FOOD NO KIDDING AROUND Former York architect now earns living by making and selling goat cheeses We want to keep the operation a manageable size. New cheese ideas are under development in the farms cheese cave. Two years ago, the farm bought a shipping container and buried it in earth. It is the perfect constant underground 50-degree temperature year round to age cheeses. Donna Lee has filled it with perfect cheese rounds produced at the artisanal rate of two per day. Lemon Blitz, in the works and not yet available, sits alone on it own subterranean shelf surrounded by bottles of lemon oil. It is imbued with lemon zest and juice. Sounds delicious. Donna Lee humbly attributes her rapid rise to fame and success to the fact that no one else in this part of New England is developing hard goat cheeses in this manner. She and her precious, tiny Hickory Nut Farm (just three acres) have found the perfect market niche. I have done such a variety of things in my life from antiquing and pottery to architecture and entrepreneurship, she says. I have used all of my education and life experiences in the everyday running of this farm and mar- keting its products. If it is tired feet, the qual- ity of the hay, aging and flavoring the cheeses or making high quality soaps, I have gleaned from my own life to solve the problems and daily challenges. Find Donna Lee, her husband Phil, daughters Dorianne and Daphne, and a host of other crewmembers at local farm- ers markets: Portsmouth on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and as an occasional guest vendor at the Gateway Farmers Market in York (market opens Saturday, June 4) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call them at (603) 659-3885 to ask questions or arrange a visit to the farm in Lee, N.H. A dIStINctIVE yoRk BuSINESS AddRESS AVAILABLE SPRING 2011 1,047 SF Retail 1,856 - 2,752 SF Office (207) 329-5092 BRokERS: FEE + $500 BoNuS oFFEREd 069223 Pizza is our Passion At Anthonys weve been making Yorks best stone hearth pizza for 20 years. Each ingredient is scrutinized to make sure it is of the highest quality and taste, like our 100 whole milk Wisconsin Mozzarella. Stop in and try one of our slices or pick up a whole pizza for the family and taste what were talking about! We Deliver 363-2322 For our full menu or to order online visit us at: www.anthonysfoodshop.co Buy any 2 LARGE pizzas and receive a small cheese pizza FREE With this coupon only. Not to be combined with any other order. Discounted meal to be of equal or lesser value. Expires 6/16/11 070035 Donna Lee Woods is an adventurer. My mother never stifled me, she says.If I wanted to try somethingany- thingshe would say go ahead, try it. That encouragement led to two degrees, one in biology-chemistry and a later degree in architecture, and a fearless approach to lifes plunge. At one time I thought I might want to be a pharmacist, so I went to pharmacol- ogy school for a PhD, where I learned that I did not want to be a pharmacist, Donna Lee recalls. However, she did practice architecture in York for 30 years and still does on the side. She has worked on such projects as the Remick Barn at the Old York Historical Museum. Fourteen years ago, Donna Lee decided it was time for a new adventure. She had always wanted a farm, but even before finding one, she put her York property up for sale. It sold in five days. Now the pres- sure was on. Clearly, though, it was meant to be. After looking at several unsuitable properties, she and her husband Phil found what was to become Hickory Nut Farm. It was kismet: Donna Lee from York, moved to York Lane in Lee, N.H. When I met Donna Lee three years ago, she had a handful of goats, a few sheep (Donna Lee spins her own yarn on a beau- tiful big spinning wheel, but only in her spare time), and three donkeys to defend her chickens and the rest of the barnyard family. By the way, donkeys are excellent kickboxing bodyguards against coyotes. At that time, Donna Lee was focusing on goats milk soap, fabulous foamy goats milk soap with fragrances of such intensity that they fill the room with scent. She was beginning to dabble in goat cheese with soft chevre and a couple of hard cheeses. In those days, we put a cooler out by the main road and offered the cheese for free. But in exchange, we asked the customers to fill out a questionnaire telling us what they liked and did not like about the cheese, she