Stewart’s is your local destination for the finest Artisanal and Farmstead cheeses from New England’s best cheesemakers – Cato Corner Farm,West River Creamery, Blue Ledge Farm, Parish Hill Creamery, Boston Post Dairy, Beltane Farm, Boucher Family Farm, and more!
• Humble Herdsman
(Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese | Westminster West, VT )
Whole milk semi-soft Tomme, aged 3 to 5 months. When young, Humble has a mild, nutty flavor and a golden-hued, edible rind formed by brushing the outside with local hard cider. Humble gains earthy, vegetal notes as it ripens.
pair with Giné Giné Priorat (2012, Buil & Giné)
• West West Blue
(Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese | Westminster West, VT )
Traditional aged, two-curd Gorgonzola, West West Blue is made with whole, raw milk from Elm Lea Farm and aged 90 – 180 days. The edible rind surrounds an interior with openings filled with streaks of blue mold, a creamy texture and a spicy, earthy flavor.
pair with Chateau du Taillan Haut Medoc (2010)
We’re pleased to offer award-winning Fine Goat Milk Cheeses from Cypress Grove Chevre. The ivory-colored Midnight Moon aged firm goat milk cheese from Holland is dense and smooth with a slight crunch of protein crystals that form naturally with aging. Nutty and brown buttery up front with a long caramel finish. The iconic American original Humboldt Fog offers a subtle, tangy flavor and distinctive layer of edible vegetable ash. You’ll enjoy buttermilk and fresh cream, complemented with floral notes, herbal overtones and a clean citrus finish. As Humboldt Fog matures its flavor matures and grows more intense.
Pairing suggestions (Midnight Moon):
Pairing suggestions (Humboldt Fog):
Treat yourself and guests to the perfect autumn dessert – snappy aged cheddar with sweet local pears! To serve, just slice them into wedges and fan them on plates. Set out a chunk of room temperature cheddar. Encourage everyone to take a thin slice of cheese and eat it with a wedge of pear . . . a pure autumnal delight!
Spring is the season of many things . . . renewal, new beginnings, baseball, blooming flowers . . . and of course, spring is the start of the cheese season! That’s right, now is the time when “dairy goats in particular tend to breed and freshen more seasonally than cows, and begin producing their milk in the late winter and early spring.” Arguably, the most delicious and intriguing cheeses of the new season are aged goat cheeses. And in one in particular stands out, our cheese of the month, the award-winning Crottina from Blue Ledge Farm in Leicester, Vermont. Blue Ledge Farm, found in the southern portion of the beautiful Champlain Valley of Vermont, is a family owned and operated goat dairy. This is the cheese that “put them on the map” when it took a first place award in the American Cheese Society competition in 2006. Since then it has won loyal goaty fans for it’s classic simplicity. Aged for three weeks, the texture of this pasteurized cheese is velvety and smooth, with a white mold exterior. It should pair well with a Pinot Grigio (try Kris Pinot Grigio from Stewart’s Spirits) or Sauvignon Blanc (try Sterling Napa County Sauvignon Blanc) wine. We love this cheese with a dollop of local CT honey (’tis the season for that too)!
Miranda by Vulto Creamery (Walton, NY)
This fresh arrival from Vulto Creamery is a washed rind cow’s milk cheese from NY cheesemaker extraordinaire Jos Vulto of Vulto Creamery. Essentially the same style as Vulto’s main cheese the Ouleoout, the Miranda is made from the last curds of the Ouleout batches. Though while the Ouleout comes in a larger 8″ or so size, the Miranda goes into small italian cheese moulds, producing the little buttons about 3” in diameter and height. The wash really sets the Miranda apart. Where the Ouleout gets a basic brine wash, the Miranda is treated with the herbal spirit of absinthe, made by Cheryl Lins at Delaware Phoenix Distillery, a Walton-based distillery. A true rarity in the cheese world – an absinthe-washed cheese! Though please note the cheese does not take on absinthe color nor will it induce any hallucinations. “The flavors have the trademarks of a great Taleggio: brothy, meaty, savory and earthy, with nutty and grassy notes; the absinthe wash lends it additional complexity, subtle fruity and yeasty hints, with a bit of sour and tang on the finish.” (available in our cheese case). Pair with a nice Malbec from Stewart’s Spirits.
We’re ready for the entertaining season with Boska fondue pots, Brooklyn Slate cheese boards, and Sofi award-winning Wildly Delicious brie bakers, cheese knives and a singular selection of condiments to complete your cheese service. Stop by our specialty cheese case today!
Walter Stewart’s is your fresh local market with the finest CT fare, but we’re also your shopping destination for excellent products from all over the culinary map. This month we’re paying tribute to Italy by showcasing the eclectic selection of Italian-inspired foods and imported products we have to offer. Look for our “A Taste of Italy” signs throughout the store and enjoy special tastings as well as giveaways!
This warm buttery Blue Cheese from Minnesota is made with Cow’s Milk and aged in a cave for 3 months. It develops a strong and pungent taste but not with soapiness that is found in other American Blue cheeses. The cheese is free of any growth hormone or artificial additives. It is a good cheese to end the meal as well as on a cocktail canapé with smoked salmon or in salad dressing with apple and walnuts. Also, an excellent cheese on steaks, burgers and salads. Stewart’s Spirits pairing suggestions: 90+ Cellars Pinor Noir, Seghesio or Rombauer Zinfandel, Wagner Ice Riesling, Guinness Stout or Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout
A firm, washed rind, aged cow’s milk cheese from the Alsace region of France. This smoothly textured cheese offers a bold flavor that is complemented nicely by a chilled Riesling (try Milbrandt, Flat Rock Cellars or Trimbach from Stewart’s Spirits). Washed with light fruity Alsation wine. This dramatically accentuates the lactic flavors and helps it develop long, fruity notes with hints of mushrooms, grasses and butter.
