FreshDirect Sources Top Cheeses from Local Farms

July 5, 2011 - PRLog -- FreshDirect, New York City’s premier online grocer, reveals five of its top-selling local cheeses just in time for summer grilling, poolside salads and balmy evenings of wine and cheese.

FreshDirect, known to support local farms, now sources directly from more than 65 artisans, often sending trucks to Northeast farms to return with fresh produce, dairy and goods for delivery to Tri-State customers the very next day. “We try to source products that are interesting and unique. We want to make sure our customers have unique dining experience time and time again,” said Ken Blanchette, VP, Purchasing at FreshDirect.

By cutting out the middleman and dealing directly with cheese-makers, FreshDirect is able to get to know its manufacturers on a personal level. It’s also able to keep costs down and stretch shelf-life that would otherwise be consumed with logistics.

FreshDirect always has the inside-scoop on what’s good and now customers and prospective customers do too. Below are five of the top-selling cheeses, each with its own summertime disposition.

COACH FARM THE MEDALLION GOAT CHEESE
This is Coach Farm's most popular cheese.  The small Hudson Valley farm is just two-hours outside of New York City. It features over 900 French Alpine dairy goats, born and raised on the farm. The small, white-tiled creamery where they make this cheese connects directly to the milking parlor. Handcrafted, carefully tended in batches, then wrapped in paper, this French-style cheese is smaller than a disc and completely creamy and tangy. It’s excellent in summer desserts as well as alongside a poolside salad.

VERMONT BUTTER & CHEESE CREAMERY BONNE BOUCHE
Bonne Bouche, French for "good mouth," is an ash-ripened award-winning artisanal goat cheese made by hand in the traditional French style -- about 6-hours from Manhattan in Barre, Vermont.  Sweet and gentle in flavor with a very creamy texture, Vermont Butter & Cheese dedicates a 4,000-square-foot creamery entirely to aging fresh-ripened goat cheese. Bonne Bouche is great as a stand-alone cheese.

GRAFTON VILLAGE CHEESE COMPANY CHEDDAR, 2-YEAR AGED
This is one of America's finest cheddars.  Made from raw Jersey cow's milk on small farms in the green hills of Vermont, this cheese has a creamy richness and deep flavor. Years of aging give the cheese a pleasant sharpness and make it a natural companion to apple pie and a welcome upgrade to any cheeseburger. Cheese-making in Grafton is historic – since the 19th Century farmers gathered in a cooperative there to make their surplus milk into cheese. In 1912, a fire destroyed the farmers’ original factory. Several decades later, the nonprofit Windham Foundation restored the company. Today the cheese company is part of the Foundation, whose mission is to promote Vermont's rural communities. When you purchase Grafton Village Cheese, you directly support their cause.

THE AMAZING REAL LIVE FOOD CO. MOONLIGHT CHAOURCE
Located in the town of Pine Plains, New York, is The Amazing real Live Food Co., which makes none other than an amazing Moonlight Chaource. Savory and a little bit tart, this slightly aged, bloomy cheese has a white rind that conceals its ash exterior. It also has a firm chevre-style center. The cheese is enhanced with four probiotic bacteria, making it a classic and healthy and excellent over steak.

JASPER HILL FARM BAYLEY HAZEN BLUE
Jasper Hill has been making Bayley Hazen Blue from the raw milk of its herd of Ayershire cows since 2003. Bayley Hazen Blue has a woody natural rind reminiscent of tree bark, and a firm, dry paste with an aggressive blue flavor. Earthy and lively, this is a true American original, direct from a tiny farm near Greensboro, Vermont but packed with big flavor. This cheese is distinguished snack-time favorite.

These are just a few of FreshDirect’s top-selling cheeses. To learn more about cheese, and seasonal favorites or to find recipes with cheese, visit www.FreshDirect.com.