Happy FREE cheese sample Thursday! We absolutely LOVE sampling local cheeses for our community to discover and fall in love with and Echo from Good Hands Creamery in Windsor, VT https://www.goodhandscreamery.com/ within echoing distance of Mt. Ascutney, is no exception! Our cheesemonger Elizabeth has this to say, “a smooth alpine style cheese resounding with echoes of summer: grassy meadows, fresh butter, distant cowbells.” Great cheese comes from the milk of happy cows, and the raw Jersey milk that is used to make this cheese is from a herd of contented ladies! Supporting our local cheeses makers is a wonderful way to strengthen not only our local economy, but our local food system and our local culture!
Read on for more information about Echo from the maker…
Flavor & Pairings: Nutty, fruity, and mild with subtle Swiss-y notes. Use it in quiches, fondues, and mac and cheese. Pair it with grapes, raspberries, roasted vegetables, rosés, chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.
The Rind: The edible rind is washed with a local hard cider, creating a rich golden color speckled with wild yeasts and bacteria.
The Paste: Firm with a white to yellow color (dictated by whether the cows were on fresh pastures rich in beta-carotene in the summer months or dried hay in the winter months). The paste is creamy, with numerous small gas holes. It has a moderate elasticity, which lends itself to excellent shredding and melting properties.
Behind the Name: Echo was conceived as a “sister cheese” to Cobb Hill’s Ascutney Mountain. Both cheeses are made from the same milk but have distinct alpine personalities. The label shows echo lines radiating from the outline of Mount Ascutney, our home base. The previous owners of our land dubbed it “Echo Farm.”
Ingredients: Raw Jersey cow milk (Cedar Mountain Farm in Hartland, VT), salt, calf rennet, cultures and hard cider.
