Fun With Carbs

Baaaaa.

If you read Fun With Carbs regularly, you’re probably familiar with my husband’s distaste for goat cheese – in particular the soft chevre variety. So last Saturday, when I mentioned a potential stop at Bush Meadow Farm, the conversation went something like this.

Me:  “Hey look, another dairy farm. We should stop there before we go to the wineries.”
Rob: “What kind of cheeses do they make?”
Me:  “Goa-”
Rob:  “NO.”
Me:  “COME ON. They make cheddar and feta, too.”
Rob: “Why didn’t you say that?”
Me:  “I didn’t get a chance. And they specialize in goat cheeses.”
Rob:  “You have to sell me on these things.”

Sigh.

Anyway. Bush Meadow Farm, located off Route 190 in the tiny town of Union, is a state-licensed artisan cheesemaker. In addition to cheeses and fresh goat milk, the proprietors also sell smoked meats, baked goods and farm-fresh, free-range eggs. They have a small 15-seat restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch.

Assorted cheeses from Bush Meadow Farm

But we were there for the cheese, and the owners graciously put together a tasting plate for us. Their soft chevre comes in several interesting flavors: tomato bacon horseradish, chipotle garlic, spinach and garlic, dill herb, cinnamon-maple and cannoli. The savory varieties were piquant and tangy; the sweet ones worthy of stuffed French toast or decadent dessert. And guess who tasted them all and didn’t complain??

We also tried slices of the farm-made goat feta and cheddar. They were fresh-tasting but entirely too mild for me – I like my cheeses sharp and salty. But Bush Meadow’s cow’s milk blue cheese was another story. Rich, bold and creamy, it impressed us all. Better yet, a four-ounce container was only $3.50.

Rob asked the owners for a small sample of their smoked meats, and they brought over some slices of brisket and pastrami, with complementing barbecue sauce and honey-jalapeno mustard. He particularly liked the pastrami.

On our way out, he decided to commune with the goats,  in his own little Mark Wahlberg “Say hello to your mother for me” moment. Here’s video proof.