Localicious: Cheesemakers in Your Hometown

Waking up to dark mornings, being greeted by the sparrows singing and cows bawling, slinging on mud boots and trudging off to the milk barn all before coffee, all before the rest of the world wakes up. Every eight hours the cows need to be milked—much of life on a dairy farm is scheduled around that milking clock.

Living on a farm can be both simple and more work than ever imagined. From seeing new life to throwing stacks of hay by hand for feeding time, the work never ends for our local farmers. What about creameries? Dairy farms go the extra mile to turn that milk into delicious cheese for us. Let’s peek into their world.

Happy Cows Happy Cheese

Meet the Pedrozo family of Pedrozo Dairy, a third-generation dairy family bringing more than just quality to the table. They strive for outstanding flavor, too! The Pedrozos are passionate about selling 100% grass-fed products that will leave your taste buds wanting more. Tim Pedrozo says, “Kids love our Northern Gold Cheese. They eat it plain or mixed in with just about any cheese dish.”

Tim, along with his family have learned lower case old-world cheese making techniques and they produce amazing flavors right in Glenn County. Now 20 years into this endeavor, they offer cheese varieties with names like Tipsy Cow, Butte Reserve, Blondie’s Best, Peppercorn and more. You can find Pedrozo cheese in Chico Natural Foods, Butte County’s Chico Farmer’s Market, and online at realfarmsteadcheese.com. Farm tour tickets are also available for purchase in their online shop.

Just a few miles away is another creamery, Orland Farmstead Creamery. It began as a Glenn County 40-acre dairy farm in 1977. Owner Paul Schmidt dreamed of making cheese with his herd, and in 2009 that dream became a reality. Paul built his cheese plant on the farm and now offers his cheeses to many local restaurants as well as at local farmers markets. Valerie, a part of the Farmstead team, says “Our cheeses are all natural with no pesticides, no antibiotics or hormones added to the cows or their feed. We value the quality of our cheese and know our customers do too.” Known for their fromage blanc, Orland Farmstead Creamery also created a new cheese called Ricottage. It is a smooth, creamy cheese perfect for dishes such as lasagna but also works as a snack much like cottage cheese. Tours of Orland Farmstead Creamery will be available this summer so be on the lookout via their Facebook page and their website, orlandfarmsteadcreamery.com.

While it’s not hard to know what to do with yummy cheese, here’s a fun recipe that combines many flavors using ingredients that can be found locally:

Fresh Spinach, Date and Prosciutto Personal Pizza with Balsamic Drizzle

Makes 1-2 servings

• 1 naan bread personal pizza
• 4 oz. cheese (I suggest either the Orland Farmstead Fromage Blanc or Northern Gold Pedrozo)
• A handful of fresh spinach
• 2 oz. prosciutto
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbls. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 dates, coarsely chopped
• Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on a baking sheet and place the naan pizza bread on it.

Spread the remaining olive oil on the naan pizza. Place your cheese as the first layer, reserving a few pieces for the final topping. Sprinkle on a handful of spinach. Top with the prosciutto followed by the date pieces. Next add the garlic, salt and drizzle the balsamic. Top with the last few pieces of cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Localicious is a monthly column celebrating food in the North State. If you would like to suggest a food-related business or organization, email us at  localicious@northstateparent.com.