Photo Credit: Grow It Can It Cook It For many cheesemakers, the arrival of spring means the return of fresh cheeses like chevre, ricotta and surface-ripened styles. Even if they’ve been making cheese throughout the winter (due to a staggered breeding schedule, which is what Haystack Mountain relies on for its milk sourcing), kidding, calving and lambing season peaks this time of year and with that comes a surplus of milk. Our cheesemaker Jackie Chang, is busier than ever, starting new batches of washed rind cheeses (which sold out over the winter). What we’re really psyched about now, howeve ..read more

Photo credit: Alliance for Natural Health USA This following article has been reprinted in full with permission from Culture: the word on cheese; author Leigh Belanger is the magazine’s food editor. We wanted to run it to educate our customers and consumers in general about raw milk cheese, since there’s a lot of fear and misinformation rampant in the media (please note we’ve also added two of our own links, on raw fluid milk and the FDA’s role in regulating cheesemakers). When the culture staff saw the news of the Vulto Creamery cheese recall caused by listeria contamination on Friday, we w ..read more

A scene from last year’s Cochon 555, Denver. Photo credit: Galdones Photography Once upon a time, America was a mostly agrarian nation populated by subsistence farmers. Livestock- which had Old World genetics, having been brought here by 17th and 18th century colonists- possessed attributes that made them well-suited to their respective environments. Some cattle had long, curving horns, which helped them forage in deep snow or thrash through thick brush. Certain breeds of sheep had short, stocky frames that helped them survive cold climates. The very qualities that once made these breeds an ..read more

Photo credit: Becks & Posh Dear Haystack, I’m confused about cheese rinds. Are they safe to eat? Is it rude to leave them on my plate? Sincerely, Rattled by Rinds   Dear Rattled, You’re not alone: This is the question most frequently asked of cheese professionals. The short answer is, unless a cheese is waxed or bandaged, the rind is safe to eat and it’s a matter of personal preference. It helps to understand what the rind is and what purpose it serves. Think of the rind as the skin of the cheese. Its function is to keep the surface of the cheese from being exposed to air, which also ser ..read more

Ruby Star grapefruit: in season now. Photo credit: Backyard Fruit As a child of California, I grew up immersed in a culture awash with citrus and avocados. I recall plucking tangerines from orchards and eating the sun-warmed fruit as a snack, and marveling over the many varieties of avocado at our county fair. Years later, as a farmers market vendor in the rain-drenched Bay Area, I overcame the winter doldrums by admiring (and eating) the vibrant array of citrus fruits sold by my colleagues. One of my favorite ways to use citrus is to combine it with goat cheese. The acidity and residual swe ..read more

Just add beer. Photo credit: Golden Age Cheese They’re a Midwestern staple, and an integral part of poutine, Canada’s national dish- but for the rest of us, if we think about cheese curds at all, they’re merely a novelty snack food. Curds (also known as squeaky cheese, for the sound they make when they rub against the teeth) are made from the curdled milk solids formed in the early stages of the cheesemaking process. The resulting mild, slightly rubbery, strangely addictive nuggets are usually consumed fresh or battered and fried (curds don’t melt completely, but rather, achieve a pleasing ..read more

Confused about the difference between grassfed and organic dairy? Read on. Photo credit: Civil Eats   Grocery shopping in the 21st century is about so much more than procuring food; it’s increasingly a political act. Even if you’re not adhering to any particular diet (gluten-free, grassfed, Paleo, et al), your choices have an impact locally, nationally or globally. When you actually care about the provenance of your ingredients, a trip to the store becomes even more fraught with confusion. Nourishment is a basic human need, and while it’s important to make good choices that have a positive e ..read more

Photo credit: Direct Matin One of the cheesiest holidays of the year (both literally and sometimes, figuratively) is New Year’s Eve. Whether you choose to go big or spend a quiet night at home, however, celebrating with cheese is always a Do. Given Haystack Mountain’s high-altitude location, we like to get all retro and break out the fondue pot or racler (a scraper used to make the dish raclette; more on that in a moment). There are few dishes that better embody the essence of an Alpine winter than these Swiss specialties, and because they’re traditionally consumed in a communal manner, they ..read more

Photo credit: Heifer International When I was growing up, my older brother and I raised dairy goats for 4-H. Thus, it was from an early age that I learned two things: Male goats (young, uncastrated males are called bucklings; castrated goats are wethers) are a by-product of the dairy industry, and, By donating bucklings like ours to Heifer International, families in need worldwide are able to improve their breeding stock and thus earn a (viable) living. The latter is the mission of Heifer International. Since 1944, the Little Rock, Arkansas-based nonprofit has provided livestock, animal husb ..read more

Following a few tips can make you a cheese plate master. Photo credit: Sam en Croute Cheese scares the bejeezus out of many people, especially when it comes to serving up a plate for dinner or party guests: The intimidation factor is similar to what plenty of folks experience when ordering or purchasing wine. While there are indeed rules of thumb when it comes to the slicing, serving and pairing of cheese, I promise that the world will not come to an end if you or your party guests don’t follow them to the letter. The simple guidelines below will enable you to easily create a sweet or savory ..read more