We were lucky enough to arrange a quick visit to Chapel Hill Creamery in North Carolina. Both Flo Hawley and Portia McKnight just recently returned from a trip to Italy with minds full of new ideas and inspiration about cheese. There to greet them was their closed herd of Jersey cows who are primarily pasture fed and are minimally supplemented with soy and minerals to round out their diet. Originally in 2001 when things were just beginning there were only 9 cows on the land. Today, Flo and Portia are operating at almost full capacity utilizing most of their 37 acres of pastureland.
They milk their 22 cows twice every day and usually make cheese five days a week. Originally they only breeded in the spring, but to grow their heard and cheese production they needed more cows. So they decided to have two breeding seasons in order to maintain optimal milking conditions for consistent, year round cheese making.
When we arrived Flo was hard at work in cheese making room but was able to slip away for a moment to chat while until Portia arrived to show us around the farm. She first pointed out that many of the cows were actually pregnant. Cows are like humans when it comes to gestation. A good 9 ½ months after conception, bunches of bouncing baby Bessies will be roaming around the paddocks. Only a few newborns are kept and they rest are sold to other frams. The Chapel Hill Herd is left outdoors year round with the exception of just a few of the coldest days of the winter.
As for their indoor facilities we were able to tour the milking salon and peek in at the milk room and cheese making room. We found out that Solar panels heat the pasteurization tanks. Not only is this better for the environment but it actually increases the efficiency. They have 3 caves in the cheese making room. One is dedicated as a cold room and the other two are for aging. Because of our timing, we were unable to see inside then, however, Portia was kind enough to go in and pull out some of the goods for us to see.
The ladies of Chapel Hill make 6-7 types of cheese. Their most popular may be their mozzarella and now with their very own mozzarella stretcher they can keep it comin' with a bit ease. They also make a bloomy 1 pound camembert style cheese, feta, farmers cheese and a raw milk gruyere pictured below.
At the moment Darren and I are enjoying the Hickory Grove that Portia sent us home with (well to the campground really.) She suggested we wait it out a few days before we dug into it. It was hard but we were patient. And patience pays off. It's PERFECT!
It has been a few days since our visit and now we're in the middle of Kentucky at a Super8, our plastic knife in hand, and we gently cut through the healthy, thick rind only to find pure satisfaction in texture and taste. Gooey (not oozy) near the rind and a tad bit firmer in the center. The quality and freshness of the milk is the first thing that stands out, followed by a slight saltiness and an agreeable tang.
As we were leaving the creamery that day we asked Portia what she would serve with the Hickory Grove, or any of their other cheeses for that matter and she replied, “They’re just good on their own. That’s how you taste them the best.” We concur.
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