The writing on the wall says it all.

Wisconsin, as mentioned in an earlier blog post, is America’s Dairy Land. No doubt about it. They make a lot of cheese there and there is no lack of talent. Among those talents are Sid Cook, head cheese maker at Carr Valley Cheese Company. As a dairy that has survived over 100 years of operation and with Sid, as a 4th generation cheese maker who has won numerous awards, they have a pretty good grasp of what they’re doing.

Carr Valley is very well known for it’s cheese curds and their finished product, cheddar. They age their Cheddars anywhere from 6 months to 10 years. If you’ve been to the shop lately, you’ll have seen the orange cheese wrapped in black wax. To attain the color it has annatto added to it which, over time adds a slightly spicy quality to it. In addition to the spice there is a nice lingering sharp flavor that will make any cheddar lover swoon with delight. Add this to your mac and cheese to give it a little kick and color or just have it as is on a cheese plate with some pâté.

Though cheddar is their bread and butter, they make dozens of different styles of cheeses that utilize cow, goat and sheep milk. Cave-Aged Marisa is a fine example of how they use sheep’s milk. Aged for a little over 6 months in the open air to develop its rind and allowing the flavors to coalesce into a slightly sweet, slightly musty flavor. It goes well with Shiraz and other wines of that type, like a Cotes du Rhone. It’s been a monger favorite for years and it took second place at ACS this past August in Montreal.

One of our new favorites and another award winning cheese, discovered on a recent trip to Chicago, is the Casa Bolo Mellage. It is a a somewhat experimental cheese, rumored never to be the same twice. Casa Bolo is made with cow, goat and sheep milk and aged for about two years to develop it’s robust flavors. We liken it to a gouda meets asiago flavor profile. It’s strong enough to stand up to red wines with high tannins, but nuanced and balanced to pair with many dishes, sweet or savory.

These are just a few of the cheeses available from Carr Valley. They are creating new and interesting cheeses and flavor combinations all the time while sticking close to their roots. It’s great, as lovers of cheese and farmers, to see a dedicated dairy not only survive in these times but prosper as well.

This inspires us to cook at home.

Now that it’s finally started to snow and be a proper winter, you’re more likely to cook and stay in. As indicated in an earlier post we include a recipe in almost every single e-mail that we send out to inform folks about special events and products at Farmstead and La Laiterie. We try to utilize ingredients and items that are fresh and at their peak when we share these recipes. If you would like to receive these emails please sign up here and we’ll be happy to have you aboard. We hope that these recipes inspire you to get more properly acquainted with your stove. Enjoy!

SEPTEMBER

Homemade Apple Butter

2 lbs. McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
2 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
1 c. apple cider
2 c. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice

PREPARATION:

Cut apples into 1″ pieces. Combine the apples and cider in a large sauce pan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently for 20 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half.

Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and gently boil for 25 minutes or until very thick. There will be some chunks remaining.

Remove from heat and ladle into sterilized jars for processing.

You may add ground cinnamon, clove and allspice for a spicier flavor.

Makes 7 cups.

“Wild” Mushroom Risotto

The Holy Trinity of Quebecois ingredients.

Enter Société-Orignal, a firm from Montreal that promotes top-tier New World products. They argue, quite passionately, that because many of us in North America are of European descent, our traditions and tastes are linked back to the “old country” and therefore, aren’t truly our own. So why not take inspiration from those high-quality, far-away foods that we love, and create our own versions of them here, utilizing the best North American produce available, and adding our own North American twist.

For example, Société-Orignal’s Vinaigre de Balconville is an apple vincotto that rivals the finest balsamic vinegars to make their way to American shores. The Balconville is an aged apple vinegar made solely from late harvest Empire apples that are prized for their delicate balance of sweetness and acidity. The apples are allowed to age and ferment in a barn on the estate where they are grown; once a must has developed, it is then slowly cooked until the desired texture and flavor has been reached. Due to the limited quantity of the apples and the unique process by which the vinegar is made, only 600 bottles of this syrupy, sweetly acidic liquid are produced annually. The Balconville pairs beautifully with blue cheeses, salty, herbaceous meats and is a nice accent to ice cream.

