Hearts and Roses is a specialty cheese produced at the Nettle Meadow Farm in Thurman, NY just in time for Valentine's Day. It is a double-crème cheese made from the milk of Jersey cows and delicately infused with rose hips, rose petals and hibiscus flowers. Its natural rind is dusted with rose petals, creating a finish that is definitely a nod to the romantic holiday. Its heart shape and soft spreadable creamy texture qualifies it to be the star of your Valentine charcuterie board. Pair Hearts and Rose with sparkling wine, champagne, Rosé, a rich textured wine such as Riesling or with chocolate and hazelnut porter beers.

Joining this month’s sampling is local vendor Canton Apples! They will be sampling some of their products, including hard cider for those 21+ with a valid ID.

Suggestions: Create a Valentine's Day charcuterie board using Hearts and Roses as your centerpiece. Add dark red fruits such as cherries, raspberries and blackberries, a variety of dark chocolates (from the Co-op's feature shelf!), clover honey, your favorite nuts and some sweet cookie-like crackers. Finish the board with a few sprigs of fresh herbs and some small red flowers.