"Darren! Hurry up, we're gonna be late!
We got in to Galax, pronounced 'gay-lax,' very late and had decided to splurge on a hotel room at the Super 8. We have gotten a little too used warm beds and continental breakfast and haven't camped since. I pull the Belgian waffle out from under Darren, "You can finish this in the car!"
Ok, so I was a bit neurotic. But I was SUPER exited about visiting Meadow Creek Dairy. Grayson was the first cheese I ever ate at Casellula (when I was a customer). I didn't want to make a bad impression by being late. When we arrived, the milk was already being brought to temperature in the large, circular Dutch vats. Darren and I were given a pair of sterile, white rubber boots and were escorted into the cheese making room. WOW! yes WOW! We were going to watch first hand how cheese was made. How the "magic" happens! And guess what? We were going to watch Grayson being made! Whooopppp Whooopppp! (Really, I do make these sounds)
Helen is an exceptional cheesemaker who has her recipes perfected. The milk is handled as little as possible before going into the vat. After a 23 minute rennet the curd is cut. When the curd is ready, large buckets are used to scoop the curds and whey from the vat into the molds. The whey drains off and the curds settle. Then all of the molds need to be flipped at exactly the ten minute mark (or as close as possible) so it's a race. It took a team of 4 to make Grayson. One thing we learned clearly by watching this process is that incheesemaking timing is everything. If you are just one minute off not only with flipping, but with many other parts of the cheese make, the cheese will be all messed up. We broke a sweat just watching these ladies go! The physical energy is tremendous.
Meadow Creek makes two cheeses every day. The other cheese they were making that day was their Mountaineer which is the same exact milk prepared differently. In this case the curds are pressed in the vat, then cut into squares and then molded. Mountaineer is a harder cheese than Grayson and just as delicious.
Later in the day we were invited to take a ride with Rick in his pickup to see more of their mountainous property. He walked us right into the middle of a herd of cows as he talked. Watch out for the patties! The pastures are seeded with rye grass, clover, chicory and grazing turnips which give the milk character. Up the hill an intern whacked away some giant weeds with a machete.
When it comes to Grayson especially, Rick says this cheese is really made in the cave. That's how it gets it's distinctive nose and we agree with him when he says, "I don't see anything wrong with stinky!" In the cave there were many different cheeses including the harder and robust Appalacian and an experimental blue named after the second oldest river in the world (which happens to be right near their property) called New River Blue.
Rick was kind enough to share a lot of information with me about their cave. He and Helen have traveled all over the world seeking knowledge on the best way to build a cave appropriate for their cheese. There are a few important things he has discovered about cooling and keeping the humidity right. Unsealed concrete works really well for keeping the moisture level high. He has a water sprayer on a timer that sprays the walls. Consistent high humidity has been the key for avoiding ammonia—and it works. A room without corners at the ceiling is preferable because this helps to avoid any dripping and also is ideal for airflow. He uses fiberglass-reinforced plastic to round out the corners and has cold water flowing through pipes around the walls to keep the cave cool.
How did it all start? Helen has a passion for cooking and was spending a lot of time throughout the week preparing delicious meals for her family. So her husband suggested she use that time and love for cooking to do something that may make some money. Lots of trial and error, brilliant ingenuity and some delicious recipes and BOOM! Mind blowing, outrageous cheese glory!
Helen is still an amazing chef. We were invited to sit down for a incredible mid-day meal that included the whole staff including the team of young cheese making interns who have come from all over the world (South America, Thailand, The U.K.) to learn the art. Lunch consisted of fresh from the farm chicken, potatoes, lettuces, bread and cheese (all home grown and home made). Fresh delicious everything! Grayson and Appalachian were melted in these little mini pans on a Raclette grill and poured over the potatoes and the warm bread. These big family lunches are the norm at Meadow Creek, but for us it was far from anything ordinary. We feel honored to have shared a meal with this outstanding team of cheesemakers.
Helen’s favorite recipe to make with Grayson: Tarte de Flet
Boil white potatoes with skin on and then slice. Fry up bacon or your favorite pork product. Reserve excess fat to saute your onions. Chop bacon and combine it with the onions. Add a good amount of red wine to the onion-bacon mixture. Begin layering potatoes with the onions until you fill up your baking dish. Slice your Grayson thickly and lay it rind up on top of the potatoes. Cover with foil and cook on 425 until heated through and most of the cheese has melted. Remove from oven, take foil off and return to oven until the rind is crispy. Gently peel away crispy rind and serve. (You can also leave the rind on if you prefer.)
We spent six hours at Meadow Creek and learned so much. Talk about a dynamic duo! Helen and Rick are awesome and inspiring, especially to us. We look forward to returning the gesture of generosity down the road.
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