Happy Goats Make Great Cheese

As a pioneer in the industry, an early proponent of the artisanal process, and an advocate of sustainable, responsible farming and organic production, Allison Hooper of Vermont Butter & Cheese is what one might call America's founding mother of artisanal cheesemaking.

On a whim, and with no farming experience, Allison started writing letters to organic farmers in the late '70s seeking a hands-on education in working the land. Eventually, her journey took her to the countryside of France, where her love for the European tradition of small-batch artisanal cheesemaking gathered momentum. In 1984 she launched Vermont Butter & Cheese with Bob Reese, a former marketing director of the Vermont Department of Agriculture. Soon after, people who had never experienced the taste of fresh chèvre were immediately awed by her handiwork.

"Quality originates at the source," says Allison, and the source of her goat's milk cheeses is a herd of intelligent, gentle dairy goats that are never tethered but are free to forage for hay, brush, and pasture plants around the farm. Additional milk is supplied by local farms, where the average herdsize is 150 goats and whose farming method aligns with Vermont Butter & Cheese's philosophy: A healthy herd, low stress, and good hygiene are an invaluable part of producing high-quality milk.

Along with both fresh and aged varieties of goat's milk cheeses, Allison and Bob use cow's milk to make crème fraÌche, fromage blanc, mascarpone, and quark. All are fashioned in the same spirit of artisanal production in which hands and nature take the place of machines. For their crème fraîche, fresh cream is set aside after milking to let the lactic bacteria take over, enriching and thickening it to delicious results. Their cultured butter is one of the finest in the country, with true cream flavor and only the lightest touch of salt. It would easily hold its own against the best of European butters.

Allison Hooper's and Bob Reese's dedication to forming their cheese and butter from the grass up,
as well as their commitment to hands-on farming practices, makes them true artisans.
www.butterandcheese.net

A Crafty Match

Artisan Brews and Cheeses

From left to right:

Cabecou Feuille with Blanche de Chambly
Cabecou Feuille is a French goat's milk cheese ripened in chestnut leaves and studded with black peppercorns. The Blanche de Chambly is brewed by Unibroue in Quebec and is a Belgian-style Witbier. Witbiers are traditionally brewed with mostly wheat (sometimes some oat) in the grain bill, with spices added (the traditional spices are orange peel and coriander). The fruit and spice notes in both the beer and the cheese complement each other.

Tomme D'Alsace with Pinkus Munster Alt
Tomme D'Alsace is a cow's milk cheese from Alsace Lorraine washed in pinot gris. It is meaty and fruity. The Pinkus Munster Alt comes from Munster, Germany, north of Dusseldorf. Alt means old and is thought to refer to the longer aging time of this ale. It is yeasty, malty, and slightly fruity. The Pinkus Alt is also organic. The beer and cheese each complement each other's fruit notes, and the crispness of the brew refreshes the palate.

Hoch Ybrig with Chimay Blue
Hoch Ybrig is a Swiss cow's milk cheese from Schwyz, 50 miles east of Zurich. It is nutty and has a sweetness reminiscent of bananas. The Chimay Blue is made by a Trappist monastery in southwestern Belgium. The Blue is the monastery's Grande Reserve, and is a strong dark ale. It is very fruity, with pronounced fig and raisin notes. Together with the cheese, the beer's fruitiness is highlighted and the nuttiness of the cheese is brought forward.

Hooligan with St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Hooligan is a washedrind cow's milk from Connecticut with meaty, buttermilky, and subtle raw cocoa notes. It complements the St. Ambroise, which is a drier stout with coffee and roasted-malt notes.

Doddington with Dogfish Head's Raison D'Etre
Doddington is a British cow's milk, and a kind of cheddar and gouda mix. It is flaky like a cheddar but has some of the caramel notes of an aged gouda. It is savory with a touch of salt. Raison D'Etre is brewed by Dogfish Head brewery in Milton, Delaware, with green raisins and Belgian yeast. It is quite malty and sweet with a pronounced green raisin note. The sweet maltiness of the beer helps to refresh after the salty strength of the Doddington.

Rogue River Blue with Tripel Karmeliet
Rogue River Blue is a cow's milk blue from Oregon, aged in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon leaves that have been soaked in pear brandy. Wonderfully complex and decadent, it is woody, boozy, rich, and fruity, with a well-balanced strength. The Belgian brew Tripel Karmeliet-named Tripels because they use three times the malts of average beers-is very complex, with green raisin, vanilla bean, and pear notes. Karmeliet is strong enough to stand up to the Rogue River, and together the beer and cheese bring out each other's similar fruit notes.

The Artisanal Table (S 08)

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