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“Sweet Grass Dairy's Green Hill Cheese”

For The Strong Buzz's monthly cheese column, Cheese Wiz Sasha Davies of CheesebyHand teaches us about Sweet Grass Dairy's Green Hill cow's milk cheese. It's a soft-ripened bloomy rind cheese that's aged three to four weeks. Read on to learn more about the producers, the cheese, and what to pair it with at your next party.

Green Hill, ready to be eaten... 

The first time I met Jessica and Jeremy Little, owners and managers of Sweet Grass Dairy, they reminded me of new parents who are so in the midst of their venture that they are emboldened, or maybe just tired enough to tell you the plain truth. For example, they will tell you that they are as surprised as anyone to find themselves owning and operating a farmstead dairy and that they are feeling their way through the bumpy road of small business and cheesemaking.

Jessica and Jeremy took over Sweet Grass Dairy—140 acres, a herd of goats, and a cheesemaking operation—from Jessica's parents, Al and Desiree Wehner, a few years ago to allow the Wehners to focus on their cow dairy, Green Hill, nearby. Jeremy runs the cheese room and also manages all shipping while Jessica handles sales, marketing and manages their on-farm shop. After spending a bit more time with the Littles I understand that their sharing is not impulsive. Rather, it is indicative of who they are—humble and honest people with high expectations for themselves and their products.

Green Hill has been awarded first place in its category for two years running at the annual American Cheese Society competition. The attention is well-deserved and acknowledges not only Jeremy's skill in the cheese room but also the quality of the cow's milk going into the cheese which comes from the dairy Green Hill (the namesake of the cheese).

While Jessica and Jeremy manage a herd of goats at Sweet Grass Dairy, Jessica's parents, Al and Desiree Wehner, are managing a herd of a few hundred Jersey cows on a property nearby called Green Hill. Al and Desiree set up their dairy in a New Zealand rotational grazing style which means that the cows are out on grass 365 days a year on a beautiful 340 acre farm.

The milk produced by the herd at Green Hill is a stunning golden-hue and has a wonderful depth of flavor evident in all of the cheeses made from it. Not only does the Jersey milk used to make Green Hill have great flavor and color, it also has a high butterfat content, making the cheese classified as a double cream. Cream classifications (double and triple) have to do with the fat content; double creams having 60-75% fat content and triples have over 75%.

While it may sound like a once in a lifetime indulgence based on that fat content, it is important to remember that fat content in cheese is based on the percentage of fat in the solid materials—this leaves out all the water (liquids) still contained in cheese. Soft cheeses like Green Hill still have a high liquid content meaning that their fat percentage overall is not so different from many hard cheeses.

The Cheese:

Green Hill is a small disk with a downy, white bloom for a rind and creamy interior. It doesn't look like something spectacular because it reminds us of a couple cheeses we've seen before—brie and camembert. These two pillars of the cheese world can be magnificent too, but often the versions we see in the U.S. are highly industrial and lack complexity of flavor. This is where Green Hill shines—the salt content is perfect and gives the cheese a luscious buttery flavor. The rind offers up some earthy notes but overwhelmingly the experience of this cheese is one of consuming delicious milk in a semi-solid state, your pallet will be bathed in warm, lactic flavors.

Pair it With:

Wines: On the red side go with something that has a bit of backbone- the fat in the cheese can definitely stand up to it. I suggest Chinon "Les Petites Roches", Joguet - 2005 ($19.99)

And for a white you could either go with something that would cut the fattiness like a sparkling (classic Camembert and Champagne kind of thing) or a selection that compliments the creaminess like, Cold Heaven "Le Bon Climat" Viognier – 2006 ($34.99)

Beer: Go for the hops. The fat and creaminess of the cheese will be a great counter balance to the bite of an IPA. My suggestion: Terminal Gravity IPA.

Condiments: Keep it simple and go with a cracker or toasted bread that will provide a bit of textural relief from the ooey gooey. I prefer some kind of raisin nut bread but anything crunchy will do.

European Counterpart: Camembert

Available at:
Whole Foods: Bowery and Union Square Locations
Murray's Cheese: 254 Bleecker Street
Lucy's Whey- 38 Gould Street, East Hampton
Online at: http://www.sweetgrassdairy.com

—Sasha Davies

 

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Posted: August 29, 2008

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