In New England we make world class, amazing maple syrups. No ifs, ands or buts about it. However,  Société-Orignal’s Remonte-Pente 70 brix syrup is phenomenal and among the purest maple syrups we’ve ever tasted. Usually, maple syrup production is a single process operation, lasting about  15 minutes. The Remonte-Pente is different: it is slowly cooked over the course of eight hours via three distinct processes. The sap is gathered in the traditional spout-and-bucket method from a thatch of trees that are on average 150 years old, then boiled to 62 brix, utilizing the dead wood from the forest that the trees are located in. Another unique feature to this maple syrup is that sap from the end of the season is used, lending a more developed and well rounded flavor. The Remonte-Pente is wonderful on triple creme cheeses, smokey meats and in savory cooking applications.

Pimente d’espelette is one of the truly great European spices ever produced. But few people know that its roots are right here in America. Société-Orignal’s The Piment d’Argile takes its inspiration from both Old and New World traditions by utilizing a cold, boreal hybrid of Gorria peppers, which are the peppers found in classic pimente d’espelette. The thought behind the d’Argile was to demonstrate that the cold growing climate of Canada would allow for a higher concentration of sugars in a traditionally strong pepper. The peppers are grown in 100% clay soil on a biodynamic growing calendar and harvested by both color and aroma. They are then dried in a top-of-the-line dehydrator and cut into different flake sizes to give a wider dimension to the spicy, smokey and sweet flavors. Use it as you would pimente d’espelette and other hot spices. Try it on a white fish crudo, as an accent to soups and anywhere you need a little kick in your food.

We are proud to be using these exquisite North American ingredients in our dishes at the restaurant and to offer them to you in the shop. We think it’s pretty wonderful that such amazing, high-quality products are being developed closer to home and that they are now available for you to use in your home, too.

Montgomery on the left. Cabot on the right. Both delicious.

Cheddar! As Monty Python reminds us it is the “single most popular cheese in the world!” Regrettably, the term cheddar gets bandied about like a worn out soccer ball. For ages there were no hard and fast rules about what made a cheese cheddar or not. Everything from spray cheese to Kraft processed cheese could be called a cheddar. Though we carry a few different types of cheddar here, all of which are good in their own way, the type of cheddar that we love so much here at Farmstead is made in the English farmhouse tradition. This type of Cheddar is typically wrapped in cloth and aged for a year or more in a humid, yet airy, cave or cave-like environment. Currently we have two great examples of this style of cheese. One is a true English cloth-bound cheddar called Montgomery’s. The other is a domestic upstart called Cabot Clothbound. We had two of our mongers, Thomas and Darren try them and convey why these cheeses are so wonderful and satisfying.

Darren, on Montgomery’s: “Montgomery’s Cheddar, or, as I like to call it, the grand-daddy of cheddar, is widely considered to be the world’s greatest cheddar. In the 300 years or so since this cheese’s inception, the recipe hasn’t changed much. It is still made by the same farm in a little village outside of Somerset in England.

Firm yet buttery and intensely nutty, some of the best wheels include veining, an imperfection some Brits will pay extra for. In a world of pre-packaged, processed “cheddar”, the Montgomery’s is a staple so far above the rest, it deserves to be called by it’s first name.”

Thomas, on Cabot Clothbound: “Cabot, for years has been associated with block style cheddar. For a long time, before cheese shops were a fixture of the urban food environment, Cabot was the go-to block cheddar when you wanted to impress the neighbors. Now in this new foodie era, artisan skill and real ingredients are what makes a product valuable. So Cabot wanted in on this niche of the cheese market so they devoted one family farm, a fair amount of research and helped build a state of the art aging facility to make a traditional English farmhouse style cheddar. And it has been time and resources well spent.

Cabot Clothbound is, in my opinion, the best cheddar being produced in America right now. It has caramel and nutty notes with balanced levels of saltiness and sharpness. It has a lovely, fudgy mouth feel that melts in your mouth. It is perfect for the American palate. Every time that I think that I’m over Cabot Clothbound, I take a scrape off of a freshly cracked wheel and immediately fall in love with it again. If there is one sign that American cheese making is taking a turn for the better it is certainly this cheese.”

Hello, Wisconson!

