20 The Cheese Guide
BY
LORRIE BAUMANN
Just the names of the new Kindred Creamery line of cheeses sound
so delicious that you're going to want to start
the pasta water boiling now, just so you can
find out as soon as possible if they're even
half as much fun to play with in the kitchen
as the flavor names suggest. Even better,
these are cheeses you'll be able to enjoy
without even a niggling little bit of guilt
because they're made by a creamery that's
espousing a new Cows Firstâ„¢ animal welfare
program.
Just imagine: Forage Mushroom & Spring
Onion Jack Round, Spicy Sriracha Jack
Round, Ghost Pepper Colby Jack, Wild
Ginseng & Garlic Jack Round, Sweet Fire
Mango Jack Round. Mmm, fondue anyone? Those are in addition
to the classics that Americans already love: the cheddars in mild,
medium and sharp, Pepper Jack and Monterey Jack, a Hickory
Smoked Cheddar Chunk and a Natural Smoked Gouda Round.
These cheeses are being sold under the Kindred Creamery brand
from Emmi Roth USA, which is paying the 210 or so family dairy
farmers that produce the milk for these
cheeses a premium price in return for
their participation in the Cows First
program, which requires them to
provide free access to pasture and fresh
water, enough space in their barn so
the cows can all lie down at once and a
diet that doesn't include animal by-
products. The cows aren't dosed with
growth hormones or subtherapeutic
antibiotics, and their tails aren't
docked. Participating dairy farmers are
regularly audited to ensure that they're
complying with the agreement they
sign when they join the program. "When cows are treated fairly,
their milk is of the highest standard. High quality milk allows us to
produce high quality cheese in a sustainable manner," the company
says in its explanation of the Cows First program.
Mouthwatering
new
line
from
Emmi
Roth
USA