Spring is Goat Cheese Season

Small goat cheese headsSpring is the season of  many things . . . renewal, new beginnings, baseball, blooming flowers . . . and of course, spring is the start of the goat 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.”  Shop Stewart’s for a great selection of Goat’s milk cheeses – Blue Ledge Farm’s signature Goat Cheese Lake’s Edge (Champlain Valley, VT) award-winning Kunik Triple Cream Minis and Chevre from Nettle Meadow Farm (Warrensberg, NY), the distinctive Cypress Grove Purple Haze Chevre (Humboldt County, CA), and the French-style surface ripened Cloud Nine by Yellow Springs Farm (Chester Springs, PA). And if you’re in the mood for something with a little age, try the classically simple, velvety and smooth, Crottina by Blue Ledge Farm (Champlain Valley, VT), which should pair nicely with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc (try Giesen Sauvignon Blanc from Stewart’s Spirits) and a dollop of Local CT honey.  These are the perfect picnic cheeses! Grab some prosciutto, a fresh baguette and a bottle of Rosé (from Stewart’s Spirits) and savor the season!
And check out this delicious Goat Cheese Crostini recipe from Julia Deane’s Culinary Works!
 
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Your Everyday Farmer’s Market

pears_fallnewsletter_webThe word “Local” has become a trendy buzz word used very loosely these days. But for us Local is anything but a trend. Our commitment to supporting our local community as well as providing a market for the best CT artisans, farmers and producers of first-rate foods is long-standing and solid. We will continue to offer our customers the finest local CT fare . . . Shop Stewart’s this season for Lyman Orchard’s Apples & Pears, Blue Jay Orchard’s Apple Cider Donuts, Farmstead Cheeses from Cato Corner Farm and Beltane Farm, Heavenly Bites, Sweet Sabrina’s Cakes, SweetLee’s Cookie Dough, Shearwater Organic Coffee, Arethusa Milk, and so much more!

Shop Fresh. Shop Local Shop Stewart’s!

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Vulto Miranda – Cheese of the Month

vultomirandaMiranda 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.

Cheese of the Month – North Country Blue

northcountry_blueThis 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