I am a New Englander through and through. I’ve lived within this 6 state region for virtually all my life. I grew up in rural eastern Connecticut, literally, next to a cow pasture and down the street from a premier artisan cheese producer, Cato Corner Farm. I’ve lived in Vermont, where dairy is a vital part of the state economy, so much so that the expiration of the Northeast Dairy Compact had devastating effects on family farms. I thought I had a pretty good bead on what it was like to live in an area that had a vibrant agricultural tradition. This agricultural tradition is nothing compared to the acre upon acre of corn, wheat and dairy farms that I witnessed on a recent visit to Wisconsin and the Midwest. Sure I’ve driven through California and seen the fields of, well, everything. But that’s California. Where they have a 12 month growing season.

I will be frank; I haven’t been to the Midwest much. Other than a few trips to Chicago. The Midwest, for me, is pictured entirely in my imagination and Hollywood/national advertising. I think of it as flat, sepia toned, and, with the exception of a few major cities, sparsely populated. But Wisconsin was surprisingly hilly, lush and verdant. It was quite similar to the towns I grew up in.

Wisconsin proudly advertises the fact that it is America’s Dairy Land. This is not an understatement. What arable land isn’t used for massive corn and wheat production is almost certainly being used for dairy farming. It is home to some of America’s top artisan cheese producers: Carr Valley, Seymour Dairy, Hooks and, of course, Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville.

Flipping Wheels of Rush Creek Reserve.

Dodgeville is in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, about an hour west of Madison and down the road from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Architectural compound. The majority of the economy is based around agriculture and supplying it. It’s the largest city in the county, with a few shopping centers and a hospital. Which is a good thing, as the day I went to visit Uplands Cheese, head cheese maker Andy Hatch’s wife went into labor. Though Andy was supposed to show me around he left me in the very capable hands of Joe Millnovich. Joe was part of the original cheese making team when the Gingriches and the Patenaudes merged their farms together to form Uplands Cheese in the early 2000’s. The 150 odd head of cattle are on a rotational grazing program that utilizes all 300 acres throughout the season. The terroir produces a milk that is reminiscent of Alpine cheeses. Ultimately this lead to their development of Pleasant Ridge Reserve, which was modeled after Beaufort. Joe told me that in the beginning they had made 300 wheels that first year and were wondering what they were going to do with it all. Now they produce nearly 10,000 wheels and now it’s not nearly enough. They could make more but choose to only make Pleasant Ridge Reserve when the cows are grazing on grass. The aging rooms are chock full of cheese at this time of year. Joe said that they like to age their batches for about 5 months before shipping them out cheese shops. They’ll save 10% of each batch for their Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve. This helps the farm get through the lean months after they’ve sold through the final batches of the previous season and the new batches from the current season are matured. After 10 years of making, perfecting and winning numerous awards for Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Uplands Cheese decided to make a Vacherin Mont d’Or style cheese called Rush Creek Reserve. It is made only in autumn from raw cows milk and is wrapped in spruce bark and the texture is creamy and spreadable. The first batches were just reaching the 60 day mark making them legal for public sale. Though it was only available in limited release last year, they are now set for a wide distribution to cheese shops across the country. We thanked Joe and the staff of Uplands for their time and headed back to Madison.

In Madison there are makers of two great accompaniments to cheese: Quince and Apple who make small batch preserves and Potters Crackers who make artisan crackers. As luck would have it, both are located in the same building, The Madison Enterprise Center, and right down the hall from one another.

Matt stirs a pot of Cherry and White Tea preserves at Quince and Apple.

We visited with Matt and Clare of Quince and Apple first. We were warmly greeted by Clare who led us back to the kitchen where Matt was finishing up a batch of their newest preserve, Cherry and white tea. Though was still in development phase, they were hoping to have it ready for the holidays. Matt and Clare took a few minutes to tell us how important it is to use local produce for their preserves. Even though the growing season in Wisconsin is short, they grab up all they can to make their delicious preserves. They also talked about how much encouragement and assistance they received from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection when they first started out. To have all these groups bundled together is unusual, but it does. Ideally, an organization of that nature is in the best interests of  the producer, the consumer and, ultimately, the state. The goods are made, quite literally, by hand. They peel, cut, cook and, until recently, ladled the preserves into jars, by hand. They’d prefer to develop each product and ensure it’s up to their standards rather than expand too quickly. The products that they do have are outstanding; Figs and Black Tea, not cloyingly sweet and with a wonderful earthiness that comes from the black tea; Pear with Honey and Ginger, is sweet and spreadable with a nice gingery bite; and my favorite, Orange Marmalade with Lemons, is made in the traditional way with a wonderful bitter component to counter to sweetness. We would’ve stayed forever, but they were half way through a double batch day. We said our good byes and thank yous and walked down the hall to talk crackers.

