Mariposa Dairy is well known for 100% fresh Ontario sheep and goat’s milk used in the wide variety of soft plain and flavored chèvres and specialty line of hard and cheddar cheeses. Their cheeses have been winning awards on the world stage for years. In fact, Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar is one of the most celebrated cheeses in Canada and certainly tops our Cheese Sommelier’s list of favorite unique Canadian cheddars. As you crack the wax seal on Lindsay and the other treats in this month’s Savvy Cool Curds , we are certain that you too will fall in love with these cheeses.
In your Savvy Cool Curds you will find…
…very special and hard-to-find artisan cheeses including:
– Original Chèvre 130g
– Cranberry Chèvre 130g
– Tania 200g
– Zoey 200g
– Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar 250g
Hankering for more marvellous Mariposa cheeses?
Would you like more cheese from this month’s Savvy Cool Curds? Just call our Savvy Team & we’ll arrange a special shipment for you (if it is still available that is!). Put us on speed dial – Savvy Cool Curds Hotline 613-SAVVYCO (728-8926) or cheers@savvycompany.ca
Cheers!
– Vanessa & the Savvy Team
Introducing…
Mariposa Dairy
by Vanessa Simmons, Cheese Sommelier
Since 1989, Sharon and Bruce Vandenberg have been the owners and operators of Mariposa Dairy in the small town of 
Lindsay, Ontario located in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes region. Milk for their animal rennet-free goat and sheep milk cheeses is sourced from their own Lenberg Farms and other local producers who share similar humane practices and farming philosophy. Interesting to note that Mariposa cheeses are even Halal and Kosher certified.
In summer 2015 Mariposa purchased a new facility, doubling their capacity to 45,000+ square feet to meet growing market demand for their tasty cheeses.
A Chèvre for Every Occasion…
Fresh chèvre marketed under the brand name “Celebrity” or “Mariposa Dairy” is the flagship of Mariposa cheeses. While the list of flavours gets longer every year, the high quality and creamy characteristic tang of the original base plain cheese remains constant.
The chèvre curd starts in large vats, then is pumped through a small sieve into hanging draining bags – an invention created by Bruce and his team. These special bags are made from a special weave of cotton that allows the whey to leak through, but keep the milk solids intact (many testing phases of fabrics happened before finding something that would work at not losing precious milk solids!). Gravity does its magic to drain the whey and the chèvre is lightly pressed as the bags are gently compacted together (somewhat like an accordion). Minimal handling in this step is critical to ensure the chèvres aren’t chalky or pasty and more importantly have a light and fluffy texture. The plant has 5 presses to do this now, but have space in the new plant for a potential of 16 more presses. Imagine a mountain of snowy white chèvre!
The final step to making their delicious chèvre is the finished curd is released from the draining bags into 130kg small vats and transported to Mariposa’s new facility around the corner. This ensures no cross contamination between milk/cheese processing and finishing. The chèvre is then tumbled into another machine that mildly presses and forms curds into log shapes of various sizes.
The garnishing happens by hand. For infused flavours, such as honey, fig or truffle, chèvre curd is hand mixed with the finest ingredients before pressing. For other flavours such as the cranberry that is in your Savvy Cool Curds, the berries are hand press onto the cheese exterior. Often times whey from cheesemaking may be added to the curd to guarantee a level of moisture content – the goal is plump cranberries covering chèvre vs. a runny gooey mess.
Dedicated to His Craft
The Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar has been winning awards nationally and internationally since hitting the cheese scene in Canada in 2010, given the talent and watchful eye of cheesemaker Pieter (in photo). This world famous cheddar is the only its kind in Canada.
On my visit to Mariposa this summer during the heat wave, I watched with great interest Pieter in the ‘make room’. It is not work for the faint of heart. My respect for him and love for Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar (LBC) has grown in leaps and bounds from that day. He’s a true professional, with an intimate knowledge of his craft, milk, tools and cheese. Pieter has his own special French style vat specifically for handmaking LBC. It’s a highly manual process where curds are “cheddared” (stacked and flipped) 5 times (or more) until they reach proper texture or ph. They’re salted in 3 stages by hand, where paddles (and Pieter dipping and ducking) lift and separate the curds. The result is 10 wheels of cheese – each 22 lbs – that have been handscooped, and pressed into Egyptian cotton lined custom molds and one of Canada’s top celebrated cheeses.
When not making cheese, you’ll find Pieter at farmers markets and charitable events promoting cheese. If you happen to see him, ask him if there’s any truth to the rumor that dancing cheesemakers make better cheese 😉
– Cheese Tasting Notes –
It’s not easy being cheesey! Here are Vanessa’s tasting notes and photos for each cheese in your Savvy Cool Curds, along with additional tidbits of interesting information, suggested food pairings & recipes to try too!
