♣ Peter Miller, ♣ Glenn Moody, ♣, ♦ Annette Nielsen ♣ Richard Owlett ♣ Gina Pratt ♣ Peter Pelland ♣ Robert S Phipps ♣ Barbara Piel ♣, ♦ Suzy Pingree,♣, ♦ Anastasia Pottinger,♣ left Niki Price, Oregon Coast Today ♣ Richard Renaldi, ♣ Jeffrey P Roberts, ♣, ♦, ♥, ♠, † bottom ‡, Δ Shepherd’s Way Farms, ♣ Bob Stern, © The Republican All rights Reserved Reprinted with permission ♣ Buff Strickland, ♣, ♦ Scott Terrell, Skagit Valley Herald, ♣ Thistle Hill Farm, ♣, ♥ Erika Thum, ♣ right Jessica Verry, ♣ Marshall Webb, ♣ bottom ©Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc., ♣, ♠, ‡, †, ‡, Δ, ∇, Ο, ◊, ♣, ♦, ♥, ♠, †, ‡, Δ, ∇, Ο, ◊ Sally White, ♣ Susan D Wyant, ♣, ♦ Eric Zelman, ♣, ♦ Whey to go! Help us stay on top of our curds One of the wonderful challenges of an atlas is keeping it current and up-to-date To ensure that we are aware of new businesses or changes to those already listed in the book, please stop by the Atlas web site and let us know of a new cheesemaker or an address or email change www.atlasofamericanartisancheese.com .. .The Atlas of AMERICAN ARTISAN CHEESE Praise for The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese “Innovative but rooted in tradition, American artisan cheese production is making... recorded in The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese. ” —Jacques Pépin, chef, cookbook author, and host of numerous PBS-TV cooking series The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese proves that there is a... opinion, American artisan cheese encompasses a broad community of producers that does include some larger businesses On the other hand, The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese is not about specialty cheese