Day 418 : Ronnybrook

For those of us living in NYC, Ronnybrook is somewhat of a household name -- the Hudson Valley producer of organic and probiotic milks, yogurts, yogurt drinks, ice creams, butters, and some cheeses. Ronnybrook surely was ahead of its time -- focusing on organic dairy farming practices, the best freshest ingredients and a focus on keeping the business local and trying to give back yet stimulating the economy simultaneously. Ronnybrook is now being run by its third generation and surely going strong.

Being a huge fan of their yogurts, I decided I needed to try their probiotic farmer cheese as I hadn't before. This fresh cheese comes in a variety of flavors -- infused with garlic, dill, herbs, and more...What's farmer cheese, you might be wondering?

Basically it is a fresh young cheese that is crafted by using rennet and a starter culture to acidify milk. When the milk coagulates, the whey is drained off and one is left with the dense milk curd which is further drained creating farmer cheese. Bright white and crumbly, it is great to spread on toast or to utilize in baking or as a base for tartines / open-faced sandwiches -- a very versatile cheese product.

Yesterday I was able to get the last one the Ronnybrook stand had at the farmer's market which was a garlic infused probiotic farmer's cheese. This morning I had it on a toasted multigrain english muffin with some fresh ground black pepper and grey salt, a few sundried tomatoes, a few pieces of broccoli and some fresh basil leaves -- it hit the spot! The cheese was creamy, fresh, alive, and aromatic and the vegetables were the perfect accompaniment. I'll have to try Ronnybrook's other cheeses now!

Ronnybrook can be found at many of the greenmarkets around town or at their own retail outpost at Chelsea Market.