This month’s Cave to Co-op is Très Bonne Reserve, a natural-rind, pasteurized goat milk cheese from Boston Post Dairy in Enosburg Falls, Vermont. Reg. $25.99/lb. Sale $16.99/lb, save $9.

Boston Post Dairy is located on the Gervais Family Farm, a family-run farm in northern Vermont owned and operated by Robert and Gisele Gervaise and 12 of their 15 children. The Gervaise family has been farming the property since 1962, when they began with 35 Jersey cows and 220 acres of land. In 2013, their farm was given the prestigious Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year Award, which honors an outstanding, efficiently managed dairy enterprise that sets a strong example for other farmers to follow. Farms are evaluated on a number of criteria, including production records; herd, pasture, and crop management; environmental practices; contributions to agriculture and the local community; and overall excellence in dairying. The Dairy is home to 70 dairy goats and 80 dairy cows. They make cheeses from goat’s milk, cow’s milk, and a blend of goat and cow milks.

Très Bonne is French for ‘very good’ and it is! Très Bonne Reserve is aged for 12-14 months and has a caramelized, nutty flavor and a flaky, almost crunchy texture, with lots of crystallization, reminiscent of the best aged Gouda or Parm. Try it in the Eggplant, pesto and Très Bonne Reserve pizza recipe below.

Our Farm Focus for this month is Prufrock, a washed-rind, pasteurized, organic cow’s milk cheese from Grey Barn in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. 8 oz regularly $19.99 each. Sale $15.99, save $4.

Prufrock is made by bringing in fresh milk from the farm each morning. It is warmed, cultured and then rennet is added for coagulation. Next, the curd is cut, carefully stirred and hand-ladled into square molds. It is flipped several times before the cheeses spend the night resting in the creamery. The next morning, the cheeses are placed in a brine bath for salting. Once brined, they are transferred into the cave where each cheese is flipped and washed by hand with Bear Swamp Orchard certified organic Farmhouse Cider for several weeks before being wrapped in paper made specifically for a washed rind cheese. These little wrapped bundles continue to be flipped daily for a total of about six weeks before leaving the farm.

The final result is a supple and stinky cheese with a rustic orange rind that has developed in the cave and encases a soft, golden paste. This cheese is unique not only because it is hand-made on Martha’s Vineyard but also because the seasonal changes in the pastures give subtle changes in our milk. Those subtle flavor changes are transferred into the cheese. The delicate yet pungent paste of this washed-rind cheese has a beautiful, thick, soft, yielding texture. It’s toasty and nutty with hints of tropical fruit and sour cream. When ripe, this cheese has a slightly salty and savory flavor. Its delectable texture melts on your tongue.

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Eggplant, pesto and Très Bonne Reserve pizza

makes one 14-inch pizza

1 homemade or store purchased pizza crust
5 T olive oil
a 1 ½  to 2 pound eggplant cut into ¼ inch slices
¾ inch salt
3 cloves of minced garlic
freshly ground pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced Très Bonne Reserve
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup pesto

pre-heat oven to 450 ° F

In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 2 ½  tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat. Season the eggplant with the salt. Fry one-third of the eggplant, turning, until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove. Repeat in two more batches with the remaining oil, using more if needed, and the eggplant. Meanwhile, oil a 14-inch pizza pan or large baking sheet. Press the pizza dough onto the pan in an approximately 14-inch round or 9-by-13-inch rectangle. Arrange the eggplant slices on the pizza crust. Sprinkle the garlic and pepper over the top. Bake for 12 minutes. Put the slices of cheese on the pizza, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and then dot with the pesto. Bake until the cheese begins to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Serve in wedges.