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!

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!

The cheese receiving top honors this month is the mighty Manchester, on sale for $9.99 each, down from $11.99. These broad, pale yellow rounds, crisscrossed with slight indentations from resting on our aging racks, are easily one of our most attractive cheeses, as lovely to look at as to taste. They make a gorgeous addition to a cheese platter at a party; a knife cuts through their paste like butter; they are just soft enough to spread whole wedges on crackers.

But the Manchester is more than a pretty face. What appears a simple cow’s milk double-cream at first taste – abundantly creamy but remarkably mild – belies a much more complex cheese upon further examination. Because a cheese this unadorned must be made and aged just right; any small flavor flaw would be blatantly obvious against it’s milky profile. For this reason, it is one of the cheeses that John, our head cheesemaker, has worked on most rigorously over the years and feels most proud of when it turns out just the way we like it.

And the way we like it, in the case of the Manchester, is dense, with a rich paste that becomes dryer and more concentrated with age, covered in a rind that becomes headier and more pungent with age. It can go savory – on a ham sandwich with caramelized onions – or sweet, split and slathered in fig jam, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked in the oven. It is just right with a pears, melted atop mac’n'cheese, or spread on a bagel.

Jason Hinds at Neal’s Yard Dairy in London (and no easy critic) recently called it “Unrecognisable. Delicious. A triumph.” Come taste it’s inner beauty for yourself.

Make Your Own Mozzarella

They’re Back! Our Mozzarella classes are being offered almost every Saturday, from September through May. They are being held in the dairy, from 12 – 2pm.

Class registration is $45, and class size is limited to 14 people; pre-registration is required. Cheese heads John and Aubrey are teaching the course, which includes an in-depth cheese chemistry lesson and how to make fresh mozzarella made from Calder dairy milk, and mozzarella made from finished Belgioso curd. You will craft and hand-stretch your very own mozzarella balls as well as Buratta and Mozzarella & Myrtle. The temperature in the dairy, is usually between 65 and 75 degrees depending on the time of year, so please dress appropriately for warmth and wetness.

Please contact us at (734) 929-0500 if you are interested in signing up. We’ve had a ton of requests for classes over the summer so we are expecting them to fill up quickly.

Farmer’s Markets

It has been a great season at the markets so far this year. We are coming up on our final Westside Market of the year and to celebrate, the Sharon Hollow will be on special, 2 for $10. Catch Mike in the parking lot of the Roadhouse tomorrow afternoon, from 3-7pm for some fresh cheese and local produce and crafts.

The Kerrytown Market is going strong on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We are looking to be down there through October and some of Novemeber. We haven’t quite figured out our end date yet, but will keep you posted.

Eastern Market in downtown Detroit is our newest market. We’re there on Saturdays, from 7am until we run out of cheese, usually around 3pm, in Shed 3. If you’ve never been to Eastern Market before, it’s definitely worth the trip. 3 giant sheds filled with vendors make up the heart of the market district. Vendors spill out into parking lots as people flood the streets in search of local produce, meats, coffee, salsa, breads, and countless other goodies. It feels like one big event, one giant party thrown every Saturday morning. We hope to see you there!

They’re Back!  Our Mozzarella classes are being offered almost every Saturday, from September through May.  They are being held in the dairy, from 12 – 2pm. Class registration is $45, and class size is limited to 14 people; pre-registration is required.  Cheese heads John and Aubrey are teaching the course, which includes an in-depth cheese chemistry lesson and how to make fresh mozzarella made from Calder dairy milk, and mozzarella made from finished Belgioso curd.  You will craft and hand-stretch your very own mozzarella balls as well as Buratta and Mozzarella & Myrtle.  The temperature in the dairy, is usually between 65 and 75 degrees depending on the time of year, so please dress appropriately for warmth and wetness.

Please contact us at (734) 929-0500 if you are interested in signing up.  We’ve had a ton of requests for classes over the summer so we are expecting them to fill up quickly.

The Detroit Street Brick

If you’ve never visited the Deli before, located at 422 Detroit St., you might be wondering how this cheese got it’s name.  Shaped like the bricks lining the streets of Kerrytown, the Detroit St. Brick is a dense aged goat’s milk cheese studded with cracked green peppercorns.  It has a thin white rind, with an intense soft creaminess when young, and slightly more crumbly texture when a bit older.  The Brick is most excellent crumbled on a salad or melted on a burger.  The slightly spicy, fresh flavor of the green peppercorns is well suited when paired with a glass of your favorite Sauvignon Blanc.

This month, the Detroit Street Brick is on special at the Creamery and our Farmer’s Markets.  It is priced at $22.99 a pound.  Come on by the dairy or market for a taste!

