Holy Sheeeep!

Everona Dairy was outstanding. The stars of the show are Dr. Pat Elliot and her daughter-in-law, cheesemaker extraordinaire Carolyn Wentz. What a lady! She can fix a car, build a house, raise two beautiful kids and make fabulous cheese. Everything is farmstead and artisanal--handmade top to bottom. Their herd of 150 alfalfa-fed, Friesian sheep are milked twice daily and produce some super-delish milk.

Their flagship cheese is their Piedmont which is aged 60 days before going to market. It is slightly nutty, sweet and tangy with subtle alfalfa notes near the rind. This is a harder cheese that can easily be aged for more than two years for crystally, heavenly goodness. The cheesemaker’s favorite pairing with this raw-milk, natural rind beauty is apples. Either fresh or cooked down with some sugar, Carolyn says this is the perfect match.

Our two-hour tour was detailed and so much fun. Oscar, Carolyn’s adorable two-year-old son (and milking apprentice) was with us for much if it and so was Julie the sheep/guard dog. Carolyn is warm and has such a great sense of humor. The high quality of all of their cheeses, from unique blues to unusual sheep’s milk cheddar are no doubt products of her hard work and love for her craft. “We don’t get much sleep around here,” says Carolyn with an exasperated, yet beaming smile. She is a strong woman and there is much about her worth admiring.

Everona is in the process of expanding production to meet demand. They sell at about 15 local markets and ship coast to coast. April through June is peak season. The have some very interesting washed rind cheeses that are soaked in either Dr. Elliot’s home made beer (YUM!), or a very locally produced red wine. Their facility is impeccably clean and their cave is absolutely pristine.

Carolyn’s favorite recipe with their Piedmont:

Grate some cheese (coarse) into a nice little mountain. Get a frying pan good and hot. Take a 1-2 tablespoon pinch of the cheese and put it right in the center (no oil) of the pan. Let it melt down until it gets a little bit bubbly and golden brown on the bottom. Flip it over for about another 45 seconds. Remove from the pan and let cool. It should be crispy and golden on both sides. Top it with a smear of basil pesto and some diced (preferably heirloom) tomatoes. We recommend dressing the tomatoes with some lemon, salt and a drop of olive oil. What a treat! And, yes, we made this ourselves...I’m gainin’ on ya Fraser!

Tomorrow bright and early we head out to Wake, VA to see the super-friendly people at Bonnyclabber. They’ve invited us for brunch! Are cheesemakers the nicest people, or what? In the afternoon we zip down to Chapel Hill to meet with the superstar cheesemakers there.

Funniest thing that happened today: Darren nearly took a little more of the farm with him than he wanted too. Luckily, there was half a popsicle stick to pick it out. Hello thinning hair! ouch.

p.s. Car is named...Renet-gade, aka Renny G.