Original Chèvre
A great way to start off any cheese plate, or most versatile in cooking, Celebrity Original Plain Chèvre is always sure to please. Past winner of the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, the adventure doesn’t stop here – try other flavors such as dill, herb & garlic, fig, blueberry, honey or truffle.
Tasting Notes A soft, unripened goat’s milk cheese, with a smooth, rich, snow white, velvety texture, it has a creamy, fresh, tart flavor on the tongue and no chalky aftertaste (sign of a good chèvre).
Suggested Pairing: It’s like a canvas where you build your gourmet creation. Perfect blended with fresh herbs or rolled with nuts as a bite-sized app. Toss into fresh seasonal pasta or over balsamic & oil-grilled vegetables as a finishing touch. Dollop on harvest soups as a garnish. Enjoy with a crisp dry white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc.
Cranberry Chèvre
Cranberry Chèvre is Mariposa’s most popular flavored goat milk cheese. Plump cranberries are hand rolled onto the fresh chèvre logs to ensure full coverage and less damage to the fruit.
Tasting Notes: Cranberry Chèvre is nothing short of wow as a perfect blend of both sweet and savory flavors where fruity goodness meets tarty tang rounded off by the mild spicy hint of cinnamon.
Suggested Pairing: Enjoy smeared on toast for an indulgent breakfast or over brownies or chocolate squares and bake as a decadent finish. Stuff inside herbed chicken breasts for a savory surprise. Pinch or twist inside PC phyllo dough squares to make cranberry purse h’ors d’oeuvres.
Tania
Tania, Mariposa’s firm Italian-style sheep’s milk cheese, has been turning heads since it was launched 5 years ago, taking first or Gold at many industry awards, including the American Cheese Society Competition, International Cheese Awards, World Cheese Awards, and Royal Winter Fair and most recently Best Ontario Cheese at the Canadian Cheese Awards.
Tasting Notes: If you have occasion to, compare Tania young and old. When young under the rustic natural rind, it’s the color of hay, with a sleek almost translucent interior, and powerful grassy notes under fermented fruit (detect a tiny bit of cantaloupe). Tania old ages to a rustic, pumpkin pie color inside and emit fresh intense cracked black pepper aromas on the rind.
Suggested Pairing: Use as you would Parmesan for a lighter finish to your favourite dishes.
Zoey
Zoey is Mariposa’s newest creation; a washed-rind mixed goat and sheep milk cheese was a triple winner at the Canadian Cheese Awards this spring for best mixed rind cheese, best mixed milk cheese and best new cheese. One nibble and you’ll know why!
Tasting Notes: Zoey has a similar rustic appearance to it’s sister cheese Tania, but with more potent grassy, herbal, and earthy aromas & flavors due to the sea salt washed rind.
Suggested Pairing: Enjoy with unoaked Chardonnay. Melt into grilled cheese for an extra zing.
Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar
Consider multi-award winning Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar that one oh-so-special cheese to stand alone on a board, a hidden gem, regal and elegant in character. 10-kilogram wheels of glorious goaty goodness are the best ‘whey’ to describe this firm, pasteurized goat’s milk cheddar naturally aged under specially sourced Egyptian cheesecloth bandage. Often mistaken for a cow’s milk cheese, it’s so amazing!
Tasting Notes: Light depending, note ivory coloring with champagne hue to the paste. Texture is firm and crumbly but moist revealing a lovely noticeable curd silhouette and tiny crystalline. A concentrated tang hits the palate first, followed by a slight ripe condensed strawberry fruitiness, and clean goat’s milk flavor that lingers.
Suggested Pairing: Crumbled ‘nuggets’ are the perfect lunchbox snack. Grate over salads, hot potato dishes or sliver curls on a slice of fresh-from-the-oven sour cherry pie. Enjoy with an Ontario Pinot Gris.
– Recipes to enjoy with the featured cheeses –
With Original Chèvre…
Root Vegetable Tarte Tatin
Recipe & Photo Credit: Epicurious.com
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1.5 hrs
Ingredients
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds
1 medium sweet potato, peeled sliced into ½” rounds
2 medium carrots, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds
1 medium parsnip, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds
1 small red onion, sliced into ½” rounds
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh sage
4 oz. fresh Celebrity Original Plain Goat Chèvre
1 disk All-Butter Pie Dough
All-purpose flour (for surface)
Method
Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400°. Toss potato, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip, and onion with oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper and arrange vegetables in a single layer. Roast until golden around the edges and tender, 30-35 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, cook sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium high heat, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is amber-colour, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar and a pinch of salt, swirling pan to combine. Quickly pour caramel into a 9″-diameter pie pan; tilt and rotate pan to evenly coat bottom with caramel. Scatter rosemary and sage over top.
