Tasting the “Terroir” at Caromont Dairy

Written By Meredith Shea Barnes
Photography by Jim Kennedy
Published: April 17, 2008

Melanie, Esmeralda, Minerva and Beryl are lounging in the sun, taking a well-deserved break from kids and a demanding boss. Their bellies are full of gourmet fare and now their half-closed eyes gaze at the gentle rise of Mt. Alto.

No, it’s not a hip new resort. Morning milking time is finished and these female goats, or does, have lunched on sweet grains and special hay as a reward. They’ll be milked again in the evening in a screened-in “parlor” with a view of the woods and that fresh milk will be carried right around the corner into the “milk room” of the dairy to begin its transformation into regionally-acclaimed goat cheese.

These ladies are the heart of Caromont Farmstead cheese, and their boss—and good friend—is cheese maker and farmer Gail Hobbes-Page. The name Caromont is a combination of North Carolina (she grew up on a farm near Elizabeth City) and Esmont, whose lush grass, pine forest, and red clay are an essential part of her cheeses’ “terroir,” or taste of the land.

Caromont dairy farm is 23 acres of grass and pine forest or “browse,” three barns, a state-of-the-art dairy facility, a few treasured farmhands, including husband Daniel, and Gail, who is on a first-name basis with her 44 does.

A farmstead cheese is one that’s produced on the farm from start to finish. At Caromont, Gail is there every step of the way, from kidding, feeding and veterinary care, to cleaning barns, designing and maintaining the dairy and, finally, to crafting the fresh and aged goat cheeses that have earned a passionate following. Chef Ian Boden of Staunton Grocery restaurant describes Caromont chevre as “…top notch, world class. It holds it own against French chevre.”

This afternoon at Caromont the new spring kids frolic in the soft grass while Weldon, the peacock, fans his magnificent tail for some disinterested chickens.

The peaceful scene contrasts sharply to over 20 years’ work in busy kitchens—readers may remember Gail’s long tenure as chef at Hamilton’s at First and Main or at the Mark Addy Inn in Nellysford.

Her farm childhood had ingrained an appreciation for all things local and hand-raised and, as chef de cuisine at Hamilton’s, she pursued then-fledgling Piedmont-produced artisanal foods. One that especially captured her imagination was a fresh goat’s cheese from Fluvanna County.

Armed with a stack of books and a passion for good food, she began making cheese for her family five years ago with the milk from two adopted does. Inheriting a flock of 13 mixed Nubians, Alpines and La Manchas from a defunct dairy operation inspired her plan for a farmstead dairy. With the completion of a 720 square-foot, fully equipped dairy two years ago, she was licensed and in production.

Farmstead dairying is a non-stop job. For the first time, Caromont has a resident intern, Nathan Vergine, whom Gail credits with bringing new sustainable grazing practices from his time at pioneering Polyface farm. His hard work and animal husbandry expertise also mean that she can spend more time in the dairy where she’s hoping to double cheese production from last seasons’ 2,300 pounds to over 4,000 this summer.

Caromont offers two kinds of chevre, or fresh cheese—Farmstead Chevre, which is packed in four-ounce tubs, and Old Green Mountain, a five-ounce herbed round. This spring she plans to introduce two raw milk cheeses, both aged 60 days—one a creamy, ripened wheel with a “rind,” a little like Brie; the other a feta-style.

She describes cheese making as “both an art and a science,” which she’s quick to say is a lifetime learning process that she is just beginning. “One cheese maker says, ‘the cheese is a little like children; always trying to trick you.’ My feeling is that I ‘channel’ the cheese, I don’t tell it what to do,” says Gail with a wry smile. Her devoted customers doubtless look forward to the continuing results.

Caromont chevre is currently featured on the cheese plates at restaurants Staunton Grocery, Palladio, and Feast! Café. Several varieties are currently available for purchase at Whole Foods, Rebecca’s Natural Foods, Feast!, Market Street Wineshop and the Greenwood Store. Gail and her cheese can be found in season at the Nellysford farmer’s market where she enjoys meeting customers and other vendors.

Goat Cheese, Chive, and Chili Pepper Sauce for Pasta

This no-cook pasta sauce shows off the richness of Caromont chevre.

(Sauces 1 pound of pasta)

6 oz. creamy chevre

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Chopped red or green chili, 1/4 teaspoon or more to taste

Salt

Combine ingredients in small bowl and mix with a fork till smooth. Add ½ cup pasta cooking water, hot pasta, and toss well.