Cheese CSA WEEK 21

Founded in 2013, Mystic Cheese Company combines Italian craftsmanship with sustainable innovation to transform singular milkings of farm-fresh Connecticut milk into superb cheeses. Owners Brian Civitello and Jason Sobocinski established Mystic Cheese with the intention of providing customers with a fun, unpretentious introduction to artisanal cheese. Bearing a playful narwhal logo, Mystic’s “Literary Dairy” line of cheeses has gained tremendous popularity across both New England and the nation.

The Finback is a crumbly hard cheddar that looks a bit like feta. Its beauty lies in the flavors of cooked milk, browned butter, savory stock, and stone fruit on the finish. Be sure to eat the rind. It is more than edible, it’s delicious! Mystic describes itself as “dedicated to the science and art of milk metamorphosis.” Talk about metamorphosis, Finback starts out as hazelnut-sized cubes that are then pressed into 30-lb. tommes. Twenty-four hours later, the tommes are broken up and then milled through a meat grinder. The curd is then salted and pressed into 12-lb. wheels and left to age for four months. Enjoy with light reds or whites along with apples and honey.