February Cheese Deals
Every month, we feature a number of excellent deals and savings on a variety of cheeses.
Our member-owners have an opportunity to get some great cheese deals, available until February 26. From Neighborly Farms in Randolph Center, Vermont, Jalapeno Jack is a perfect combination of Monterey Jack and spicy jalapenos. Sale price is $13.49 per pound, a $2.00 savings. St. Albans from Vermont Creamery is an aged cow’s milk cheese that will be perfect on a cheese plate or spread across your favorite cracker. They come in little ceramic crocks and can be warmed and drizzled over vegetables. Sale price is $4.99, a savings of $1.00. Grafton Vermont’s Grafton Village ages their younger cheddar for one year, producing a mild yet richly flavored cheddar that won’t disappoint as a table cheese, paired with fruit, or melted on just about anything. Sale price is $4.49, a savings of $1.00. Finally, Miyoko’s Creamery produces excellent plant-based cheese alternatives. Their Vegan Double Cream Chive is a very spreadable, delicious vegan cheese wheel sure to please anyone looking for an alternative to dairy-based cheeses. Sale price is $7.49, a savings of $1.50.
Additionally, between Jan. 30 and Feb. 12, member-owners have a chance to utilize our member-only coupon to save even more on all of our great cheeses. The coupon is for $3 off a $15 purchase of cheese & cheese substitutes, and can be found here.
During the first half of February, our Sales For Everyone include two spicy cheeses, perfect for your taco night or your big-game party. Made locally in Plymouth, Vertmont, Plymouth Artisan Cheese makes their Hot Pepper Cheddar with habanero and jalapeno peppers, turning up the heat and guaranteeing a spicy experience. Sale price is $6.49, a savings of $2.00. Andrew & Everett Mexican Mix Shredded Cheese is a mix of cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses and is perfect melted onto nachos or that seven-layer dip you’re bringing any gathering. Sale price is $3.49, a savings of $1.50.
Some of our great deals happen in collaboration with Provisions International, New England cheesemakers, and the Neighboring Food Co-op Association, as a way to highlight two regional artisanal cheese producers each month. One of those programs is called Farm Focus, which aims to really highlight a locally produced cheese.Our Farm Focus cheese this month is Oh My Heart from Lazy Lady Farm in Westfield, Vermont.
What better month than February to feature a cheese called Oh my Heart. A very special cheese made by a very special farm: Lazy Lady Farm in Westfield, Vermont. Laini Fondiller started Lazy Lady in 1987 and it is as eclectic and unique as Laini herself. While not certified organic, the farm operates using organic practices: organic grains, organic straw for bedding, intensive rotational grazing, and fertile soils made from composted manure and the added minerals for hay production. Laini operates the farm by utilizing 17 solar panels and a 1K-wind generator. When there is no wind or sun, Lazy Lady relies on a small generator to replenish the battery bank.
Laini operates lazy Lady Farm with Barry Shaw. They employ two full-time workers and one part-time person who comes two days per week to clean the barn and to pet the goats and the dog. Laini walks the goats in the woods, weather permitting, to ensure they eat their fair share of herbs and woodland plants. They are sincerely and lovingly cared for, each and every one. She calls them her “working girls” and they are anything but lazy!
Oh My Heart is a small, soft, fatty, buttery disk made from cow’s milk and cream, with a double-cream bloomy rind that is luscious and addictive. It is the perfect cheese to lure the affections of your one true love.
Another way our collaboration with Provisions International, New England cheesemakers, and the Neighboring Food Co-op Association provides a great deal is through the Cave-to-Co-op program. According to the Neighboring Food Co-op Association, the goal of the program is “to contribute to a stronger regional food system by introducing local cheesemakers to consumers and encouraging them to try their products.” This month’s Cave to Co-op cheese is Grafton Clothbound from Grafton Village in Grafton, Vermont.
The Grafton Village Cheese Company was founded in 1892 as the Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company, to convert surplus milk from local dairy farmers into cheese. In 1912, the cheesemaking factory burned down and the community had no cheese facility until 1962, when the Windham Foundation restored the factory and brought cheesemaking back to the community. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting the rural communities of Vermont. The profits from Grafton Village Cheese go back into the Foundation to further its commitment to keep rural Vermont alive and thriving. Today, quality and taste are still the hallmarks of the company’s products.
The Grafton Cave Aged line of fine cheeses takes Grafton beyond its roots in Vermont Cheddar cheese. The cheese is carefully matured in Grafton’s own cave aging facility using raw milk from small Vermont family farms that is thermalized and contains no artificial hormones. The rennet used is non-GMO microbial rennet, suitable for vegetarians.
Clothbound Cheddar is classic milled curd cow milk cheddar wrapped in cheesecloth while it ages slowly in Grafton’s caves for a minimum of six months. Grafton Clothbound delivers a very bold cheese with both nut and mushroom notes. It is delicious any time of year on a cheese plate, in a sandwich or used in a recipe like the one below.
Cheddar Salad w/Grafton
Clothbound and Heirloom Apples
serves 4
6 Heirloom apples
1 Cup of golden raisins
1 Cup of pecans or hazelnuts, toasted
8 ounces Grafton Clothbound cheddar, shaved
2 Cups arugula, washed and dried
¼ cup homemade vinaigrette Core and cube the apples – peel if you wish – and place in a medium bowl. Add the raisins, nuts and cheddar. Gently fold in the vinaigrette. Refrigerate for at least an hour and toss in the arugula just before serving.
Every Monday, regardless of the month, we feature Cabot Creamery cheeses on sale for everyone. Currently, eight-ounce shredded cheeses and bars, and select six-ounce bars, are 2 for $5.00, and sliced cheeses are 2 for $6.00.