Amateur Night
A Cheesy Alternative
Some annual traditions make sense. They're rooted in family, like opening
Christmas stockings on Mom and Dad's bed, with the dog, even when the kids are
in their twenties; or community, like buying mystery casserole from the 6th grade on Town Meeting Day as a fundraiser for their class trip; or fun, like getting together with the same friends to watch the All-Star
Game with ice cream and strawberries.
Some traditions are obligatory, like giving flowers on Valentine's Day (I'd
rather get flowers on some random day. But
I'll take them on Valentine's Day, too...don't get me wrong.) And some make no sense at all, in my humble
opinion.
One of those that seems senseless to me is getting all
dressed up to go bar- or party-hopping on New Year's Eve, probably imbibing a
bit too much, driving on roads with other people doing the same thing, and
spending the next day swapping hangover cures on Facebook. Hence
the name "Amateur Night." It's especially senseless in a good chunk of Vermont,
because you can't exactly walk around the neighborhood, mostly because there
are no neighborhoods. And a lot of
southerners are here for the holidays, and winter driving is not exactly their forté (southerners
are people who live below the Vermont/Massachusetts border.)
 So here's a New Year's tradition that I like: stay home, put out a bunch of small dishes
(eating a big dinner could cause one to miss the ball drop entirely), and make
fun of the hosts and guests on the various television specials. And certainly, one of the best small dish options
is a cheese plate. And don't scrimp
here. It's New Year's Eve. Only the best will do. And
that's where we come in. Order one of the cheese collections below by noon Tuesday, get 10% off, and we'll get it to you in time for you
to trash Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin.*
*if you live outside the Northeast, please choose two-day shipping.
Discount applies to 4 oz. Flavored Sampler, Covered Bridge, Three Ages of Cheddar, and Four Ages of Cheddar. Enter code "nyeve09" upon checkout.
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Soup Weather
Cheddar Ale Soup Recipe
 This popular recipe, from Chef David Smith, is served at The Old Tavern at Grafton, sister company to Grafton Village Cheese.
Ingredients
1 garlic bulb, roasted
1 sweet onion, chopped & caramelized
1 red pepper, diced ¼ inch pieces
1 green pepper, diced ¼ inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and diced ¼ inch pieces
2 shallots thinly chopped
2 qt vegetable stock
1 pint heavy cream
2 pounds, Grafton Premium Cheddar (shredded)
1 22 oz McNeill's Firehouse Ale (or other amber beer)
3 large
Yukon gold potatoes, diced ½ inch pieces
¼ pound unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Sauté shallots, peppers, carrots until soft in 2 T olive oil and 1 T
butter. Add bottle of beer and simmer 5 minutes. Add caramelized
onions, potatoes, stock and remaining butter. Simmer until potatoes are
tender. Then turn of flame. Add cream, roasted garlic and cheddar
slowly with whisk. Puree in blender. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Garnish with fresh chives and croutons.
Yield 1 gallon.
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Quotes of Note
Making the Lists
It's that time of year for lists. Here are a few we noticed:
The Passionate Foodie named our Clothbound Cheddar "Favorite Cheese".
Wendy M. Levy, aka The Cheese Snob, writes in The Roquefort Files the list of cheeses she will carry in her new shop, including ours.
Cari_says in a tweet: Favorite new cheese tried during the holidays: Grafton Village Cheese Co. Cave Aged Truckle YEAH VERMONT!
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Pairing of the Week
