FEBRUARY 2025 Cave to Co-op: Baby Swiss from Boggy Meadow Farm, Walpole, NH

Our Cave to Co-op for February 2025 is Baby Swiss Cheese—a raw Holstein cow milk—from Boggy Meadow Farm in Walpole, New Hampshire.

Along the Connecticut River, Boggy Meadow Farm has been in the same family since 1812 and has been a dairy farm for most of that time. In the mid-1800s and the early 1900 daily shipments of milk, butter, eggs, and produce were loaded onto the Boston & Maine railroad, destined for customers in Boston.

Cheesemaking began in the mid-1950s and continues today with the same 10,000-gallon cheese vat, which makes 1,000 pounds of cheese. On the days they’re not making cheese the fluid milk is sold to a local milk co-op. Boggy Meadow makes only three cheeses, Baby Swiss, Smoked Baby Swiss, and Fiddlehead Tomme.

The New Hampshire Chronicle did a brief video about the farm you can view here.

The Boggy Meadow Baby Swiss is a moist, creamy, mild cheese that is unlike traditional Swiss in many ways.

The curd is cooked at a lower temperature and the wheels are aged for a shorter period of time. The cheese has small eye formations, as well as the sweet nutty flavor associated with Swiss-style cheeses.

Check out this recipe featuring Baby Swiss and find more recipes from June 2023 when Baby Swiss was also featured as the Cave to Co-op cheese.

 

Ham, Cheese & Onion Empanadas

Ingredients

DOUGH:
1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T kosher salt
6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

FILLING:
1 T extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 T dried oregano
14 oz uncured slow-cooked ham, coarsely chopped
16 oz Baby Swiss, cut into 1⁄2″ pieces
1 T cornstarch

Directions

1.Mix butter, vinegar, salt, and 2 cups lukewarm water in a large bowl until well combined. Gradually add 6 cups flour, mixing with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.

2.Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until mostly smooth and no dry spots remain, about 2 minutes. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill until cold, at least 2 hours.

ASSEMBLY:
1.Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until golden and softened, 5–7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; mix in oregano. Transfer to a large bowl and chill until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

2.Add ham to chilled onions and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

3.Toss Baby Swiss and cornstarch in a medium bowl to coat (this will prevent the mozzarella from liquefying as the empanadas cook).

4.Divide dough into 6 pieces. Cover all but 1 piece with plastic wrap and keep chilled. Roll out dough to a rectangle about 15×10″ and 1/16″ thick. Using 41⁄2″ cutter, punch out 6 rounds. Roll out scraps to 1/16″ thick to punch out another round or two.

5.Place about 1 Tbsp. ham mixture in the center of dough circle. Top with 1 or 2 pieces of cheese, breaking cheese up if needed. Using your fingers, brush water halfway around edge of each round. Fold dry side up and over filling to create a semicircle. Pinch edges to seal; crimp with your fingers. Transfer to a parchment–lined rimmed baking sheet. Chill while you repeat with remaining dough and filling. Chill empanadas at least 20 minutes before frying.

6.Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy pot or Dutch oven fitted with deep-fry thermometer to a depth of 3″.

7.Heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°. Working in batches of about 5 at a time and adjusting heat to maintain oil temperature, fry empanadas, turning often, until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes total.

8.Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool slightly before serving.