Via Instagram, I met Donna-Lee, co-owner and cheesemaker at New Hampshire’s Hickory Nut Farm. After seeing some of my pepper cheese spreads and other cheese postings she offered to send me samples of her aged goat cheeses. I gladly accepted.
Warning: UPS and Fedex have developed a bad and annoying practice of dropping off packages at the local USPS station for final delivery. (And we wonder why the USPS keeps losing money…) This happened with the cheeses Donna-Lee sent. With Georgia summer in full swing, it was not the best delivery for her cheeses. She shipped to my home address and the package indicated that the contents needed to be refrigerated but neither UPS nor the USPS “noticed” this. USP dropped the package off at the local USPS. The USPS put the cheeses in a lobby locker and tossed a key in my post office box. I don’t know if these special cheeses sat in the locker one or two days but they ripened quickly due to the heat. (With Covid, I only go to the post office every few days. Since this incident I signed up for delivery notification via email… this should not happen again going forward.)
Donna-Lee and her husband began Hickory Nut Farm in 2000 in New Hampshire after careers as Architects (which helped when building their farm and caves) in Maine. As with many small farmers and cheesemakers, they left the fast lane to build a slower, more fulfilling life doing something they had dreamed of doing. (They loved their life as architects but as we grow older, we crave something that we envision to be less stressful… The Man and I sought a quiet retirement and our small town has turned out to be a blessing in so many ways…) They found a farm and began designing. The farm included donkeys, sheep and chickens. When the shearing season came, Donna-Lee learned to spin. After an Easter pageant at their church, which included some kid goats, soon they owned those goats and well, you know what happens… just ask Mary Keehn…
Back to the cheeses… Donna-Lee sent four aged cheeses which had ripened far beyond what she had shipped. I immediately chilled them down in the fridge. Allowing them a few days to adjust, I then featured them on a grazing table I created for the good folks at Blue Haven Bee. Knowing cheese and with Donna-Lee’s blessing I felt the cheeses were fine but nibbled each before serving to make sure… each was more divine than the previous.
Andrew and Monroe, two of BHB’s owners are serious goat cheese lovers and they fell in love with the selection. In fact, the others attending had to fight for a fair share… sounds a little like The Man, doesn’t it??? Just kidding, but I swear Andrew and Monroe both swooned when tasting these Hickory Nut Farm cheeses.
There were four different cheeses, which I plated with a selection of cured meats from Daniele: (Daniele meats are available in my grab n go displays at both Blue Haven Bee and Sweet Combs of Honey or at my amazon influencer storefront)
All four cheese were made using unpasteurized goat milk and aged a minimum of 60 days , as required by FDA regulations.
Terrene – a hard cheese with a natural rind. A vein of vegetable ash run through the center of the cheese, reminiscent of both Morbier and Humboldt Fog. The curd is pressed and aged in the Hickory Nut Farm cheese cave. I would serve that cheese as a dessert with its barnyardy and hay notes that paired well with Kelly’s Pineapple Habanero.
Lacey White visually reminded me of Baby Swiss with small “eyes”. This cheese finishes with buttery, cheddar notes. I topped my tasting with apple sauce and immediately thought of apple pie with melted cheddar. Of the four, the Lacey White edged ahead to be my favorite.
Chebar – an Italian-style goat cheese that would work well with pasta dishes and paired with the cured meats, especially the Daniele Prosciutto. Hard like a Pecorino Romano, The Chebar is also rubbed with sea salt.
Jacobee – more creamy and savory than the others. This was Andrew’s favorite, although we all enjoyed it. I paired it with a dried Smyrna fig topped with Kelly’s Blueberry Lemon Jam. The mixture of flavors and textures exploded on my palate.
Blue Haven Bee began their business making honey and segued into making mead. My favorite which I paired with each of these cheeses was their luscious Hibiscus, which reminds me of the roses I enjoyed while in France last year.
To purchase these amazing cheeses, check out the website. Donna-Lee is a regular at the local Farmers’ Market circuit: York, Maine; Portsmouth NH; Cambridge, Ma; N. Berwick Maine; Durham, NH. You can call the farm for her schedule at 603 659 6885.
You can also visit Hickory Nut Farm for a tour or a donkey ride if you are near them in Lee, New Hampshire. Information for contacting them is on their website. If you call ahead, you can get a guided tour of the farm. BTW, they also make soap and fudge… so much for slowing down…
Please join our Facebook Cheese Study Group for up-to-date information regarding the ACS CCP Exam and other study suggestions. Check out my Cheese Education Page that deep dives into every domain within the ACS Body of Knowledge. Also follow our Instagram account for tips of prepping for the ACS CCP Exam. For my top Five books you need to read before sitting for the ACS CCP Exam, click here.
In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.
Hickory Nut Farm sent me samples of their goat cheese. No other compensation was offered or accepted. The opinions are mine, Andrew and Monroe’s.
This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission from any purchases you make through those links. I thank you for patronizing my store front.
Follow me on:
You must be logged in to post a comment.