…“I love being able to tell a story at the table, especially with something as intricate as a cheese plate,” Green said, noting that he would urge his waiters to do exactly that. “It’s a real craft, what you do here, and not something you find very often. I have a ton of respect for it.”

That pleases Kennedy enormously. “One thing New Jersey does well is grow grass, and making good cheese is all based around pasture-raised animals,” he says. “There’s nothing in New Jersey to limit that potential.”…

Sam deserves all the press in the world for the delicious farmstead cheeses he creates here at Cherry Grove Farm. Click to read all about what is Artisan, first hand from our CIA graduate, Samuel Kennedy.

Rendering Leaf Lard
(1 pound yields about 1 pint)

1. Once thawed, cut lard into small pieces.

2. Pour ¼- to ½-cup water into a pan or crock pot over low heat and add lard. You will start to hear popping noises as the lard melts—this is normal.

3. Rendering will take 1 to 2 hours and is finished when the lard melts and the cracklings settle to the bottom of the pan.

4. Allow to cool a little, ladle liquid lard into a colander lined with cheese cloth and placed over a bowl to separate the cracklings—these can go back in the pan to crisp and enjoy.

5. Now ladle the rendered lard into mason jars or containers, allow to cool on the counter, and store in the fridge or freezer. It will be a little off-white to start. Once the rendered lard is completely cooled and solidified, it should be pure white. If it is not, you can still use it! This just means that it cooked too long or too hot.

6. Bake a pie—or don’t, but you’ll regret skipping this step!

Cherry Grove Farm is proud to be featured in Princeton Eats this week!

“There’s something about cheese. Whether you dream about it, pair it with the perfect dish, or like it toasted, it’s a big part of our cuisine. Cheese is an essential part of many recipes and is very diverse, from bland, to sharp, and everything in between.”

Take a gander at their article, Cheese Making in Central New Jersey. You can also watch a short video clip of Sam, our Head Cheesemaker, discussing the surprisingly perfect way to pair beer with cheese.

In 2012 we introduced Layla, our bloomy rind Neufchâtel style cheese.  Like true love, Neufchâtel is enjoyable at many stages of
maturation; its flavor evolves from delicate and fruity to strong and salty. That said, we can’t think of a better cheese to showcase for Valentine’s Day! Allow us to introduce Coeur de Fromage (the heart of cheese), our lovely Layla in heart-shaped form created tenderly by hand in small 12-gallon batches.

The heart is actually a traditional shape of Neufchâtel style cheese. During the 6th century, the young women of Neufchâtel-en-Bray offered this cheese to their gallant knights during the Hundred Years War as a token of their affection.

We encourage you to keep the tradition alive by offering Coeur de Fromage to your sweetheart!

This beautiful cheese will be available the first week in February. It stands alone as a romantic gesture for any cheese lover! We will also be offering a Spread the Love gift set (available in-store only) including a spade cheese knife and paired with the delectable local chocolates of Donna & Company. So spread the love this Valentine’s season by lighting some candles and setting the table with a robust red wine, some crusty bread, and Coeur de Fromage.

Serve Coeur de Fromage over ciabatta bread, rye bread, or a croissant next to a bunch of concord grapes. Pair Coeur de Fromage with Saint Emilion, Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, or a bubbly Champagne for a match made in heaven.

Super Bowl Super Pop Kettle Corn: Put 3/4 cup Farmer Steve’s Super Pop kernels and 3 tablespoons each sugar and vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Partially cover and cook over high heat, shaking, until the popping stops. Season with salt.

Nachos topped with shredded Herdsman and CGF Whey-Fed Andouilli Sausage

Brie baked in a puffed pastry with sliced apples and local honey from Bob’s Buzzy Bees

Grass-Fed Ground Beef Sliders: Form 1 pound ground beef into 12 patties, 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle a skillet with kosher salt; cook the patties over high heat until cooked to your liking. Put on mini buns and top with some shredded Rosedale and caramelized onions.