Arrange potatoes, carrots, and parsnips snugly in a single layer on top of caramel, using smaller carrot and parsnip pieces to fill in any holes. Scatter onion rings and crumble goat cheese over vegetables.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12″ round. Drape over vegetables, tucking edges into pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until crust looks dry, about 20 minutes; reduce heat to 350° and bake until crust is golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
Let tart cool 5 minutes before inverting carefully onto a large plate.
Do ahead: Vegetables can be roasted 4 hours ahead. Keep at room temperature.
With Cranberry Chèvre…
Cranberry Orange Stuffed French Toast
Recipe & Photo Credit: CelebrityGoat.com
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
4 slices challah bread
1 package Celebrity Cranberry Goat Chèvre, crumbled
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. half and half cream
½ tsp. grated orange zest
2 Tbsp. butter
Method
Arrange crumbled Goat Cheese evenly over 2 slices challah. Cover with remaining bread slices to make 2 sandwiches.
Beat egg, half and half and orange zest in shallow bowl until well blended. Dip sandwiches, one at a time, into egg mixture, allowing egg to soak into sandwich.
Melt butter in large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Slice each sandwich in half and serve with syrup, if desired.
With Tania…
Spiced Ribbon Salad
Recipe & Photo Credit: Mariposadairy.ca
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
3 Tbsp. Celebrity Mediterranean Goat Chèvre (or Original Plain Chèvre)
2 Tbsp. Tania Sheep Cheese, shredded
2 small green zucchinis
2 cups arugula & spinach leaves
½ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
½ cup walnuts, toasted
Method
Cut the ends off the zucchini and using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini lengthwise into thin ribbons. Stop peeling when seeds are visible. Sauté̀ zucchini in a pan on medium heat with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and cook until delicate, about 6 minutes. Set aside, until cool.
In the same pan, heat syrup and toast walnuts for about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, toss arugula and spinach in remaining oil, vinegar, Dijon, and garlic. Incorporate zucchini with leaves. Crumble Mediterranean or Original Plain Chèvre and Tania over salad along with walnuts
With Zoey…
Belgium Leek Tart with Aged Goat Cheese
Recipe & Photo Credit: Epicurious.com
Prep Time: 2.5 hours
Cook Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients
Crust:
4 Tbsp. (or more) ice water
¾ tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) plus 1 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter
Filling:
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup crumbled aged goat cheese (such as Zoey), rind trimmed
1 ½ cups Leek Confit
Method
Crust:
Combine 4 tablespoons ice water and cider vinegar in small bowl. Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add water-vinegar mixture, processing until moist clumps form. If dough seems dry, add ice water by teaspoonful’s. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Allow dough to soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll dough out on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides. Fold in overhang and press to extend dough 1/2 inch above sides of pan. Line pan with foil and dried beans or pie weights. Bake until dough looks dry and set, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans and continue to bake until crust is pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool while preparing filling.
Filling:
Whisk milk, cream, egg, egg yolk, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over bottom of warm crust; spread leek confit over and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Pour milk mixture over. Bake until filling has puffed, is golden in spots, and center looks set, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool slightly. Remove pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.
With Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar…
Savoury Buttermilk Scones
Recipe & Photo Credit: Mariposa Dairy
by Chef Sasha Douglas
“Nothing beats these light-as-air biscuits, warm from the oven, with melted Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar. The key to a light and flaky scone is to not overwork the dough— work quickly with a light touch. Cold butter is also essential, so keep it in the fridge until ready to use. And make sure to bake them in a preheated 400°F oven or they won’t rise up if the oven is not hot enough. Simple and easy to make-ahead— these savoury scones are perfect for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, or with a soup or stew for a hearty meal.”
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups All-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 ¼ cup buttermilk (or use regular milk with a bit of lemon juice added)
1 cup Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar shred
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (your choice: chives, thyme, basil, parsley, oregano, marjoram, etc.)
2 Tbsp. 35% cream (for brushing the scones)
Method
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the cold cubes of butter and pulse a few times, until butter is incorporated and mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Set aside ¼ cup of grated cheese for topping. Add remaining grated cheese and fresh herbs to the flour/butter mixture in the bowl. Add buttermilk and mix gently with a fork just until combined.
Transfer dough to a floured surface. Knead gently a few times– it will be quite crumbly still, but gently bring it back together, without overworking, until dough comes together. Shape into a circle about 1-inch thick. Cut into 10 triangles.
Place scones on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with 35% cream and sprinkle each scone with reserved grated cheese.
Bake scones in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until risen & golden