Tuesday, August 31, 2010

gale goes goat geeking

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When my just turning 20 (today! and, really?) son Leo came home for a month this summer, he reprised his role as traveling photo assistant. We had great adventures shooting for the book Shear Spirit four years ago (Texas, fr'instance, here).  Since I can barely stand to pass up a field trip enroute to a job, and we were heading up to Montpelier VT for a corporate shoot,  I found the.perfect. sidetrip. Goats! Goat cheese ! Open to visitors any time, and they are one of the only places in the northeast that make cajeta- goat caramel- which really piqued our curiousity.0810FamVar_0244
Leo's in culinary college and  cooks passionately for work, so, you combine my appreciation of goat farms with love of artisanal foods and we are so there.
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It's a self-touring kinda deal. If you're a photographer, this joint is hog heaven.0810FamVar_0263  
The resident pigs seemed to agree.
0810FamVar_0237 First stop : the tasting room/shop with a refrigerated tray and do-it-yourself instructions.0810FamVar_0240 Some of this came home with us.  I doubt I can make it last til Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. It goes very well with ice cream. Just saying.
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We hiked the rest of the farm in scorching heat, if for nothing else than to thank the goats for their labors.0810FamVar_0269 
Freshly harvested garlic & onions drying.0810FamVar_0271 
Taking a breather by the chicken coop. We tease him that he's gone Mr. Miami on us.0810FamVar_0255 
It's my continuing disappointment that you don't get fiber from dairy goats, nor chevre from an angora. But if you did? wow.
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We were at Fat Toad Farm.  There is an official VT CheeseTrail, so you can find other Vt cheese farms, too. Seriously! Get the map from  Vt Cheesemakers

12 comments:

Ellen Bloom said...

Looks like a fantastic and yummy field trip! Good photos, of course. Oooooo...Leo is so handsome!!! Yeah, the goats are cute too.

Cookie said...

How EXACTLY is he 20?! He was just this cute teenaged kid. WTF, Gale?!

Fabulous goat farm, btw.

xo

Trinity said...

That looks like a magnificent side trip. How great that they can be so trusting and let people explore and taste on their own.

Mary Lou said...

If he weren't at a goat farm, I'd say very Miami. I've had some of that mexican goat milk caramel. yummy.

Diane said...

You were in the neighborhood where I grew up. Did you get to see the floating bridge in Brookfield? We used to go swimming there in the evening after helping with the haying. Fat Toad Farm wasn't around when I was a kid. Of course, that was a while back. Let's just say Leo wasn't a gleam in anybody's eye then.

Cathy R said...

First of all, my mind boggles at the phrase "Cheese Trail." I want to be there.

Second of all, the blue on their sign is one of the prettiest colors that I have seen in a LONG time!!!

Turtle said...

i know where this is! SO lucky you were there to visit/play!

Anonymous said...

You were in my neighborhood and didn't stop by, which is too bad, you could have gotten your angora goat fix :)
Fat Toad Farm is wonderful, the folks who run it are great, and I'm completely addicted to the caramel, don't even get me started :)
Hope you do some brewery stops while you're in VT as well. Goes great with the cheese trail.

twinsetellen said...

I scored a jar of that caramel at the holidays last year. You are so correct - excellent on ice cream. And if the ice cream is sitting on a really good brownie, almost intoxicating.

Natalie said...

What a delightful field trip. caramel sauce...I want to try that.

gayle said...

You always seem to find the best side-trips!
And now I'm dying to know how cajeta tastes...

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Oh my, I *need* a sign like that for my goaties. Lovely photos :)