Potter’s Crackers is run by Nancy Potter who, after a long run owning a bakery, noticed that there wasn’t a great cracker to go with all the great cheese that was coming out of Wisconsin. She, along with her son, took it upon themselves to fill that void. Potter’s started out at the Madison Enterprise Center in 2006. Though businesses that begin there are allowed to remain for only 3 to 5 years, the vast improvements made to the space have allowed Pottter’s to become an anchor business allowing them to stay indefinitely. The crackers are made almost entirely from grains, vegetables and fruits from Wisconsin. They produce nine flavors year round along with 3 seasonal varieties that utilize the best that Wisconsin has to offer at that given moment. Crackers aren’t forever though. Nancy puts a 6 week shelf life on her crackers but usually they’re gone before they reach that age. The crackers, either savory or sweet, are crunchy, toothsome and just waiting to be paired with cheese. Nancy’s son is working on producing crackers in California to take advantage of it’s wide agricultural offerings and create some new flavors.

These are just a few of the producers that are putting Wisconsin on the food map. All the components, from across the state, are coming together. Those that have the know how are making the best products utilizing what is available to it’s fullest potential. For a long time I thought that this ethos was practiced only in Vermont. It’s a nice and welcome change to see this working somewhere else, perhaps in a place you wouldn’t expect it.

Little Ragghi's are big on taste!

Even before bread, crackers seem to be the first item to come to mind when thinking of things to  go with cheese. They can add a satisfying crunch and a nice textural flair to your cheese selection. Whether you’re looking for something fairly neutral or something with a robust flavor, we’ve got you covered. There are many crackers out there with different styles, different flavors and different textures. But Italian style crackers, with a bit of rusticity to them and a hearty crunch are among our favorites.

La Panzanella began as an Italian bread bakery in Seattle’s Capital Hill neighborhood. However, in 1997 the matriarch of the family began making the Croccantini crackers. This shifted production from bread to artisan cracker production. Croccantini or “crunchy little bite” in Italian, are made by hand at their facility in Tukwila, just outside of Seattle. Naturally, they are crunchy and quite flavorful, with a hint of sea salt, olive oil and, in certain varieties, a slightly herbaceous note. Currently we carry the Original, Whole Wheat and Black Pepper varieties.

Though not authentically Italian, Little Ragghi’s Crackers from Ocean City, MD definitely are inspired by the style and ingredients of Italy. They are named after a 5 foot tall Native American woman named Raggatha Calentine. She was an invaluable resource to the owner, Guy Bashore and he decided to honor her by naming these delectable crackers after her. Though initially taken aback by this, she eventually accepted it after consulting tribal elders. The crisp flat bread topped with Parmesan, olive oil and hints of salt and black pepper are addictive beyond belief, hitting all of your comfort zones. They are a perfect pairing with the charcuterie of your choosing.

Last, but certainly not least are Gallettine. Certainly our go to cracker here at the shop. We include them with our cheese and meat platters. Oven baked by the Fabbri family of Florence. They’re crisp yet resilient; Hearty yet light; Refined in it’s simplicity with just a hint of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. Gallettines are suitable for any munchable you may have in mind: cheese, meat, pate, fruit or jam.

We invite you to try any, or all, of these crunchy delights the next time you need an accompaniment for any of our artisan offerings.

These are goats getting toted.

September is when everything interesting starts to arrive in the shop. All the cheeses that have been set aside for aging to get us through the winter months start rearing their heads. Notably, sheep season begins. The first of the larger, aged sheep milk cheeses are finally ready for consumption. Also, this is the time when we start bulking up for the holidays at Farmstead. To that bulk we’ve added quite a few cheeses from our goat’s milk producing friends, notably Twig Farm in Vermont and Capriole in Indiana.

