November 15, 2004
ROCKPORT -- New England has become the most important center of American cheese craft east of California, according to a recent article in the New York Times. In October, the Maine Cheese Guild celebrated the quality and diversity of Maine's growing artisanal cheese movement at the Portland Public Market, with the second annual Maine Cheese Festival. For the second year, the Maine Cheese Guild has prepared a custom assortment of Maine's distinctive artisan cheeses, available for a limited time for the holidays.
Each sampler will include cheeses represented by between four and six cheesemakers. The mix will include sheep, goat and cow cheeses that are at their peak ripeness, both fresh and aged, available in either a two or three pound cheese sampler, along with information about the farms, cheeses, and the Maine Cheese Guild.
The samplers will be available by mail order through several cheese purveyors, including State of Maine Cheese Co. (www.cheese-me.com) in Rockport, K Horton's Specialty Foods at the Portland Public Market (www.khortonfoods.com), Smiling Hill Farm (www.smilinghill.com) in Westbrook and Appleton Creamery (www.appletoncreamery.com) and at Five Islands Farm in Georgetown. Suggested retail price ranges from $55 to $90, excluding postage, and depending on size. Supplies are limited, so the sampler will be available only until Christmas, or supplies run out.
The Maine Cheese Guild was formed in 2003 to promote Maine cheese and cheesemaking, educate cheesemakers and consumers, share resources, and share the joy and art of regional cheese. The Guild Cheese Sampler will introduce consumers to the wide array of cheeses being crafted in Maine, which Down East Magazine recently declared "...rival the best of any cheeses produced in Europe." From Down East to down state, Maine cheesemakers are crafting exciting new and traditional cheeses from on-farm or local goat, sheep, and cow milk that truly reflects the season and region of their creation.
For more information about the Maine Cheese Guild, please visit www.mainecheeseguild.org.
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For more information contact 785-4431 or email info@mainecheeseguild.org attached photo credit copyright 2004 Russell French Photography
As the summer ends and the leaves begin to turn, Maine's local cheese makers have the fruits of the spring and summer milk blossoming in their caves. So the Maine Cheese Guild will visit the Portland Public Market on Saturday, October 16th to celebrate the second annual Maine Cheese Festival, with seminars and demonstrations scheduled to begin at 11:00 am and run until 4:00 pm.
Kris Horton of K. Horton's Specialty Foods together with the Public Market are hosting the Festival, and have arranged to pair cheeses with wine tasting. In addition, the Market vendors will create special cheese-featured dishes to sample for the Festival that will be judged by popular vote.
Taste milk from sheep, goats, and cows to compare. There will be goats and a dairy calf on display, cheese books for browsing and sale, and music by the Harley Smith Band throughout the day. For a small donation to the Maine Cheese Guild, you will be able to attend seminars in the Market's kitchen facilities on making cheeses such as French Tomme or Mexican Queso Blanco, or a demonstration by a top Maine chef on cooking with artisan cheese.
Many of Maine's premier and award winning artisan cheesemakers will be on hand to sample and sell their cheese, as well as to answer questions about their artisanal cheeses-- how and where in the state they make them. The Maine cheesemakers will include Silvery Moon Creamery at Smiling Hill Farm from Westbrook; Sunset Acres Farm in Brooksville; 1797 Farm in Auburn; Appleton Creamery in Appleton; State of Maine Cheese Co. in Rockport; Hahn's End in Phippsburg; York Hill Farm in New Sharon; Seal Cove Farm in Lamoine; and many more.
The Portland Public Market is open daily, and will offer two hours free parking next door for anybody who attends. The Maine Cheese Guild will hold a raffle for several gift baskets of artisanal cheeses throughout the day to raise funds for the organization, and will have a booth where interested attendees can get information about becoming a member.
NORTH BROOKSVILLE - The Maine Cheese Guild will offer a Beginner Goat Cheese Making Workshop on Saturday, March 6, 2004, from 10:00-4:00 at Sunset Acres Farm in North Brooksville, Maine.
Participants will have the opportunity to make several different kinds of goat cheese, including soft spreadable chevre, feta, and fresh, drained cheeses. There will be ample opportunity for hands-on experience, as well as learning about different cheese cultures and enzymes, equipment and supplies needed (most of which are probably already in your kitchen), sanitation, recipes and other resources.
The workshop will be taught by Anne Bossi. Anne has been milking goats and making cheese for her family for over 30 years. For the past 5 years she has been making cheese commercially. She and her husband milk about 65 dairy goats and make cheese daily year round.
All equipment and supplies will be provided at the workshop. Bring only a bag lunch. Curd will be in various stages of development so the entire process can be seen (and handled) from start to finish. Hand-outs will be available and participants will be able to take home some cheese. Directions will be sent upon confirmation. Brooksville is 15 minutes from Blue Hill; 35 minutes from either Ellsworth or Bucksport.
Cost for Maine Cheese Guild members is $50; $75 for non-members or join MCG for $25 and pay $50 for the workshop. Pre-registration with a $25 deposit is required by March 1. Registration will be on a first-come basis, with a class limit of 12. If fewer than three people register, the workshop will be rescheduled and deposits will be returned.
For further information or to register, please call 207-326-0816 or Email Sunset Acres. For more information about the Maine Cheese Guild, please check the web site: www.mainecheeseguild.org.
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Webmaster Note:ROCKPORT-- The Maine Cheese Guild will sponsor a presentation by FROMAGEX, the North America distributor for Ets Coquard, a French company which sells cheesemaking equipment and supplies. The presentation is scheduled for Monday, February 2 at 10 a.m. at the State of Maine Cheese Co., on Rt. 1 in Rockport. All are welcome and there is no charge for attending.
Fromagex representatives will have samples of their products for attendees to examine, including molds, equipment, packaging and cultures. They will be available to answer questions about cheesemaking molds and cultures. A limited line of products will be available to purchase, and attendees may place orders.
The Maine Cheese Guild was formed in 2003 to promote Maine cheese and cheesemaking, educate cheesemakers and consumers, share resources, and share the joy and art of regional cheese. For more information about the presentation and to reserve space, please call Cathe Morrill at State of Maine Cheese Co., 207-236-8895 or 800-762-8895. Please check the website www.mainecheeseguild.org for more information about the Maine Cheese Guild.
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