There are a few things that jump into my head when I think about my favorite things about living in Minneapolis: the lakes, the growing art community, the (mostly) bike-friendliness, and ready access to goat cheese from the Donnay Dairy.
It might sound a wee bit mundane, but it is seriously what I like to call an “everyday treat”. After the samples, there are few things I make a beeline for at Surdyk’s: chocolate, coffee, and goat cheese.
Let me define “everyday treats”. Obviously, they are something you have often. And something you enjoy. We all have them, we all spend our money on little things that we could live without, but sure don’t want to. Everyday treats are the little splurgy-staples of life. The things that make you feel like you are really living large, without breaking the bank (hopefully).
For me, Donnay Dairy Chevre exactly fills the bill. This cheese is delightfully tangy, without being too rich. It both spreads and crumbles easily, making it an ideal choice for a sandwich, salad, or companion to some warm veggies. It’s totally fresh, local, and organic. And it’s cheap! I never pay more than five dollars for a tub, and it lasts me as long as any delicious freshly made cheese should last.
The Donnay Dairy is located in Kimball, Minnesota and is a family-run farm, and they have been making their certified organic goat cheese since 2004.
I could eat this goat cheese for every meal - and sometimes I do! Really, it’s one of the items always in my fridge, and it goes with so many things! I add it to my omelettes or breakfast sandwiches in the morning, my turkey sandwiches at lunchtime, and with my roasted beet salad for dinner. This afternoon, I couldn’t help but pair it with some fresh tomatoes (who isn’t excited about tomatoes?!) on toast - which gives the right combination of textures and flavors. The toast gives just enough heat to soften the goat cheese (I hesitate to use the word melt), and it’s pretty much divine. The perfect afternoon snack.
I do have a problem with food photography—taking the photos, I mean. I’m not usually prepared enough to both make the food and photograph it in the cooking process, and I’m definitely not patient enough to wait until the end of a photo shoot to start eating!
You know what I am going to say next: if you haven’t tried this goat cheese, get yourself to Surdyk’s as soon as is humanly possible and beeline for it! By way of the samples, of course.
Laura Brown is the newest contributor to Simple, Good, and Tasty. Laura is a terrific person, a passionate local food finder, and a gifted artist. She blogs and sells all sorts of cool custom art here.
