It’s time to come clean, dear readers. When they’re not nibbling their way through farmers markets or attending new store openings, the foodie tots have another secret identity: curd kids. One of the hazards of also authoring a cheese blog is that I often have a surplus of cheeses in the refrigerator. Really good cheeses. And I have made it a point to introduce those cheeses to the foodie tots from a really young age. Before birth, in fact — as children begin to develop taste preferences even in utero. So it should come as no surprise that a steady diet of decadent goat cheeses, stinky blues and Vermont cheddars while I was pregnant and nursing has left me attempting in vain to fend off the kids’ attempts to snatch a nibble when I’m photographing cheese for the blog.
And it’s also no surprise that when Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery reached out to me about their “Kids & Kids” campaign, I jumped at the chance to share it with you here. Raising kids on real food extends to the dairy case, after all. And goats milk is fantastic for little stomachs — easier to digest than cows milk and less allergenic. Plus, the cheeses made by Vermont Creamery come from happy goats like these:
What’s not to love?
Vermont Creamery sent their fresh chevre logs and their creamy goat cheese tubs for us to play with. The first one we opened, roasted red pepper, was immediately devoured as a dip for pita chips. The second, olive and herb, was used to replace mayo for a super fresh and light-tasting tuna salad. The youngest tot’s only complaint was that there weren’t enough olives!
Recipe: Tuna Salad with Chevre
Makes 4 servingsIngredients:
- 1 5-ounce can tuna
- 1 4-ounce tub olive and herb creamy goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
- salt & pepper
- optional: additional olives for garnish
Instructions:
1. Use a fork to gently combine tuna and creamy goat cheese.
2. Fold in green onions/chives, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and serve, as a dip for crackers, or use to make sandwiches.
Some other ways we’ve incorporated chèvre into our meals include:
- Spreading it on toast and topping with a touch of honey or maple syrup; Spreading the plain creamy goat cheese on toasted bagels (and topping it with farm fresh tomatoes;*
- On top of salads (especially the herbed chèvre log);
- Folding it into scrambled eggs;
- Making labneh (a Middle Eastern dish typically made with strained yogurt) by drizzling room-temperature chèvre with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and thyme, giving it a quick mash with a fork, and serving with pita bread slices and fresh tomatoes and cucumber.
*Unlike the conventional cream cheese brands, full of additives, VBC’s creamy goat cheese is simply pasteurized goats milk, culture, enzymes and salt. Gotta love that.
GIVEAWAY! One lucky reader will win their own shipment of goat cheese from Vermont Creamery AND a $75 gift certificate to Zutano, makers of colorful and durable kids clothing that we’ve loved for years. Like Vermont Creamery, Zutano is a Vermont-based company dedicated to quality.
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment below with your kid(s)’ favorite way to eat goat cheese — or, how you plan to introduce it to them if they haven’t yet tried it.
For an additional entry, “Like” FoodieTots, Vermont Creamery and Zutano on Facebook and leave an additional comment below letting us know you have.
And be sure to visit the “Kids & Kids” Pinterest board for more ideas on how to share goat cheese with your kids.
A winner (US entries only, please) will be chosen at random after 11:59pm, Eastern time, on Sunday, August 11, 2013.
Update: Congratulations to Shandra! I’ve contacted you via email. And thanks to everyone else for entering and reading FoodieTots!
Disclosure: I have a relationship with Vermont Creamery through my cheese blog and they and Zutano provided product samples and the giveaway prize. No other compensation was received for this post and all words and opinions are, as always, my own.
31 responses so far ↓
1 Meghan // Aug 1, 2013 at 1:03 pm
My daughter hasn’t tried it yet, but she loves crackers, so probably on a cracker!
2 Elisabeth // Aug 1, 2013 at 4:53 pm
I bet we could mix goat cheese in with chicken salad like you did with the tuna salad! Believe it or not, none of us have tried goat cheese before!
3 Elisabeth // Aug 1, 2013 at 4:53 pm
I “Like” FoodieTots, Vermont Creamery and Zutano on Facebook!
4 Elisabeth // Aug 1, 2013 at 5:06 pm
I checked out the “Kids & Kids” Pinterest board as well! 🙂
5 Shandra Locken // Aug 1, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Great post! I usually enjoy goat cheese with salad and my toddler don’t eat salad yet, but I like to make homemade pizza so I think I will to add goat cheese to it and that’s how I will introduce them to it. I myself, have never met a cheese I didn’t like. The stinkier the better.
