One of the most wonderful parts of living in Woodstock, Vermont is the opportunity to meet passionate people and to then share their products and stories with our Jackson House Inn guests at breakfast (and, of course, to enjoy them ourselves). Earlier this fall, we visited Thistle Hill Farm in nearby North Pomfret to meet with John Putnam to see where a special example of Vermont cheese magic happens. His Tarentaise cheese is an award-winning Alpine-style milk product (often called “Mountain Gruyere”) made from organic milk of Jersey grass-fed cows – look at this beautiful setting for the “girls” as they enjoyed a fall day.
John and his wife Janine traveled to the Alps in 1999 to find a style of cheese to match to the conditions in Pomfret and selected the Tarentaise from the French Alps as that product. From the time the milk goes into the custom-made copper vat (one of only a few in the United States), to pressing in imported French presses, to pouring into molds and finally to its spot in the aging room, the product is cared for and monitored to make sure it is the absolute best it can be. The cheese has won awards from both The American Cheese Society and the World Jersey Cheese Competition. And, as a certified organic product, the Tarentaise cheese is, as Thistle Hill’s website states – “as natural a food as can be found.”
The buttery color and nutty flavor of this cheese make it truly unique and delicious. Thistle Hill Farm’s Tarentaise cheese continually delights everyone’s tastebuds on breakfast boards at The Jackson House Inn!