Farmer’s Markets

It has been a great season at the markets so far this year.  We are coming up on our final Westside Market of the year and to celebrate, the Sharon Hollow will be on special, 2 for $10.  Catch Mike in the parking lot of the Roadhouse tomorrow afternoon, from 3-7pm for some fresh cheese and local produce and crafts.

The Kerrytown Market is going strong on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  We are looking to be down there through October and some of Novemeber.  We haven’t quite figured out our end date yet, but will keep you posted.

Eastern Market in downtown Detroit is our newest market.  We’re there on Saturdays, from 7am until we run out of cheese, usually around 3pm, in Shed 3.  If you’ve never been to Eastern Market before, it’s definitely worth the trip.  3 giant sheds filled with vendors make up the heart of the market district.  Vendors spill out into parking lots as people flood the streets in search of local produce, meats, coffee, salsa, breads, and countless other goodies.  It feels like one big event, one giant party thrown every Saturday morning.  We hope to see you there!

Jackie and Keith at the Eastern Market

They’re Back!  Well, almost back.  Our Mozzarella classes will be offered almost every Saturday, from September through May. Class registration is $45 pre- paid, and $50 at the door.  Class size is limited to 14 people and pre-registration is required.  Cheese heads John and Aubrey will be teaching the course which includes an in-depth cheese chemistry lesson, Mozzarella made from Calder dairy milk, and Mozzarella made from finished Belgioso curd.  You will craft and hand-stretch your very own mozzarella balls as well as Buratta and Mozzarella & Myrtle.  The temperature in the dairy, is usually between 65 and 75 degrees depending on the time of year, so please dress appropriately for warmth and wetness.

Please contact us at (734) 929-0500 if you are interested in signing up.  We’ve had a ton of requests for classes over the summer so we are expecting them to fill up quickly.

From the Farm to Your Plate

We are also super excited to announce the arrival of some off the chains amazing heirloom tomatoes from Zingerman’s very own Cornman Farms.  We have three varieties in the Cheese Shop as well as some freshly-picked basil from the farm as well.  It was a bit of a late-blooming summer for tomatoes this year but they are coming out strong now.  I’ve been loving a simple meal of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and a crusty Bakehouse baguette several times a week.  Here’s the three heirlooms we currently have in house:

Brandywine:  The classic heirloom.  Great balance between acid and sugar.

Cherokee Purple:  For depth flavor, dark tomatoes are it.  These have a deep rich skin and flesh.

Mortgage Lifter:  West Virginia heirloom.  In the depths of the depression a grower sold these plants to help keep his farm from foreclosure.  Definitely my favorite.

The Lincoln Log

The Lincoln Log is one of our first mold-ripened cheeses and has always been one of my favorites.  This boucheron-inspired goat cheese was one of our most requested cheeses when the Creamery began and I think we’ve done this French classic some justice.  Made with pasteurized goats milk, the Log develops a nice bloomy white rind the envelops a dense, fudgey paste with some hints of citrus and a bit of mushroom in the finish.  The type of cheese has been brought into the states from France for some time but we think we have one clear advantage at the Creamery- location.  While mold-ripened cheeses can last for several weeks in great condition, I think they are amazing at about the 10-14 day mark.  We make a new batch of the Log every week and try and have a nice range of age on hands at all times.  The next time you are in to taste, give the same cheese at different ages a try and see what you think of the difference.

So we thought it was fitting to kick off our new Cheese of the Month plan with one of our very favorite cheeses.  For all of August, the Lincoln Log will be priced at a discount in the Cheese Shop, only $21.99 a pound.  Next time you are in the Cheese Shop try giving it a taste.  Next month we will be featuring the Detroit Street Brick.

My favorite way to cook with the Lincoln Log is to slice some in 1/4 inch pieces, add some piquillo peppers, and drizzle with a little good olive oil.  Stick it under the broiler for about fifteen seconds and you’ve got a great, quick appetizer.  The warming enhances the goat flavor and it’s very good on a crusty  baguette.

The Lincoln Log is one of our first mold-ripened cheeses and has always been one of my favorites.  This boucheron-inspired goat cheese was one of our most requested cheeses when the Creamery began and I think we’ve done this French classic some justice.  Made with pasteurized goats milk, the Log develops a nice bloomy white rind the envelops a dense, fudgey paste with some hints of citrus and a bit of mushroom in the finish.  The type of cheese has been brought into the states from France for some time but we think we have one clear advantage at the Creamery- location.  While mold-ripened cheeses can last for several weeks in great condition, I think they are amazing at about the 10-14 day mark.  We make a new batch of the Log every week and try and have a nice range of age on hands at all times.  The next time you are in to taste, give the same cheese at different ages a try and see what you think of the difference.