Chili Jack Cornbread Muffins: Your favorite cornbread recipe with a twist! After baking the muffins, slice of the tops. Then top with some grass-fed chili and shredded Chili or January Jack. Thanks for the suggestion, Brian!

Whey-Fed Pigs in a Blanket with any style CGF sausage links (we like them with hot sausage!)

Thank You Mark!

Rise and shine! It’s time for a sale on our Whey-Fed Breakfast Sausage! This sale runs Friday, February 1st through Saturday, February 16th. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and sage, this sausage has that oh-so-familiar breakfasty flavor… you know… the kind worth getting out of bed for!

But wait! Contrary to popular belief (and the name), you can do more with this sausage than sizzling it up with hash browns and eggs. Here are some other fun suggestions:

• Add a layer to your favorite homemade lasagna recipe (topped with some 18-moth-old grated Haviah!)
• Sausage Pretzel Bites (substituting Breakfast Sausage)
• A flavorful pizza topping
• A hearty addition to a winter soup (kale and potato is our current favorite!)

The possibilities are endless! Let us know what creative ideas you come up with when you stop by to stock up at the Farm Store!

New Mexican Green Chile Stew w/ Shredded January Jack
by Sam Kennedy 

• 2 lbs CGF whey-fed pork or grass-fed beef cubes*
• Water (for blanching)
• 2 qt chicken stock
• 1 lb Russet potatoes
• 1 medium onion in small dice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 can white beans
• 3/4 lb Anaheim chilies
• 1 seeded Jalapeño pepper (some peppers are very hot, so be careful)
• ¼ c cilantro, stems and leaves, chopped.
• ¼ c parsley leaves
• 1/3 lb shredded CGF January Jack

Blanch pork for 6 minutes in boiling water to remove impurities. Skim the surface, drain, and rinse.
Place blanched pork in a large pot, add chicken stock, and simmer covered until the pork is tender, about 2 hours.
Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch dice. Reserve in cold water to prevent discoloration.  
When pork has 20-25 minutes left to cook, par-cook the potatoes for about 5 minutes. Fire-roast the Anaheim chilies, peel and remove the seeds. Reserve. Dice the onions, and mince the garlic. Reserve.

Sweat onions and garlic in vegetable oil. Be sure they don’t change their color!  Add to the pork and stock (once the pork is tender). Add drained potatoes to the pork and simmer for about 7 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. After the potatoes are tender, drain the beans from their liquid and rinse them, add to the pork/potato mixture.
Meanwhile, place the Anaheim chilies, Jalapeño, parsle,y and cilantro in a blender with enough stew cooking liquid to allow for puréeing (about ½ cup). Purée until completely smooth.
Add the green purée to pork stew when ready to eat. Simmer for about one to two minutes.
Ladle into bowls, sprinkle on shredded January Jack, and enjoy!

*By choosing local whey-fed pork or grass-fed beef you’re saving half the calories in fat, so you can enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling of a stick-to-your-ribs meal without the guilt!

Roasted Berkshire Boston Butt Recipe

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 (5-6 lb) bone-in Cherry Grove Farm Boston Butt

2 lemons, halved and divided

1/4 c chopped fresh oregano

2 ½ tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

Kitchen string

1 garlic bulb, unpeeled

1/4 c olive oil

1 c chicken stock

Garnishes: roasted garlic cloves, baby carrots, radishes, lettuce leaves

Preheat oven to 350°. Rub 1 lemon half on all sides of pork roast, squeezing juice from lemon. Stir together oregano, salt, and pepper and rub on roast.

Place roast on a lightly greased rack in a roasting pan. Separate garlic cloves (do not peel), and place around roast. Drizzle olive oil over roast and garlic cloves.

Squeeze juice from remaining 1 ½ lemons into a bowl. Stir together juice and chicken broth; pour into roasting pan.

Bake at 350° for 3 to 3 ½ hours or until fork tender. Shred pork into large pieces using two forks, if desired. Garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!