"cheddar" news and stories

Photo: Cabot Creamery

It's no secret that Vermont is just as much a "cheese state" as Wisconsin. We all know about Vermont cheddars, in particular the wax-covered logs from Cabot Creamery and those from Grafton Village Cheese. But, over the past couple of months, smaller and more artisanal Vermont dairies, including Lazy Lady Farm and Willow Hill Farm, have been receiving attention from everyone from the New York Times Magazine to big names in food like Martha Stewart. What has prompted these cheesemakers to receive such positive media attention and to make it big in the marketplace? Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, the Che Guevara of cheeses.

After speaking to Mateo Kehler, co-owner of Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vt., we discovered that the artisanal Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is not only unique because of its mouthwatering, nutty, caramel-like taste, but also because of its pivotal role in allowing smaller Vermont cheese producers to blossom. The latter is responsible for the growth of Mateo's aging facility, the Cellars at Jasper Hill, where the cheddar is aged for approximately 10 months. "The cheese supplies us with the necessary cash flow to be able to financially support smaller dairies," says Kehler. He refers to the cheese as an "economic engine" in the Vermont cheese scene. Back in 2005, when Kehler took over the sales of Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, he sold 7,000 pounds of the cheese in just one week!

When you plan ahead, hosting a party or get-together becomes a lot less daunting and a lot more fun, right? And if you always wanted to host your own party, then it's time to make it happen this holiday season. Buffet entertaining can be less stress when you plan ahead. And these easy, savory white cheddar, onion and apple crostini will be a sophisticated part of your buffet spread.

One Week Before
Review your ingredients, check the guest list and put aside any canned goods or dry ingredients you'll need to make your recipes. Set out serving dishes, serving spoons, and platters the morning before your party. By completing these tasks early, you'll be sure that all your entertaining supplies are clean and that you have a plate or platters ready to serve each dish or appetizer. Buy a bag of ice, so you won't have to fuss with refilling ice trays.

Night Before
Prep your recipes that can be assembled or partially assembled the night before and then refrigerated, such as stuffed mushrooms, spinach or bean dips. Place them in oven-safe dishes and cover them with aluminum foil before storing them in the refrigerator, so they can go straight into the oven the next day. Store dressings, sauces and icing in zipper-lock bags so you can just snip the end and pour, drizzle and ice at will. Place a large plate in the fridge under the bag if you're worried about leakage.

Anyone who says the bacon craze is over clearly doesn't love bacon as much as we do or is, at the very least, unaware of all the ways bacon enhances our culinary world. And it's impossible to imagine any omnivore in his or her right mind hating on bacon when staring down at this bowl of cheddar corn chowder topped off with what blogger Ezra Pound Cake calls "God's confetti."

While the "hearty, creamy, comforting soup brimming with potatoes, corn, onions and sharp white-cheddar cheese" is enough to make anyone's mouth water, it's really the bacon on top that makes this Ina Garten recipe even more enticing.

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Seriously? Sweet potato and cheese cookies? That's what I thought when I saw this recipe too. But Dawn from Vanilla Sugar swears by them, and I'm inclined to believe her. I've always thought that the cheddar cheese + pie combo was highly underrated, so I can see how the sweet and savory flavors would work together much the same way in these cookies. Plus, since cheese has protein, you can eat the cookies for breakfast. Right? The recipe includes mashed sweet potatoes, shredded sharp cheddar, cinnamon, pecans and raisins. I won't have a chance to test these out myself until the weekend, so if anyone else tries them, please let me know how they taste!

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