This morning we drove out to Oakvale Farmstead for their holiday open house.  We were greeted exuberantly by Greta, a golden lab farm dog.  I could tell, it was going to be a delightful morning.  Instantly, Cherub was off and running, enticing Greta to follow her around, which she did without hesitation.

I met with Dena King-Nossokoff to talk cheese and learn a bit more about how they make their gouda.  The farm is family owned and run.  The King family has a herd of about 20 beautiful and happy dairy cows that provide the milk for their very famous Gouda.  Farmstead cheese, by definition, is made on the farm with only the milk of the dairy animals that live there. 

In their cheese house, you can take a look at the cheese-making room as well as choose from many varieties of cheese including gouda rubbed with Barley’s Russian stout.  We took home a chunk of that, as well as some caraway seed gouda that I’ll use for dinner tonight. 

Also swoon-worthy is their cream cheese, which goes beautifully with their homemade New York-style bagels.  This is not the stuff from Philadelphia.  This cream cheese has soul. 

A trip to Oakvale is a pleasant Saturday drive, great for families with kids or great for foodies who want to see where their cheese comes from.  (Ideal for foodie, cheese-loving families with children.)

Oakvale’s open house continues tomorrow, Saturday the 4th, so make sure you go.  It’s just a short drive west of downtown Columbus, about 20 miles.  Tricia Wheeler of Edible Columbus will be there, giving cooking demonstrations.  You’ll have a chance to sample some of Alana’s (yes, that Alana’s) smoked salmon cheesecake, pick up pints of Jeni’s Oakvale Young Gouda with Vodka Plumped Cranberries and purchase gift baskets and wheels of cheese for holiday gifts.  Make sure you poke around the barn a bit to see the ladies, they are gorgeous.