Grafton 2 Year Cheddar: 15% off thru March 2013
by staffer/co-owner Joe Patt
One of the simple joys of being human is eating a slice of good aged cheddar cheese, like the Grafton 2 yr raw milk cheddar from Vermont. It's super-sharp with a little crunch and a smooth, earthy finish.
To many, Grafton is the standard-bearer of Vermont cheddar, a state that has a rich cheesemaking tradition dating back to the 19th century, before refrigeration, when dairy farmers gathered together in a cooperative to make their surplus milk into cheese. Today, Grafton buys Jersey cow's milk (perfect for cheddar) from 25 small family farms.
Cheddar is actually the name of a cheesemaking process, during which the forming curds are cut into smaller and smaller pieces in preparation for pressing. The "cheddaring" process allows excess whey to drain out of the curds, leaving firmer, drier pieces behind, and creating the faint but distinctive pattern of pressed-together pieces on the surface of a cross section. As cheddar ages it becomes sharper and drier.
Make a plate with some crusty multigrain bread or crackers, cured olives, apple slices and toasted walnuts along with a brown ale or a fruity, full-bodied red and you have dinner.
Here are some recipes to try it in:
Twice Baked Cheddar Souffles
http://graftonvillagecheese.com/recipe-cat-list/recipes/detail/9/twice-baked-cheddar-souffles
Big Fork Bacon Sausage Scones
http://bigforkbrands.com
Apple Cheddar Cheese Pie
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-cheddar-cheese-pie
Cincinnati "Skyline" Chili
http://americanfood.about.com/od/classicchowdersandstews/r/cinnchili.htm
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