Swing by the rocket today and enjoy free samples of Cato Corner Farmstead Cheese served with rocket-made rustic bread.

Cato Corner Farm is a mother-son partnership. Elizabeth MacAlister has owned the farm for more than 30 years. She began milking cows and making cheese in 1997 as a way to keep her farm sustainable. To get started, she took a technical course in cheese making at California Polytechnic University and a workshop with a Belgian cheese master, and then she began experimenting. Her son Mark Gillman left his job as a 7th grade English teacher to join her in 1999. Mark learned from Elizabeth as well as from several additional workshops (and more experimentation!). Nowadays, Mark makes most of the cheese and oversees its aging, while Elizabeth manages the farm operations including milking and caring for the cows. The rest of the Cato Corner family includes several full time and part time workers and a pair of diligent and attentive border collies named Flute and Harp.

The Cheese You’ll Be Tasting . . .
Bridgid’s Abbey is a Trappist-style monastery cheese with a smooth, creamy consistency and a slightly acidic aftertaste. Its irresistible rich, mild taste is ideal for all-day eating for breakfast, sandwiches, or snacking. It melts well, performing excellently in quiche, toasted cheese, or over vegetables. Bridgid’s Abbey varies in consistency somewhat from summer to winter – the winter batches are quite creamy, while the summer milk yields a slightly firmer texture. Aged 2 – 3 months.

Womanchego is inspired by the classic Spanish sheep milk cheese Manchego. It is aged 3 to 4 months, making it more similar to a young Manchego than the aged version most commonly found in cheese shops. The flavor is medium mild and a touch sweet with hints of fruit and nut. Moister than its Spanish cousin, Womanchego is delicious on sandwiches, with wine, or melted.