Unique New Cheese a ME/NY Collaboration

Posted on July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 by Monroe Cheese Studio

Chef and sustainable food advocate Dan Barber has some very interesting ideas when it comes to sustainable food practices, especially as they relate to our culinary industry and restaurant diners. One of his big projects revolves around a farm-based restaurant in Pocantico Hills, NY, although his career began with his family’s farm and attempts to help return it to productivity and profitability.

In Barber’s quest to make sure his restaurants don’t waste a single bit of the food that is grown for them, he has worked to find productive uses for the bones of the animals that are slaughtered and butchered to provide the meat for some of their dishes. Initially they have been turned into charcoal that is used to fire ovens and grills for cooking, and now he is taking that idea one step further by using the very fine ash that is produced from the bone charcoal and having it added to a traditionally aged goat boule that will then be served in the restaurant.

This new cheese is called “Bone Char Pearl” and the mixed milk (goat and cow) boule itself is being produced by Maine’s Seal Cove Farm, then aged by Crown Finish Caves in New York City. In addition to being served at the Blue Hills restaurants it can also be purchased from Saxelby Cheesemongers in New York City.

LD 725 Signed By Maine’s Governor

Posted on June 20, 2017July 31, 2017 by Monroe Cheese Studio

Despite the Guild’s — and many other dairy interests — public testimony against LD 725 An Act To Recognize Local Control Regarding Food Systems, the Governor signed a modified version into law on June 16th. It asserts the right of municipalities to regulate “food systems” within their municipal boundaries, but also specifies that food “intended for wholesale or retail distribution outside of the municipality” must still be regulated by State rules.

However, this will allow the legal sale of unlicensed cheese and dairy products at local farmers markets (depending on the market’s own rules regarding their vendor’s licensing requirements) as well as food retailers. It may be obvious to point out that this also means that non-residents of these municipalities that have deregulated food production can travel to those markets to purchase un-regulated food. It is also not clear how fully customers will be notified about items that are not produced under State regulations, and how well a consumer will have access to and be able to grasp the municipal regulations (or lack of) which are likely to differ in each town.

Linked here is the Guild’s public testimony given at the Ag Committee’s hearing on LD 725.

Peter Dixon Reverse Engineering Workshop

Posted on April 4, 2017April 5, 2017 by Monroe Cheese Studio

Peter Dixon led 17 of us on Apr 5th through a workshop on how to “reverse engineer” a cheese that we like to eat and want to learn how to make. We specifically covered four different cheeses–

–but then discussed many other typs and how to replicate specific flavors and/or textures in our own cheeses.

(starting top left, moving clockwise): Bleu d’Auvergne, Epoisses, Coupole, Crement

In addition to covering investigation and research, we tasted examples of all the cheeses and broke them down categorically.

During the last portion of the workshop the participants had a chance to share their own cheeses with challenges to get feedback from Dixon and others in the group. Peter also shared samples of a few of his interesting current cheeses.

It was a great day. Thanks to Mary Belding and Jessie Dowling for organizing the workshop!