So we thought it was fitting to kick off our new Cheese of the Month plan with one of our very favorite cheeses.  For all of August, the Lincoln Log will be priced at a discount in the Cheese Shop, only $21.99 a pound.  Next time you are in the Cheese Shop try giving it a taste.  Next month we will be featuring the Detroit Street Brick.

My favorite way to cook with the Lincoln Log is to slice some in 1/4 inch pieces, add some piquillo peppers, and drizzle with a little good olive oil.  Stick it under the broiler for about fifteen seconds and you’ve got a great, quick appetizer.  The warming enhances the goat flavor and it’s very good on a crusty  baguette.

The Manchester

I also wanted to mention The Manchester.  This cheese has evolved quite a bit over time and I think it’s present incarnation is about the best it’s ever been.  We’ve made several key adjustments to our make procedures over the past year and they have had a profound impact on the cheeses.  I think the Manchester really came into it’s own thanks to this.  They have a gorgeous yellow rind with a white dusting and a creamy paste that has a delicate earthy flavor that become more pronounced over time.  The rind firms up a bit over the first week it is out of the aging room and I really enjoy how the cheese matures.  It’s a great one to bake into a puff pastry with a chutney or preserve.

A big, heartfelt congratulatiuons to Susan Smotherman for being the 1st place winner in the Creamery’s Art Fare Contest! She has won a $50 Zingerman’s gift card, good in any of our retail or restaurant locations.

For 2nd place, we have Kerry Gottlieb, winner of a 6-pack of hand-made gelato, shpped directly to her door.  We hope she enjoys this little taste of Ann Arbor.

3rd/4th/5th placers have won themselves a limited edition Art Fare T-shirt! Congrats to Jeff White, Lauren Hall, and Joanne Inglis. Enjoy your shirts!

Art Fair was so much fun for us.  Thanks to everyone who came down for a scoop.  It was great to make new friends, see some old ones, and just be smack-dab in the epicenmter of all of the activity.  I love the circus-like atmosphere that takes over downtown Ann Arbor during the Art Fair.  It is a veritable kaleidoscope of sounds, smells, colors, and folks from all walks of life.  And you couldn’t have asked for better weather!

Eastern Market

We are very excited to announce our newest Farmer’s Market: the historic Eastern Market in Detroit.  We are thrilled to be able to bring our cheeses into the heart of the city and share tastes with many many new palates.  If you’ve never been to the Eastern Market, you just have to find the time to head down.  Eastern Market almost feels like a city-within-the-city, crawling with vibrant colors, smells, sounds, and throngs of people filling canvas bags with organic produce, farm fresh eggs, breads, flowers, and now our hand-made cheeses!

We will be there from when the market opens at 7am on Saturday, until 3pm or when we run out of cheeses to sell, whichever comes first.

Hope to see you in Detroit!

Here is a GoogleMaps link to Eastern Market.

Perhaps one of the biggest local events of the Summer, the Annual Ann Arbor Art Fair is rapidly approaching.  And this year, we will be there showing off our very own Art Fare- Zingerman’s Creamery Gelato.  We will be in front of the historic Michigan Theater for the whole time, slinging handmade gelato, sandwiches made with our cheese, brownies from the Bakehouse, and other ZIngerman’s products.  Check us out if you want a tasty treat to cool you down as you browse through all of the amazing art!

Art Fare Contest

We will be running a fun contest during “Art Fare” Week with some tasty prizes for the winners.  If you visit our booth in front of Michigan Theater for a scoop of gelato, you will receive a coupon for our Cheese Shop.  To be entered, all you need do is bring the coupon to the Cheese Shop.  You’re welcome to use it to buy 3 gelati for the price of 2 but, no purchase is necessary to be entered into the contest.  There is a map on the back just in case you’ve never been to the Creamery before.  We are just a scones throw away from the State St. exit of I-94.

We will be giving away a $50 Zingerman’s Gift Card to the 1st Place winner, a 6-pack of Gelato delivered to your door for 2nd Place, or a special “Art Fare” t-shirt for 3rd/4th/5th Place.

The winners will be announced on the front page of the website on 7/20/09.

Good luck!

Fresh Goat Cheese

This month we’ve been really focused on our fresh goat cheeses.  The milk we get from the McDonald farm has been just fabulous lately and it really shines in the fresh cheeses.  There really is a tremendous difference in flavor between the extremely fresh milk and goat milk that is even just a few days old.  We’re very lucky to be able to get our hands on such fresh milk.

