My husband said it was "udderly" unique and yet "udderly" predictable that I would want to visit a nearby dairy and producer of farmstead cheeses for my birthday. Good sport that he is, though, this Saturday found us at Sweetwater Valley Farm, located about 75 miles away in tiny Philadelphia, TN. The farm is unique in that the owners control their product from cow to cheese, running the 900 cow dairy and the small on-farm cheesmaking operation. On some days, usually early in the week we were told, visitors can actually watch them make cheese through a glass wall in the cheese shop. Inside the shop the many cheeses are available for sampling, and the day we were there they were also serving samples of fried cheese curds, which were delicious. The curds, just lumps of the unpresssed, unaged cheese, were simply browned on a non-stick pan and served. Yummy. There is also an educational exhibit and farm tours are available in the summer months. We stocked up on several types of Tennessee cheddar and headed home through Cleveland, Tennessee stopping at The Spot for lunch. The Spot is a tiny, downtown diner that has been serving Cleveland since 1939. The menu is limited to burgers, sandwiches and chili, but it was tasty and reasonably priced, and the retro ambience was fun. After a brief stop at the Abundant Living health food store, we were on our way home.
And that was my perfect, foodie birthday.
The Cheese Shop
Educational Building
Inside the shop looking into the cheesmaking room
Part of the dairy operation viewed from the parking lot
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