Fromage Blanc (Vermont Creamery)
- Producer
- Vermont Creamery
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Vermont
- Size
- Varies
- Weight
- Varies
- Website
- www.vermontcreamery.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Classification
- Soft
- Rennet
- Microbial
- Rind
- None
Founded in 1984 by Allison Hooper and Bob Reese, Vermont Creamery is located near Websterville, Vermont. Having spent time with a small-scale cheesemaker in Brittany during the 1970s, Allison was working as a state dairy lab technician in Vermont when she responded to a request from Bob Reese to produce some fresh chèvre for a state dinner. At the time, Bob was employed as marketing director for the Vermont Department of Agriculture. The chèvre was a hit and after some experimentation, Bob and Allison decided to go into production on a more formal basis, founding Vermont Creamery.
Milk for cheese production comes from twenty-one family farms in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and Quebec. Each farm has an average herd size of approximately 150 goats. Vermont Creamery makes a variety of fresh and young style cheeses and cultured dairy products, many of which are based on French recipes. They also make an outstanding cultured butter. Cheeses are made from either goat's or cow's milk.
Often referred to as the French answer to yogurt or cream cheese, Fromage Blanc is a cheese made from fresh, soft curds that have been slightly drained of whey. Allison Hooper's inspiration for Fromage Blanc comes from her time working on a dairy farm in Brittany, in Northern France, where the cheese was regularly mixed with a little sugar and enjoyed for desert. It can also be served with honey, mixed with granola, or simply used as a savory dip when blended with herbs.
