Cowgirl Creamery
Cowgirl Creamery is an award-winning artisanal cheese company based in Petaluma, California with a retail cheese shop at the company's headquarters and a second location in San Francisco. Cowgirl Creamery was founded in 1994 by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, longtime friends who first met in 1971 when they were assigned to the same freshman dorm at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After graduation, the pair headed west on a cross country road trip, landing in San Francisco six months after setting out.[1]
Inhabiting the regional Bay Area food ethos, Cowgirl started with the goal to make fresh, organic cheeses. The founders aimed for a full, delicious flavor that was also accessible to America’s palate. Conley and Smith first developed Mt. Tam (named after Mount Tamalpais), their signature triple cream aged cheese, using local Straus Family Creamery’s fresh organic milk, followed by Red Hawk, the creamery’s first washed-rind cheese. Under the direction of Cowgirl’s head cheesemaker, Eric Patterson, the creamery now makes four seasonal cheeses using certified organic milk from John Taverna’s Jersey dairy: Chimney Rock for fall, Devil’s Gulch for winter, St. Pat for spring, and Pierce Pt. for summer.
The Cowgirl Story
Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, both Washington, DC natives, met in 1971 during their freshman year at the University of Tennessee. After graduation the two spent six months driving around the country, stopping at county fairs and music festivals, camping in parks and forestlands, and dropping in on friends and family. They crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in 1976 on the Fourth of July, landing in the Mission District’s Dolores Park for the Alternative Bicentennial Fourth of July Celebration. In short, they took what they fondly describe as “a hippie trip.”
After a short stint back in DC to save money, the pair permanently relocated to California. Both established careers in some of San Francisco’s most famous kitchens: Peggy spending 17 years at Chez Panisse, and Sue co-owning Bette’s Oceanview Diner in Berkeley.
By the early 1990s, Peggy and Sue were ready for a new challenge. They found it in Point Reyes Station, a picturesque postage-stamp-of-a-town on the coast about an hour north of San Francisco. With their first-hand knowledge of the restaurant business, they launched Tomales Bay Foods, a marketing and distribution vehicle to help West Marin’s farms and dairies get their delicious products into the hands of the Bay Area’s finest chefs. Their first location, a renovated hay barn in downtown Point Reyes, featured a small cheesemaking room at the entrance to the building. It gave them ideas. Using milk from neighboring Straus Family Creamery, they began making delicious fresh cheeses.
It’s All in the Name
Legend has it that when Peggy and Sue were exploring names for their budding cheese business, two women on horseback pulled up in front of the barn, hitched their horses to the bike rack and ran into the grocery store for supplies. Ellen Straus, who was visiting at the time, looked at Sue and Peggy and said, “We’re living in the Wild West out here.” Peggy’s response: “Then we must be cowgirls! And this must be the Cowgirl Creamery.”
Cowgirl Retail and Wholesale
Today, only Red Hawk is made in the original Cowgirl creamery in Point Reyes. The cheese utilizes wild bacteria native to the area and is washed in a brine solution that encourages the sunset red-orange rind, intended to capture the essence of West Marin. Milk for this cheese is sourced from the Taylor Family’s Bivalve Dairy in Point Reyes.
All of the other Cowgirl Creamery Cheeses are made in Petaluma at their facility in the historic warehouse district. The Cowgirls continue to maintain a retail location and take-out kitchen, the Cowgirl Cantina, at their original location in Pt Reyes Station. The San Francisco Ferry Building is home to Cowgirl’s second storefront location as well as their Sidekick café and Milk Bar
Cowgirl Creamery cheeses are sold to over 500 stores, independent cheese shops, farmers markets and restaurants, and nationally through Whole Foods Markets. Tomales Bay Foods, the distribution arm of the company, continues to support and promote artisan cheesemaking, offering over 200 cheeses from all over California, America and Europe through their shipping and delivery service.
Library of Cheese
- Mt. Tam was named for a Northern California landmark: the majestic Mt. Tamalpais. Made from Straus Family Dairy’s fresh organic milk, this triple cream was Cowgirl’s first foray into aged cheeses. Flavor notes: cultured butter with hints of white mushroom.
- Red Hawk uses wild bacteria native to Point Reyes. Aged four weeks and washed with a brine solution that encourages the sunset red-orange rind, Red Hawk captures the true essence of West Marin. Flavor notes: pungent aromas complement rich, smooth flavor.
