News and blog
Life has an interesting way of going from a nice workable, doable, pace, to insanely crazy in a heart beat. This week I am adventuring off to the American Cheese Society Conference and Convention. My original plans were just to go, learn, and enjoy, but a last minute decision has me now participating in the "Meet the Cheesemaker" night. It is a night were conference attendees get to sample cheeses and meet the cheesemaker. Then after this week I am going to the great North Country for a week of relaxation, never to return again, as I tell mom.
Along with my travel plans, the BIG news is that the cheeses are starting to get around. My Canal Junction Blue was featured at an all Ohio dinner.
This is the salad that they had at the meal that was featuring the Canal Junction Blue cheese.
This is the menu for the dinner that featured the Canal Junction Blue cheese. Reading is makes me hungry for some good, locally produced food. Yum.
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New this week and only avaliable at the Farmers Markets or at the on farm store.
Little Auglaize
This is a Reblochon (ruh-bloe-SHAW) style of cheese. The name Reblochon may have come from several possible sources: One theory is that a rough translation of the word means "to milk again." Another is that in Savoyard patois reblessa means "to steal, swipe, or engage in some sort of thievery." In the old days taxes were paid according to the amount of milk each Savoyarde farmer could deliver to his clients. With the taxman literally looming over his shoulder a farmer would finish the milking as though his herd had been milked dry. In reality, the cows had plenty of milk left. The tax collector would go away happy and the farmer would return and milk the cow out all the way. This second milking was found to provide a much richer milk than the first. The farmers wife would then make that higer-in-butter fat milk into a cheese to be consumed by the family.
The above is an exert from Steven Jenkins book Cheese Primer
It is being sold in wheels only. The wheels are approximatley 1 lb. They are $20.00 per wheel.
Also remember that we have all the other varities and ice cream. We currently are waiting patiently for Wabash Erie Canal (gruyere), Miami Erie Canal (swiss) to age to perfection (sometime around the middle of August). We will be offering the Ice cream in pint size. $4.00 per pint.
Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry season is upon us and it is time to turn those wonderful red berries into a delectable summertime treat. The ice cream will be ready for the Perryburg market on Thursday and Toledo market on Saturday.
Yes, the information states that the application deadline is May 15th, But we still don't have one. If you are interested send me an email and I will send you the application. You will be working with the cheese as well as the rest of the farm. It is the Total Farm Experience.
Tomorrow is the start of another market season for us here at Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese. We go to the Toledo Farmers Market on Saturday from 8-Noon and Perrysburg on Thursday from 3 pm - 8 pm. Stop in and check us out, try some great cheese and take some home with you.
You can also find us through out other markets around the state. If the market that you frequent does not have a vendor carrying Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese. Ask someone if they would consider carrying it. We are always looking for new places to have the cheeses offered.
For those of you who may be wondering what has happened to the shopping cart... Well we've run into some difficulties getting it all set up and running to accept payments. We are working at trying to get that fixed. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
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Well spring must officially be on the way. Calves are starting to come.
This calf if just a few hours old. It was born today, 3-4-09
These two are just a few days old and HUNGRY!!!!
Along with the new calves being born, we are working on new aging rooms. This is for better environmental control. There are 3 boxes. The 2 outside ones will be the aging rooms and the one in the middle will be the hot room, for the Alpine style cheeses, and where all the other cheeses will get coated or bandaged before going into the aging room. It will also house the humidifier units that will pump humdity into the aging rooms to help keep the environment at a much more consitant rate.
It's almost ready! I am working on a few small details to get it completed and ready for you to place your orders. An FYI on ordering from Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese. Unless you are a wholesale customer, all orders must be paid in full before they will be shipped. Orders are shipped Monday - Wednesday each week. Orders recieved after 12 pm EST, on Tuesday will be shipped the following week. We are shipping to the lower 48 states right now. If you want cheese shipped outside of them please email your order in.
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New for 2009
This year along with the current line up of cheeses that we are making we are going to add Raclette and Abondance. Both of these cheeses orginated from the Alps in Switzerland and France
Raclette is described as a cheese that is semi-firm and has a distinct aroma, with a brown/orange rind, ivory colored interior, and creamy texture. This cheese is a melting cheese that is traditionally melted overtop of potatoes.
Abondance is a cheese that is semi-hard, with a similarity to a Beaufort. It has a washed rind which produces a distinctive aroma to it.
Look for these cheeses to be ready around August and September. Remember that they will not be named after the orginals. They will have names that are unique to Canal Junction Farmstead Cheese.
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We are now using a new label. It is round instead of the rectangle that we were using. Along with the new label being round, within the next year we are working on cleaning the label up. The label will keep its same design, look, and feel but with some improvements.
Along with the new label, we have been cutting the wheels of cheese differently than we have in the past. Instead of the long narrow wedges we are cutting the cheese into smaller and fatter wedges. These packages resemble the blocks to many are used to getting.
