Our Cave to Co-op for July 2024 is Savage, a one-year-aged Alpine—style cheese from von Trapp Farmstead, Waitsfield, Vermont.
The Sound of Music has made “von Trapp” a household name across generations. The family didn’t traverse the Alps on foot with all their instruments, but they did leave Austria to tour around Europe and the United States, eventually settling in Stowe in the 1940s.
Werner and Erika von Trapp started the von Trapp Farm in Waitsfield, Vermont in 1959. Erika (lovingly called Oma, like the cheese made in her honor) had studied agriculture in Austria and was a main force behind establishing and growing the farm.
Now, over 60 years later, von Trapp Farmstead produces sustainably raised meat and dairy, live-culture yogurt, and award-winning artisan cheese from their own milk. Until his recent passing, Martin, one of Werner and Erika’s six children, and his wife Kelly operated the organic dairy. Now Martin and Kelly’s eldest son Sebastian and his wife Molly run both the farm and the cheesemaking side.
Savage is their longest-aged cheese, named for Samuel S. Savage, who settled the von Trapp Farm in the 1700s. Savage’s flavors of toasty caramelized onion, beef broth, pâté, and grass showcase their farmstead milk.
Steak & Mushroom Reubens
Ingredients
1 T olive oil
3 tsp coarsely ground pickling spice
12 oz flank steak
12 large fresh shiitake mushrooms
stemmed
12 slices deli rye bread w/ seeds
¼ cup Thousand Island dressing
½ cup drained sauerkraut from jar
6 oz thinly sliced Savage cheese
Nonstick olive oil spray
Directions
1.Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons pickling spice on each side of steak, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add steak to skillet and cook to medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board. Add mushrooms to same skillet. Cover and cook until mushrooms are tender, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl.
2.Thinly slice steak on diagonal. Arrange 6 bread slices on work surface. Spread with dressing. Layer each with steak, 2 mushroom caps, sauerkraut, and Savage. Top with remaining bread slices.
3.Spray 2 large nonstick skillets with nonstick spray. Add sandwiches to skillets; place over medium heat. Cover and cook until bottoms are golden, about 3 minutes. Remove skillets from heat. Remove sandwiches. Spray skillets with nonstick spray. Turn sandwiches over into skillets. Cover and cook until bottoms are golden and cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Raw Mustard Greens Salad w/Savage & Anchovy Croutons
Ingredients
5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups ¾” cubes (crustless) country bread
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Savage (about 4 oz), divided
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 bunch mustard greens (about 12 ounces), center rib and stem cut from each leaf, leaves cut crosswise into ½” wide strips
5 tsp (or more) fresh lemon juice
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine anchovies and garlic in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Place bread cubes in medium bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons anchovy oil over, tossing to coat. Sprinkle bread with salt, pepper, and half of the cheese; toss to coat. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Scatter bread on sheet. Bake croutons until crisp and golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
2.Measure 8 cups loosely packed mustard greens and place in a large bowl (reserve any remaining greens for another use). Add croutons and remaining cheese to the bowl. Whisk 5 teaspoons lemon juice into remaining anchovy oil; season dressing with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Add dressing to salad; toss to coat.