- Chimney Rock is a fall seasonal cheese. Starts with organic Jersey milk from John Taverna's Chileno Valley Dairy. These rich, bloomy rind wheels are spritzed with Quady Winery's muscat wine, Essensia, then dusted with ground organic shiitake mushrooms, summer savory and black pepper. Flavor notes: Piquant, earthy undertones balanced by high notes of orange blossom and apricot.
- Pierce Pt is a summer seasonal cheese. Named for a ranch on the Pt Reyes National Seashore. Starts with organic Jersey milk from John Taverna's Chileno Valley Dairy. These rich, bloomy rind wheels are dusted with a mixture of field flowers, chamomile, calendula and Thai Basil. Flavor notes: Herbal and savory, with a tangy brightness from the interior paste.
- St Pat is a spring seasonal cheese. A distinctive green rind that commemorates the arrival of spring in Marin County. Made with organic milk from John Taverna's Chileno Valley Jersey Dairy, these rich, creamy wheels are wrapped in wild nettle leaves harvested by Fresh Run Farm in Bolinas. Flavor notes: Mellow and tangy, with notes of smoky artichoke.
- Devil’s Gulch is a winter seasonal cheese. Starts with organic Jersey milk from John Taverna's Chileno Valley Dairy. The rich, bloomy rind wheels are dusted with a mixture of sweet and spicy ground heirloom peppers from Allstar Organics. Flavor notes: Bright, sweet spice tempered by the rich creaminess of the paste.
- Inverness: Full flavored, Jersey organic milk from John Taverna's dairy is set with traditional rennet and lactic acid cultures, then aged for two weeks to create Cowgirl’s version of a delicate St Marcellin style cheese. Flavor notes: A tangy lactic curd and a dense, creamy mouth feel.
- Wagon Wheel was born out of collaboration with San Francisco chefs, this smooth, tasty table cheese is suited for any meal. Flavor notes: A mild, sweet milk flavor that’s eminently edible.
- Fromage Blanc is made with whole milk instead of cream, with 30% less fat and 80% more flavor. Flavor notes: Smooth and silky, a spoonful to be savored.
- Crème Fraîche is cooked with extra rich Wallaby cream at a low temperature for hours, cooled, cultured, and set overnight. An extra rich, extra creamy complement for everything from pan sauces to strawberries. Flavor notes: Luxurious and bright, with a slightly sweet, almond character.
Selection of Awards
Mt. Tam
- Second Place, American Cheese Society, 2011, Montreal, Canada
- Gold, Los Angeles County Fair, 2009
- First Place, Los Angeles County Fair, 2005
- First Place, American Cheese Society, 2004, Milwaukee, WI
Red Hawk
- Winner, Good Food Awards, 2011, San Francisco, CA
- Second Place Best in Show, American Cheese Society, 2009, Austin, TX
- First Place, American Cheese Society, 2009, Austin, Texas
- Best in Show, American Cheese Society, 2003, San Francisco, CA
- Grand Champion, Royal Canadian Fair, 2002
Devil’s Gulch
- Gold, Los Angeles County Fair, 2010
St. Pat
- Gold, California State Fair, 2010
Pierce Pt.
- First Place, American Cheese Society, 2006, Portland, OR
- First Place, Royal Canadian Fair, 2004
Wagon Wheel
- Gold, California State Fair, 2012
- Gold, Best of Division, Best of Show, California State Fair, 2011
- Gold, Los Angeles County Fair, 2010
Inverness
- Silver, California State Fair, 2012
- Gold, North American Jersey Cheese Awards, 2009
Clabbered Cottage Cheese
- Gold, California State Fair, 2012
- First Place, American Cheese Society, 2005, Louisville, KY
Fromage Blanc
- First Place, Los Angeles County Fair, 2005
- Second Place, American Cheese Society, 2005, Louisville, KY
Crème Fraiche
- Gold, Los Angeles County Fair, 2010
See also
- List of cheesemakers
- Companies portal
- Food portal
References
KQED Bay Area Bites, "Cheese Pioneers: An Interview with Cowgirl Creamery about their First Book “Cowgirl Creamery Cooks” by Brie Mazurek
External links
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