6 Shandra Locken // Aug 1, 2013 at 6:27 pm
I just liked FoodieTots, Vermont Creamery and Zutano on FB!
7 Miriam S // Aug 1, 2013 at 10:22 pm
My 4 year old twins like goat cheese on a toasted bagel. They also like (hard) goat cheeses of various varieties – my daughter likes smoked cheeses, and we currently have a smoked goat cheddar in the house.
8 Miriam S // Aug 1, 2013 at 10:52 pm
I like FoodieTots, Vermont Creamery and Zutano on Facebook.
9 Robert S. // Aug 3, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Our Daughter loves goat cheese with fruit – especially grilled peaches.
10 Robert S. // Aug 3, 2013 at 3:46 pm
I like Foodie Tots on Facebook
11 Robert S. // Aug 3, 2013 at 3:47 pm
I like Vermont Butter & Cheese on Facebook
12 Robert S. // Aug 3, 2013 at 3:47 pm
I like Zutano on Facebook
13 rachel // Aug 5, 2013 at 12:15 pm
Smeared on top of cooked beets!
14 Nutella // Aug 6, 2013 at 10:39 am
My little one loves goat cheese mixed into bowtie pasta with fresh snap peas and mint!
15 Nutella // Aug 6, 2013 at 10:41 am
I like FoodieTots, Vermont Butter and Cheese, and Zutano on FB!
16 Alaine // Aug 6, 2013 at 11:42 am
I plan to introduce in a salad!
17 Alaine // Aug 6, 2013 at 11:43 am
I like all three pages on fb!! 🙂
18 Carolsue // Aug 7, 2013 at 5:10 am
They love Goat Cheese Quesadillas
19 Carolsue // Aug 7, 2013 at 5:11 am
I like all three pages on Facebook (Carolsue Anderson)
20 Theresa // Aug 7, 2013 at 12:36 pm
My kids love goat cheese with pasta and roasted beets!
21 Robyn // Aug 7, 2013 at 2:21 pm
My daughter has never had goat cheese before. I think I would probably put it on some crackers for her. Personally, I love goat cheese in a strawberry spinach salad. Yumm!
22 Tahina // Aug 7, 2013 at 5:36 pm
My son likes the goats cheese in his sandwich
23 Carmen Van Deursen // Aug 7, 2013 at 5:36 pm
My son loves lettuce so I would include in his salads. Would love to use it in a baked pasta type dish.
24 Vanessa // Aug 7, 2013 at 10:25 pm
My daughter is 6 months old but once I get the ok from her pediatrician we will first introduce goat cheeses and then cows cheese. I’ve already introduced her to a few savory spices which she loves. My hope is that she will really savor good foods!
25 Vanessa // Aug 7, 2013 at 10:31 pm
I also like foodie tots, zutano and Vermont creamery on Facebook.
26 Neil // Aug 7, 2013 at 10:35 pm
Once my daughter is old enough I’ll probably just hand her some small bits of goat cheese to taste. Probably will be a mess, but it’ll be worth it to see her have fun and enjoy some good food as she grows up.
27 Blue Ribbon Bloomies from Green Dirt Farm, Ancient Heritage Dairy, MouCo Cheese and Vermont Creamery // Aug 9, 2013 at 2:29 pm
[…] And in the soft-ripened goats milk category, a big congrats to our friends at Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery for a blue ribbon win for Bonne Bouche! (PS If you have curd kids of your own, I’m hosting a kid-friendly goat cheese giveaway, sponsored by Vermont Creamery, over on FoodieTots.) […]
28 Marnely Rodriguez-Murray // Aug 11, 2013 at 9:32 pm
I don’t have a kid of my own but my best friend’s one year old is super adventurous with eating and loves all kinds of cheeses and butters! Would love to win this for her!
29 Marnely Rodriguez-Murray // Aug 11, 2013 at 9:34 pm
I liked FoodieTots, Vermont Creamery and Zutano on Facebook!
30 Marnely Rodriguez-Murray // Aug 11, 2013 at 9:35 pm
I followed your Pinterest board!
31 Vanessa // Aug 18, 2013 at 10:27 am
I’ve been checking back to see if I won! Did I win, please, please? ????