To help celebrate this fantastic cheese, we will be featuring it in the Cheese Shop at a very special price:

Fresh Goat Cheese  $10.99/lb.

We also have a great Harissa and Fresh Goat Cheese spread for $11.99/lb.

Farmer’s Market

The Farmer’s Market has been going strong and we’re excited for the rest of the summer.  Mike B. is at both the Wednesday and Saturday Kerrytown Markets and the Westside Farmer’s Market in the Roadhouse parking lot, and every week the stalls are brimming a little more with fresh produce and other goodies.

• Every Wednesday from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm    Kerrytown Market
• Every Thursday from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm     Westside Farmer’s Market (at the Roadhouse)
• Every Saturday from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm     Kerrytown Market

We also are extremely excited to announce that we will be at the Eastern Market in Detroit, beginning on July 18th.  The details are not fully fleshed out quite yet, but stay tuned for more info to come!

Great Lakes Cheshire

When we think of Cheshire we think of the crumbly, light peach colored cheese of Shropshire, England. All right, most everyone else thinks of a grinning cat, but in the cheese world, Cheshire is exemplified by the Appleby’s of Shropshire. Many more years ago than I care to admit, I was able to spend time making a cheese near Fishgard, Wales with a great cheese maker who, having tired of his role in the symphony in Manchester, purchased a farm and set out to make cheese in the remote, rain drenched Welsh coastline. Leon Downey resurrected and refined an old Cheshire recipe, which yielded slightly different results than the usual Cheshire. The recipe had disappeared during World War II due to its fast ripening nature and the government’s inability to rapidly distribute the cheese during those food-rationing years. Our first batches of this raw milk, aged cheese is now ready for eating. The cheese has a slight tartness that goes very well with chutney or preserves on Zingerman’s Bakehouse Farm bread.

When we think of Cheshire we think of the crumbly, light peach colored cheese of Shropshire, England. All right, most everyone else thinks of a grinning cat, but in the cheese world, Cheshire is exemplified by the Appleby’s of Shropshire. Many more years ago than I care to admit, I was able to spend time making a cheese near Fishgard, Wales with a great cheese maker who, having tired of his role in the symphony in Manchester, purchased a farm and set out to make cheese in the remote, rain drenched Welsh coastline. Leon Downey resurrected and refined an old Cheshire recipe, which yielded slightly different results than the usual Cheshire. The recipe had disappeared during World War II due to its fast ripening nature and the government’s inability to rapidly distribute the cheese during those food-rationing years. Our first batches of this raw milk, aged cheese is now ready for eating. The cheese has a slight tartness that goes very well with chutney or preserves on Zingerman’s Bakehouse Farm bread.

Finally-we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. For most people in the Midwest that means the end of winter and spring is in sight. In the myopic world of cheesemaking, it means that our long drought of goat milk is nearing its end. Todd and Howard McDonald’s goats have begun to kid which means that the milk will soon be flowing. This means that we’ll soon be able to make enough of our award winning Detroit St. Bricks and Lincoln Logs to meet the requests.

Liptauer- Our Hungarian cheese spread may help in getting you through the rest of winter.

Our Liptauer recipe comes direct from Hungary and is, for me, the perfect tonic to help get me through an icy cold winter night. Liptauer is made using our cream cheese, sea salt capers, fresh toasted caraway, sweet and hot paprika, loads of fresh crushed garlic, sea salt,  telicherry black pepper and a touch of Rizzoli anchovy paste.  Slathered on a thick slice of Bakehouse Rye bread and a pint of Guinness and I can easily endure another 6 weeks of winter. Click here to order.

February is Chocolate Gelato Month! In addition to our Dark Chocolate Gelato (voted best in Michigan), we’ve whipped up batches of other great chocolate flavors for the month.

• Chocolate with Balsamic Strawberries- Michigan strawberries, macerated in balsamic vinegar syrup for two days, then folded gently into our rich dark chocolate gelato.
• Chocolate Turtle- Chocolate gelato ribboned with loads of Argentinian caramel and fresh roasted Georgia pecans.
• John do Ya?- This is our version of the famous Italian combination of chocolate and ground hazelnut paste from the Piedmont.
• Rocky Ride- Fresh roasted peanuts and handmade REAL marshmallows from Zingerman’s Bakehouse blended into chocolate gelato.
• Chocolate Heat- Inspired by the great chocolates of Mexico, this chocolate gelato combines anch chile pepper, cinnamon and just enough cayenne pepper to make it adventurous.
• Cherry Chocolate Chip Sorbet- Traverse City cherries in a full flavored sorbet with handmade chocolate chips. Like a chocolate covered cherry-only icy cold.