Michael Lee of Twig Farm does a great job of making goat’s milk cheese for people who might not like goat’s milk cheeses. He does an excellent job of manipulating the milk, cultures and aging process to make his wonderful cheeses. His latest aged cheese venture, Twig Farm Spring Wheel seemingly goes against that grain. Though milder and less acidic than most goat cheeses out there, it has a very verdant and slightly acidic flavor to it. The supple paste rolls around in your mouth until it is gone and the lingering tang is all that remains. It’s an amazing cheese, but it’s availability is limited. This means, get it while you can if you see it.

Going clockwise from the right: Julianna, Wabash Cannonball, Twig Farm Spring Wheel, Cave-Aged Cardona and Crocodile Tears

Also new in the shop is the return of an old friend, Judy Schad of Capriole in Kentuckyana, a part of Indiana that straddles the border near Louisville, Kentucky. She and her husband bought the farm in 1977 hoping for a more sustainable lifestyle to raise their children in. They tended to the land and bought their first goat. From there it was a natural genesis to make cheese. She along with Allison Hooper of Vermont Butter & Cheese Co. and Mary Keehn of Cypress Grove formed a band of women bringing goat cheese to the masses in the 1980s. Though her styles, recipes and processes may have changed over the years the cheese she makes is lauded and awarded almost annually. Currently we are fortunate to have 3 of her cheeses in the shop. Both her Crocodile Tears and Wabash Cannonball are bloomy rinded cheeses that come to maturity in about 2 weeks. The Crocodile Tears are 4 ounce cones dusted with paprika while the Wabash Cannonball is round and reminiscent of a golf ball with a light dusting of ash. While both are similar when young, with a bright smooth and spreadable paste. It’s as they age when the differences begin to emerge. The Wabash Cannonball ages a bit more uniformly than Crocodile Tears, which start drier at the top before leading to a creamier bottom. Both are amazing and will go exquisitely with sparkling wines or dessert wines. In addition to their younger cheeses we also have their raw milk, 4 month aged Julianna. Julianna was created by their Hungarian intern who loved playing with cheese making. She took a basic tomme shape and coated it with herbes de Provence. The result is a buttery cheese, smooth with a mushroomy natural rind. It was so good that it was the cover and centerfold cheese for the Summer 2011 issue of Culture magazine.

We also brought in an old favorite: Carr Valley’s Cave-Aged Cardona. It is a natural rinded aged goats milk cheese that has a nice dry interior with slight butterscotchy notes and a hit of salt. A wonderful table cheese that came in second in the Original Goat cheese category at the American Cheese Society in Montreal this year.

So there you have it. Come in and try some wonderful goat’s milk cheeses. It’s so much more than chèvre and a taste worth exploring.

Ah, summer!

The final days of Summer are here. The good thing, for us at least, is that a lot of seasonal cheese producers are getting their first batches into our shop and then to you. The sad thing is that with the harvest right on top of us, a lot of the produce that we’re joyous about the Summer for will soon be gone or coming in from beyond our borders. It’s ok, it’s just the cycle ever repeating itself. For those of you who may not subscribe to our periodic newsletter, every email we send, we try to include a recipe featuring new produce, cheese or what we’re in to at that particular moment. We have decided to compile these Summer recipes into a convenient file for you to reference. Though some of the produce may not be available or at it’s freshest, you’re still welcome to make these recipes with slight substitutions or save them for a later date. So without further ado, here we go!

May

As it often does, it all begins with fiddle heads.

Fiddle heads with Garlic, Parmesan and Prosciutto

1 pound fiddle heads
4 to 6 thin slices prosciutto
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preparation:

Clean and trim fiddle heads and blanch in salted water for 3 to 5 minutes. Cool under cold water or in an ice bath.

Take the prosciutto and slice into thin strips. Save for later.

Meanwhile, dice garlic and put a saute pan over medium high heat. Place butter in pan.  Once butter is melted add diced garlic. As the butter begins to brown and the garlic begins to soften, about 2 minutes, add the fiddle heads and toss in the garlic butter mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Toss with grated Parmesan and prosciutto strips. Serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 3 people.

