Cowgirl Creamery
24 November 2008
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I almost walked past the Cowgirl Creamery today. That would have been a huge mistake. The owners, Peggy and Sue, grew up in the D.C. area and have been making organic cows milk cheese in California since 1997 and their one other retail store (besides two creameries) is in San Francisco.
I admired the wonderful products featured throughout the store — artisan meats, jams, crackers, cheese boards, wines, breads — this would be the perfect place to pick up treats for a romantic picnic or to grab a last-minute hostess gift. They carry lots of cheeses as well. Cowgirl Creamery makes four kinds of soft aged cheese and three fresh. They also distribute through their stores or mail order — over 200 of the U.S. and Europe’s most prized producers.
I dig their philosophy: support small farmstead cheese makers, be environmentally responsible, and protect rural jobs and farmlands.Their soft aged cheeses were very good but I’m a goat milk person myself when it comes to the soft cheese. I was most impressed with their fresh cottage cheese which tasted so rich and delicious I could happily eat it on it’s own without needing any fruit or other toppings.
The Cowgirl’s Clabbered Cottage Cheese starts with non-fat organic milk from the Straus Family Creamery, and then it is dressed with additional clabbered cream. I was amazed that each 1 oz. serving has only 60 calories and 2 grams of fat.
They serve fresh bread from Baguette Republic (VA), pastries from Hawthorne Bakery (MD), and direct trade coffee from Counter Culture. The coffee was freshly ground and brewed in a rail drip contraption through porcelain cups that are made in Japan. The coffee was from Karaba, Rwanda and when I tasted my cup, I must say that it was the best cup of plain coffee I have had in my life. The oils from the beans were swirling around on top and the quality was unmistakable.The Creamery also sells sandwiches — two different varieties a day for $7.75 each and I’d love to go back and try one. I believe the Cowgirl Creamery is open from 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. They recently began serving coffee and offer cheese classes. They hope to be able to begin wine tastings in the store as well. For more information, give them a call at 202.393.6880.
If you happen to read this Cowgirls, there are two small Texas artisan cheese and ice cream makers you need to check out if you haven’t already:Wateroak Farm and Pure Luck Farm. These two farms located in the Texas Hill Country outside of Austin make amazing goat milk ice cream and goat cheese respectively. I won’t need much in the way of a commission but if you insist would settle for a lifetime membership to the Artisan Cheese Club 
