Pass The Cheese, Please!

February 3, 2011

tags: farmstead cheese, organic, Texas cheese

Cheese Cave at Veldhuizen Farm in Dublin, TX

We are working extra hard to bring the best cheeses in Texas to your table! We are pleased to introduce you to the makers of the incredible farmstead cheeses we sell. So, what does farmstead cheese mean? Here’s a great description:

The cheese world can be classified using a pyramid. The order from top to bottom is 1) Farmstead, 2) Artisan, 3) Specialty and 4) All Others. Farmstead is the cheese classification equivalent to Estate Bottled in the wine world. Farmstead means that the milk must be produced from a single herd of animals at the farm, and the cheese is also made at the same farm. Artisan cheeses are not required to be produced at the same farm where the milk is produced but shares similarity with Farmstead cheeses in the sense that they are both hand made, using the highest quality milk and ingredients, and made in small volumes. Specialty cheeses take various forms but are generally industrially made in high volume with milk coming from multiple farms. The All Others classification, as you might suspect, can be skipped altogether.

– From Tumalo Farms of Central Oregan’s website

Here’s some highlights about our awesome cheese farmers and stay tuned to the blog for more in depth interviews with each of them.

Full Quiver in Kemp, TX

Cheese handmade by a sweet Mennonite family
They have the best cream cheese spread and mozzarella

Texas Daily Harvest in Yantis, TX

Best milk in Texas
Delicious cheese curds perfect for snacking
They maintain a blog about all the fun happenings at the farm

Making Cheese at Veldhuizen Farm

Veldhuizen from Dublin, TX

Have built 2 cheese caves – one for Bleu cheese and another for Aged
They have many unique aged cheeses that we will soon be carrying
Unique flavors like Spicy Jalapeno and even Red Neck Cheddar with, you guessed it, beer poured over cheese curds
They also have a blog including recipes using their delicious cheeses

Caprino Royale in Waco, TX

Hands down, the best goat cheese in all of Texas
Their chevre is used in many top-star restaurants here in Dallas
When you know every single goat by name then you know the cheese is made with love!