-

Next to sprout up, literally, is rhubarb, a vegetable that’s much more versatile than we give it credit for.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake!

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

For the Rhubarb:

1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 medium stalks rhubarb, washed and chopped
3 tbsp. white sugar

For the Cake:

1/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temp.
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1.5 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. plus 1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sour cream

Preparation:

In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly among 6 buttered ramekins.

Toss the rhubarb with the white sugar. Sprinkle a layer of rhubarb into each ramekin.

To make the cake batter, cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and ginger powder. Mix the dry ingredients and sour cream into the butter mixture in alternating additions until fully incorporated.

Pour the cake batter on top of the rhubarb in the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cakes are golden and a wooden skewer inserted in a cake’s center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

Carefully run a paring knife around the edges of each cake, then unmold onto serving plates.

June

By June the farmer’s markets were just beginning and we were willing to take whatever they wanted to give us. If it was green it was good.

Lippett Park Farmer’s Market Salad

1 bunch sorrel
1 bunch radishes
1 bunch asparagus
1 bunch spring garlic
1 pint strawberries
1/4 pound Cabot Cloth-bound Cheddar
2 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Butter

Preparation:

Rinse, clean and stem sorrel. Pat dry and toss into salad bowl. Reserve.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add generous helping of salt. While water is coming to a boil trim asparagus and cut into 1.5 inch pieces on the bias. Once water is boiling, throw asparagus in and remove once water returns to a boil. Drain in colander and spray cold water over them to stop cooking. Place in salad bowl with sorrel.

Wash radishes thoroughly. Trim radishes of greens and ends and then cut into quarters. Put a fry pan over medium high heat with 2 tsp of butter. Saute until radishes begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and place in salad bowl.

To make a dressing, wash, trim and roughly chop both strawberries and spring garlic. Place both into food processor and blend to a liquid consistency. Remove from processor and place in, ideally, a double mesh strainer over a bowl and separate the liquids from the solids. Combine with honey and balsamic vinegar whisk until all is incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste and more honey if needed. Toss and dress the salad.

When plated, put some slivers of Cabot Cloth-bound on top of the salad and serve.

Serves 3 to 4 people.

July

With the heat creeping up steadily nothing seemed much more refreshing than some lemon curd, biscuits and berries.

Lemon Biscuit with Homemade Lemon Curd and Berry Compote

Lemon Biscuit
3 c. AP Flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. sugar
Grated zest of 2 lemons
12 tbsp. (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 c. buttermilk
Heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 (optional)
Coarse or Sanding Sugar
Whipped Cream

Zesty Lemon Curd
8 large egg yolks
1/2 c. lemon juice
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 c. sugar
Pinch salt
10 tbsp. (1.25 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

Berry Compote
3 – 4 c. mix of fresh berries
1/3 c. sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, sugar and lemon zest. With your hands, mix together the butter and dry ingredients until the butter is broken up into bits no bigger than the size of a pea.

Add buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon (don’t over mix). Batter will be sticky– that’s OK! Drop dough in equal rounds 2 inches apart on a lined or greased baking sheet. Brush with cream or half and half. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat yolks, lemon juice, zest, until temperature reaches 160 F, stirring lightly. Add salt, remove from heat and immediately whisk in pieces of butter, adding another as each one melts. Strain into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve and cover with plastic wrap. To cool, place bowl in an ice bath. Can be made in advance and refrigerated up to one week.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add berries, sugar, lemon juice and zest and cook until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat, cool and serve.

To serve, slice biscuits in half, horizontally. Spread lemon curd on bottom half, add a generous scoop of berry compote, a dollop of whipped cream and biscuit on top. Serves 6 – 8 people as a dessert.

August

By August we were grilling pros! We were cooking out so much that we almost forgot what a stove looked like.

Tasty, tasty grits!

BBQ Grits with Goat Cheese

1/2 c. grits (Quaker produces a lovely variety)
2-1/4 c. water
6 oz fresh chevre
1 c. leftover BBQ bits chopped roughly
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a sauce pan bring water to a boil. Once water has reached a boil, whisk and gradually add in your grits. Turn heat down to low, cover and allow to thicken, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10 minutes.

While grits are thickening, in a saute pan, over medium high heat add a bit of oil and the BBQ leftovers. Cook until heated through. Set aside.

