Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A Visit to Bobolink Dairy

I have been out of the blogging loop for a while.  I have been suffering from the winter blues and it is only the first day of winter!  I hate the short days and cold weather which leave me a little (or a lot) uninspired...  I have been plagued with a number of odd occurrences lately including  keys locked in the trunk at a market, my wallet left at Whole Foods, being stuck in an elevator (yes only for a few minutes but long enough for a panic attack!) and a broken computer...  Equipped with a new motherboard, two weeks of vacation time, and my wits about me (hopefully) - I'm back.

Last Sunday Matt and I took a ride out to Hunterdon County to visit the new home of Bobolink Dairy.  The dairy recently moved from leased land in Vernon, NJ to its permanent home in lovely Milford, NJ.  The dairy specializes in artisanal raw-milk cheeses from grass fed cows and freshly baked rustic breads.  We attended the "Meat and Greet" which entailed a tour of the dairy and a tasting of cheeses, meats and breads.  The tickets were $5 a person and we sampled fabulous products and got to take home a loaf of fresh baked bread - what a bargain!  I also learned a lot!  Despite the rainy weather and the slip sliding through the mud, we had a great time.

Cave-Ripened Cheddar

Jean-Louise

Rosemary Epi



Nina and her husband Jonathan are the owners and they are extremely passionate about their work at the dairy.  The quality of their cheeses is attributable to the condition of the cows which live a stress free life out in pastures.  The domain of their website is cowsoutside.com - and that is just what you find at the dairy - cows outside.  The cows do not receive antibiotics or hormones and eat the grass in the fields, as they should.  Jonathan has a long history of making award winning artisanal cheeses.  He started out making his cheeses with ordinary milk.  Running his own dairy has given him complete control over the quality of the milk and its handling at every point resulting in the best possible cheeses. 

If you get the chance, Bobolink is a great place to visit.  Their cheeses also can be shipped and would be great for the holidays.  They are also at the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC on Fridays.  I brought home the Jean-Louis (amazing!) and the world's best cave-ripened cheddar.  The breads are also fantastic.  We brought home the Rosemary Epi and the Cranberry Walnut.  I froze them and have been indulging on delicious hunks warmed in the oven - so good!  I grew up in Hunterdon County and it is so nice to see that one of the old farms is being preserved and worked by such nice, passionate people.  We are also fortunate that we have some of the world's best cheese right here in NJ.  

8 comments:

  1. I will have to check it out sometime. As I am reading this I have brie wrapped in pastry in the oven...perfect timing as now I am craving cheese!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am a huge fan of Bobolink Dairy! I get their emails all the time, and they sell at the Flemington Farmer's Market in the summer.
    We will definitely be taking this tour!
    Thanks Jen! What a great thing to chase away the winter blahs....I was just saying to my husband tonight how I miss my herb garden and cherry tomatoes. :<

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've missed you, Jen, I'm glad you see you back! I know what you mean about winter...the good thing is, now that the winter solstice is over, days will only get longer from here (not warmer yet, but longer is good and I'll take what I can get, lol)! :) This looks like an amazing dairy and such a fun trip. The cheese all looks fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sorry to hear that winter depresses you! I love this season and have no problem with the lack of light. What I dislike are grey rainy days....

    Those cheeses are splendid and I bet they taste divine! It must be great to have your own dairy.

    Cheers and happy holidays,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great way to spend a day. I'm curious as to how they selected the name of their dairy. The cheeses look wonderful. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary, I was curious too! "Bobolink LLC Dairy derives its name from the ground-nesting bird that frequents its pastures and meadows."

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am always willing to try different cheeses. What a fun way to spend the day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I didn't know about this dairy so I'm glad to be introduced to it. I will definitely be making a trip out there to buy some of those wonderful cheeses.

    ReplyDelete