Great Lakes Cheshire

Cheshire is one of the oldest recorded cheeses.  What was once a myriad of different recipes based on the given season’s milk, has whittled it’s way down to just a few styles still in prominence.  There was a time not to long ago when agriculture was deeply tied to the seasons and this of course translated into cheese as well.

The recipe we use for Great Lakes Cheshire is based on a winter recipe, developed for cold months when milk keeps longer and the pressure to preserve milk from spoilage (i.e., make into cheese) isn’t as great.  These winter recipes ripen more quickly and often have a tangier and younger taste.  The raw milk we get from Calder Dairy is perfect for this recipe, one I learned from Welsh cheesemaker Leon Downey.  And it was actually the first cheese I made for sale back in the days of the Loomis Cheese Company.  Long story very short, there weren’t a ton of markets available to the artisan cheesmaker in the 80′s, but Zingerman’s Deli was always one to trumpet the virtues of a local cheese, and I sold the Great Lakes Cheshire to Ari and Paul back in days when it was hard to sell a cheese with a name no one had ever heard of.  Little did I know that these humble transaction would lay the foundation for what would one day become Zingerman’s Creamery.

This month we feature the Great Lakes Cheshire as our cheese of the month.  Next time you are in, give it a taste.  I’ve been enjoying it with some slices of felino salame, really tasty.  For December, the cheshire will be priced at $22.99 instead of the regular $26.99/pound.  We hope you enjoy it!  And, just in case you happen to live outside of the Ann Arbor area, Zingerman’s Mail Order carries the Great Lakes Cheshire.  Click here to jump over to their website for all of the full-flavored details.

Eastern Market

It was an amazing first season at the Eastern Market.  And we are excited to make our first foray into a wintertime farmer’s market.  It’s been great to taste cheese with so many new people and be part of such a vibrant community of vendors, growers, and people.  I think we will be shifting spots in the Shed a bit in the coming weeks so stay tuned to the website for any changes.  We’ll be sure to post them on the front page.

Hope to see you in Ann Arbor or Detroit soon!

Become a Cheesemaker

Our Mozzarella-Making Classes are in full swing.  Nearly every Saturday you can join us in the production are of the Creamery to learn how to make your very own mozzarella.  While not easy, making mozzarella is pretty simple and definitely something anybody could learn.  Interested?  Drop us a line at (734) 929-0500 to get signed up or ask any question you may have.  Pre-registration is required and classes fill up pretty quickly.  The cost is $45 per student and the class is held from 12-2pm, right here at the Creamery.

Ciao!

There’s a surplus of cheese at the Creamery right now (just in time for Thanksgiving, conveniently!) and the sales are just as bountiful.  We’ve got deals on our trifecta of bloomy-rinded snowy-white cheeses: the Lincoln Log, the Detroit Street Brick, and the Bridgewater.

For a limited time, quarter- and half-pound hunks of Log are on sale for $5 and $10 each, which would easily feed between four and eight people for an easy appetizer.  Slice this creamy, citrusy aged goat cheese thickly into rounds and drizzle honey on top, or stick it under the broiler for a moment and serve with roasted red peppers.

The Brick, a similarly aged goat cheese, is sporting crushed black pepper throughout, a rare and slightly spicier departure from the usual green pepper.  We have marked this special batch with a really great price – $19.99 per pound down from $25.99.  This cheese is fantastic crumbled onto a salad or melted on a burger or steak.

Finally, the Bridgewater: a double cream cow’s milk cheese studded with black Tellicherry pepper.  Its domed, snowball-like appearance, with three whole black peppercorns adorning the top, make it a stand-out addition to a cheese tray.  It’s great on thin, crispy crackers – very rich with just a little kick, and we’ve had at least one very happy guest prepare a decadent au gratin with it.  This week, the Bridgewater is a full 50 percent off.  That means just $5 per splendid, velvety round.  These are sure to sell out, so get yours quick.

As always, our cheeses are made with local milk and cream, in small batches, and entirely by hand.  If you want true artisan Michigan cheeses to grace your table this year, look no further than your little neighborhood Creamery.

Despite deceptively September-like beginnings, we are indeed knee-deep in November, with perhaps the most food-centric holiday of them all looming splendidly on the horizon.  There are few things in life more joyous than gathering around a table laden with steaming plates of colorful foods and the smiling faces of friends and family.  It’s hard not to think of family this time of year.

Integral to the Creamery’s family is the mixed herd of cows at Calder Dairy.  Each bovine beauty is very much an extension of both our’s and the Calder brother’s family.  And this time of year is when their milk really begins to shine.  For that reason, the Sharon Hollow has been bestowed the honor of the Creamery’s November Cheese of the Month.  It may not be exactly serendipity, but this time of year is when cow’s milk happens to be at it’s best, and few cheeses let the beauty of Calder’s milk shine like the Sharon Hollow.

Laced with garlic and spiked with either freshly chopped chives or cracked Telicherry black pepper, the Sharon Hollow is a fresh cow’s milk cheese formed in a cylindrical mold.  It is very curdy, knitting loosely together as they drain over-night.  Very few creameries are turning out fresh cow cheeses, so we thought it would be a unique item to bring to market.  I’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite flavor between the two.  I love adding them to mashed potatoes, pasta sauces, cream soups or bisques, or just simply spread on some crispy crostini.

All November long, both Sharon Hollows are only $4.99 at the Creamery!

Thank Goodness for Dairy!

This Sunday, November 22nd, will be the first in a recurring monthly series of tastings at the Creamery.   Eat your way through all kinds of ideas for dressing up your Thanksgiving dinner with cheese.  Whether it’s a bite of Cheshire smothered in candied lemon and fig chutney, a baked mozzarella braid wrapped in myrtle, or a scoop of pumpkin gelato paired with sweet corn cakes (ok, that last one’s not a cheese, but we don’t think you’ll mind…).  The tasting begins at 4pm, the Creamery will stay open late for tasting participants.  And you’ll get 20% off your entire purchase that evening!  Reserve your spot at 734-929-0500.  $25 in advance, $30 at the door.

Home for the Holidays!

Unfortunately, not everyone can make it home for the holidays.  Things come up, stuff happens as they say.  But, that doesn’t mean you can’t still get that gelato to your loved ones that you were hoping to bring home to scoop on top of a slice of Mom’s pumpkin pie.  Zingerman’s Mail Order is offering a 6-pack of Creamery gelato, all packed up tight for delivery all over the U.S.  The box contains our Thanksgiving-inspired Harvest Pumpkin, MI Blueberry Sorbet, Paw Paw and 3 other all-time favorites.  Click here to order!

No matter what your plans are for the holidays, we hope to see you at the Creamery or Farmer’s Markets to help you get together some goodies for your Thanksgiving spread.  We will be offering some great specials in both the Cheese Shop and markets, so stay tuned for what’s on tap!