Once grits have thickened add in goat cheese. Stir until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve in individual bowls and top with warmed up BBQ bits. Eat immediately.

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side.

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The end of August means tomatoes. Lots and lots of tomatoes! This was an excellent way to make use of them.

Tomato and Cheese Tart

Tart Dough:

3 c. flour
4 tbsp. sugar
2 pinches salt
10 oz. butter, chilled, cubed
4 tbsp. heavy cream
2 eggs

In a food processor pulse flour, sugar and salt, until well combines. Add chilled, cubed butter, pulse until well incorporated and butter is about pea size. Add cream and eggs, gradually, until well incorporated.

Chill for at least a few hours – overnight is preferable.

Filling:

3-6 heirloom tomatoes
1 – 1-1/2 lb. grated cheese, cheddar preferably
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Preparation:

You can make this tart free form, like a fruit galette or you can use a foil pan as a support, and bake the tart in the foil shell. This dough can also be used more like a pizza style, and roll it out on a half sheet tray. A little oil/pan spray and cornmeal can help prevent sticking. Once rolled out, use a little egg wash ( 1 egg and 1-2 tablespoons water) on dough.

Slice your heirloom tomatoes into ½ inch thick slices. Season with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Put aside in bowl. Go to your favorite cheese shop (Farmstead) and pick up some cheddar. We recommend, Shelburne farms three year, Cabot cloth bound, coastal cheddar or Plymouth, (though Plymouth isn’t technically cheddar but damn tasty just the same). Feel free to mix it up or choose a variety. 1-1 ½ pounds will do.

Grate your cheddar and put aside.

Brush tart dough with Dijon mustard, layer seasoned tomatoes, mustard, sprinkle cheese. Repeat once or twice more depending on what size tart you end up making. That’s it!

Bake at 375 F for 30-35 minutes for small tarts, 45-60 minutes for larger.

Serves 4 comfortably.

So there you have it. Get cooking if you’d like or save it for next year. We assure you that you won’t be disappointed with the results.

Ricotta in the basket

Ricotta can be either savory or sweet. It can be the focal point of a pizza or the central ingredient in your cheesecake. Most ricotta we get in the United States is made from acidulated whole cows milk. Which, when done right, is wonderful. Traditionally, though, it was made, as mentioned above, from the whey of a rennet-set cheese. For the longest time that meant sheep. True lovers of ricotta insist that sheep milk ricotta is the best; light, smooth and creamy. But finding it in the United States can be difficult where the cow is king. Those that love real recooked whey cows milk ricotta, say that it is velvety and slightly nutty in flavor, and there is nothing else like it. However, if it takes 10 units of milk to make 1 unit of standard cheese, the ratio goes up threefold when making “real” ricotta.

Don’t let this discourage you from getting the ricotta you can find in stores. For a fresh ricotta, Naragansett Creamery makes a wonderful ricotta. Taking home the gold in its category in 2008. It is fresh, slightly salty and slightly sweet is spectacular on bread, pizza or in a cheesecake. Fresh ricotta isn’t the only game in town though. Ricotta salata is pressed, salted and aged to add a wholly different dimension to this already versatile cheese. It is a great substitute for feta and extra aged variants can be grated like pecorino or parmesean. Ricotta al forno and ricotta affumicata are cooked and smoked variants, respectively, that are popular in different parts of Italy.

While buying ricotta is an enormous time saver, especially if you’re attempting to make “real” ricotta, making it at home is a great “baby step” into the world of making cheese. While it may be a bit time consuming, almost all cheese production is. While the below recipe isn’t a “real” ricotta recipe, it is simple to make and a wonderful addition to your repertoire. For your equipment needs you will need: an accurate thermometer, digital or a candy thermometer is best; cheese cloth, which can be found in specialty stores, some home supply stores or online if it can’t be found anywhere near you; a colander and a sauce pan.

