The Big Cheese (Awards)

Each summer, the American Cheese Society holds a conference and competition, and awards prizes to the, umm, crème de la crème of dairy products. This year, 1149 cheeses were entered by cheesemakers across the country (and a few from Canada, too).

All of the Green Mountain winners are listed below . . .

One prominent producer is missing from the winners’ roster: Willow Smart, of Milton’s Willow Hill Farm, decided not to enter her sheep’s milk cheeses and yogurt this year, after winning more than 30 ACS awards in the past. Why? Money. Entering involves shipping five to seven cheeses for judging, which Smart estimates would have cost around $500. That’s in addition to the $190 yearly ACS membership fee. “Our company is so small,” Smart says. “It really wasn’t an option.”

Mascarpone – Made from Cow’s Milk: 3rd place. Vermont Butter & Cheese “Vermont Mascarpone”

Brie Cheese Made from Cow’s Milk: 3rd place. Blythedale Farm “Vermont Farmstead Brie”

Monterey Jack – Cow’s Milk: 2nd place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot Monterey Jack Cheese.”

Monterey Jack with Flavors – Cow’s Milk: 1st place. Neighborly Farms of Vermont “Organic Jalapeno Jack. 2nd place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese.”

Open Category Made From Cow’s Milk: 2nd place. Consider Bardwell Farm “Pawlet.”

Mature Cheddars: 2nd place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot 3-Year-Old Cheddar.”

Cheddars Wrapped in Cloth, Linen (Aged up to 12 months): 2nd place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot Clothbound Cheddar Aged at the Cellars at Jasper Hill.” 

Cheddars Wrapped in Cloth, Linen (Aged over 12 months): 3rd place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot Extra Sharp Wheel.”

Feta Made From Goat’s Milk: 2nd place. Vermont Butter & Cheese Co. “Vermont Feta.”

Fat-Free and Low-Fat Cheeses: 1st place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot 75% Reduced-Fat Cheddar.”

Light/Lite and Reduced-Fat Cheeses: 1st place. Franklin Foods, Inc. “Hahn’s Yogurt & Cream Cheese Heavenly Plain.”

Flavor Added: Spices, Herbs, Seasonings, Fruits – All Milks: 2nd place. Franklin Foods “Hahn’s Yogurt & Cream Cheese Blueberry Dream.” 2nd place. Franklin Foods “Hahn’s Yogurt & Cream Cheese Strawberry.”

Cheeses Flavored With Herbs, Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers, Syrups – All Milks: 2nd place. Franklin Foods “All Seasons Kitchen Salsa Cream Cheese Roasted Garlic.” 3rd place. Franklin Foods  “All Seasons Kitchen Salsa Cream Cheese.”

Smoked Cheddars: 1st place. Shelburne Farms. “Shelburne Farms Smoked Farmhouse Cheddar.”

Farmstead, Open Category Cow’s Milk Cheeses: 3rd place. Thistle Hill Farm “Tarentaise.”

Farmstead, Open Category Goat’s Milk Cheeses: 2nd place. Consider Bardwell Farm “Manchester.”

Farmstead, Open Category Sheep’s Milk and Mixed-Milk Cheeses: 2nd place. Bonnieview Farm “Ben Nevis.”

Fresh Goat Cheese – Hand Shaped, Formed or Molded into Pyramid, Disc, Drum, Crottin, Basket or other shape: 1st place. Vermont Butter & Cheese Company “Vermont Fresh Crottin.”

Marinated Cheeses, Open Category Made From Cow’s Milk: 3rd place. West River Creamery “West River Marinated Feta.”

Cultured Products Made From Cow’s Milk: 1st place. Franklin Foods “Hahn’s Yogurt & Cream Cheese.” 2nd place. Cabot CC “Cabot Cottage Cheese.” 3rd place. Franklin Foods “Hahn’s Neufchatel.”

Crème Fraiche Made from Cow’s Milk: Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot Crème Fraiche.”

Salted Butter Made from Cow’s Milk with or without Cultures: 1st place. Vermont Butter & Cheese “Vermont Cultured Butter with Sea Salt.” 2nd place. “Cabot Salted Butter.”

Unsalted Butter Made from Cow’s Milk with or without Cultures: 1st place. Vermont Butter & Cheese “Vermont Cultured Butter, Unsalted.” 2nd place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative "Cabot 83 Unsalted Butter.” 3rd place. Cabot Creamery Cooperative “Cabot Unsalted Butter.”   

Washed Rind, Open Category Made with Cow’s Milk: 2nd place. Consider Bardwell Farm “Dorset.” 2nd place. Dancing Cow Farmstead Cheese “Bouree.”

Happy Belated B-Day Beatrix

Like most American children (I think), I read lots of Beatrix Potter books when I was young. The most famous, of course, is The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but I was also familiar with Squirrel Nutkin, Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. TIggy-Winkle and the "two bad mice."   

As I was a foodie, even then, I was drawn to Potter's books because the characters were alway gathering scrumptious foods or noshing on something or other. Peter Rabbit, for example, got in trouble for stealing lettuce, French beans and radishes from Mr. McGregor, following in the footsteps of his late father, who was caught and made into a pie by Mrs. McGregor.

Clearly, Potter loved to eat. But yesterday, on her birthday, I learned that she was also a sheep breeder and farmer, as well as a highly skilled amateur mycologist. Not up on your Greek? It's the study of fungi.

In fact, Potter was an early proponent of the theory that lichen is made up of of a symbiotic combo of fungi and algae, but her work on the subject was dismissed, perhaps because of her femaleness.

Anyway, this is all only tangentially food related, but I found it kind of interesting, and thought I'd share!