Whole Milk Ricotta Recipe

1 qt. whole milk

the juice of 1 whole lemon

salt (optional, but recommended)

In a saucepan, heat the milk, slowly, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, to 200 degrees F. Once 200 degrees is reached, add all the lemon juice. The heated milk will begin to curdle immediately. Turn off the heat and remove to a cold burner and let sit for a few minutes. While the milk is resting, line cheese cloth around the colander in your sink. Pour the acidulated milk into the lined colander. The whey will run out immediately. When the curds have cooled some and drained for about an hour, add salt if desired and  tie into a ball and refrigerate. It will keep for several days. The yield is about 3/4 of a cup.

Simple, right? However, if you’re more of a visual learner click on the link below to see Matt Jennings make some amazing end of summer fare. The recipe is slightly different, but makes a wonderful product all the same.

http://www.foxprovidence.com/dpp/rhode_show/rhode_show_cooking/end-of-summer-tomatoes-corn-and-ricotta

We hope that you have found this informative to look at ricotta beyond being a one trick pony and hopefully you’ll get a chance to make it at home for yourself sometime soon.

McClure's Spicy Relish, made from McClure's Spicy Pickles!

Recently, we discussed sweet spreadables. But with barbecue season going full steam ahead, we thought it would be prudent to talk about a few of the tasty and savory items that we have available here at Farmstead. While Americans do love food from the grill, we love putting condiments on it even more.  Join us as we delve into the wonderful world of relish, mustard, chutney and, of course, the king of them all, ketchup.

Relish came about out of necessity, as most things do. The winter, as you know, is not prime growing season in most of Western Civilization and people needed their veggies. Pickling and preserving was the answer. Relishes can be made from any number of vegetables or fruits. In the United States cucumber pickle reigns supreme. You get great relish from great pickles. McClure’s, with locations in Detroit and Brooklyn, make great pickles and therefore, great relish. McClure’s has been making pickles commercially since 2006, using an old family recipe. They use fresh, local vegetables for their product whenever possible. The whole family, literally, has a hand in every batch of pickles and relish that they make. Whether it be on the production line, researching new products or marketing and selling the goods. They make a spicy relish and a garlic relish. Both are great on hot dogs, burgers, as part of a tartar sauce or on sandwiches of any kind.

Chutney. What is chutney? The short answer is a savory preserve. But that’s as nebulous as saying that Nebraska and Rhode Island are the same because they’re both part of the United States. Chutneys can be wet or dry, spicier or sweeter, coarse or smooth.  There is no limit to the variants of chutney as they can be made of any vegetable, fruit, spice, oil or vinegar combination that you can think of. The Virginia Chutney Company is located in Rappahannock County in northern Virginia. It is run by Clare and Nevill Turner, who met in the Caribbean where they happily made mango and pineapple chutneys and had two children. Upon moving to the United States they discovered the rich chutney making history of the American South. They made their home there, raised their children and continued to make chutneys based off of the local produce: Peach, Plum, Green Tomato. In addition to pairing wonderfully with grilled items, especially fish, chicken and pork, their chutneys are perfect with cheeses, bread or crackers.

Mustard has been around since Roman times. There is a recipe for it in the 4th century cookbook, Apicius. Mustard, like many condiments, comes in a wide variety of preparations, smooth, hot, sweet, mild or coarse. The heat of any mustard is determined by the temperature of the liquids used in it’s manufacture. The hotter the liquid the milder the mustard. Thus, hot mustard comes from cold water or vinegar. We make a wonderful mustard in house based off of Matt’s great-grandmother’s recipe called Baboo’s. We serve it on our sandwiches and charcuterie boards. It is slightly spicy and slightly sweet with a well rounded mouth feel. It goes wonderfully with cured meats and some pickled vegetables and would make a great addition to your hamburger, sausage or hot dog this summer.

Heinz has nothing on this guy.

How can we talk about condiments without talking about ketchup, the king of them all in the United States. Ketchup in it’s earliest incarnations was a British staple picked up from Malaysia. Initially it was a concoction of pickled fish and spices, but over time evolved into the tomato based spread we know and love. While the great majority think Heinz or Hunt’s is the final word on ketchup, a new comer is making it’s way through specialty stores. Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup is made with pear tomato puree, natural sweeteners like agave, raw sugar and honey, apple cider vinegar and a whole host of spices and flavors. They make both a classic and spiced variety. Both would be great on a burger, as part of your home-made barbecue sauce or cocktail sauce.

So with all those options you will have no shortage of flavorful combinations to make your summer pop.