told me. We learned a lot from that. Customer comments and sug- gestions have guided our product develop- ment. When I returned to the charming Hickory Nut Farm last week, there were 40 goats (!) along with 20 meat chickens and a few pigs in addition to all of the previous animal suspects. A trip of Toggenburgs, Al- pines, Oberhaslis and Nubians populate the barn, milking room and pasture. Hickory Nut Farm boasts 15 new female kids who will become milkers. We will probably stop at 50 milkers, Donna Lee says. We want to keep the operation a manageable size.Goats are the focus now. Someone else makes all the lovely soaps. Donna Lee and Phil, as well as a well-organized crew of children and grandchildren, take care of the stalls, feed- ing and watering along with the multitude of other constant chores on a busy farm. Donna Lee has shifted her focus to artisanal hard cheeses. Beyond several local farmers markets, her target market is fine dining restaurants. This dynamo of a woman is doing regular business with such eateries as the Biltmore Grill and American Provision in Boston, the Blue Moon in Exeter, and more locally, Wentworth-by- the Sea. Donna Lee collaborated with Applecrest Orchard in Hampton Falls to devise sweet and savory varieties with Hickory Farms goat cheese aged in wax or olive oil with maple-apple drizzle incorporated through- out the cheese. When you find Hickory Nut Farms table at the Saturday Portsmouth or York famers markets, enjoy the generous samples of their fare. Charlies Saga is a sage cheese; Hot Chocolate is rippled with a cocoa inlay and punctuated by hot pepper seasoning; Orange cheese is permeated with dried orange zest. There is salt rind cheese, peppercorn cheese and the Terrine, with a remarkable inlay of vegetable ash, among many others varieties. . e u l a v r e s s e l r o l a u q e f o e b o t 1 1 / 6 1 / 6 s e r i p x E By SARAH GRANT The York Independent 4 Market Place Drive ROOST CAFE & BISTRO BREAKFAST LUNCH SUNDAY BRUNCH BRUNCH BREAKFAST THU - SUN THU - SUN 8AM - 2PM DINNER THU - SAT 5 - CLOSE - CLOSE THROWBACK THURSDAYS for $ 13 Fresh Artisan Breads (Asiago-Sage, Multi-Grain, Potato Rosemary) Handcrafted Meals including GLUTEN FREE MENU ITEMS Homemade Scones (Blueberry, Lemon, Coconut-Date, et al) Call for Information or with an Order for Breads OR Gluten Free Items 2.5 miles south of Ogunquit Playhouse 3.5 miles north of York Visitor Center 207.363.0266 1300 Us Rt 1 Cape Neddick See our menu at www.roostcafeandbistro. 069788 9 June 3 - 16, 2011 The York Independent
York Inside: What to do with all those extra veggies PAGE 10 The Independent The hometown voice of the greater York region FREE www.yorkindependent.net June 3 - 16, 2011 Volume 15 Issue 9 the MAN BEHIND the CURTAIN six questions for bradford kenney, artistic director, ogunquit playhouse page 6 Q&A,
Publishers Note COMMUNITY BRIEFS Mountains to climbor not By JEFF RAPSIS The York Independent Yorks Mount Agamenticus is just 692 feet high, significantly shorter than the John Hancock Tower in downtown Boston. So Im ashamed to admit that on my first at- tempt to climb it (this past Memorial Day wee
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Karen kiokemesiter Q&A Water garden guru By TARYN PLUMB The York Independent The seacoast is about frothy waves crashing against rocky shorelines; white sand beaches; cold salty water chilling the skin even in the blasting heat of summer. But there are other bodies of water hereactually many more of
been featured in the tour? I would say probably 30 to 35. What types of wildlife do they attract? The butterflies come, the dragonflies come, the frogs come and the birds love it, they can get a drink of water. Visiting dogs will come have a drink. I have fox around here, but Ive never actually seen
ily favorites such as The Music Man. What goes into programming a season at the Ogunquit? What are the factors to consider? Cover Story THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN Just prior to the recent opening of the current Avenue Q production, execu- tive artistic director Bradford T. Kenney answered six questi
OUtdoor Listings Send us your outdoors listings! Got a road race, hike, or other outdoor activity coming up? Send the info to yorkindependentgmail.c Listings run on a space available basis. JEFF RAPSIS PHOTO The summit of Mount Agamenticus, easily reached by car or foot, once hosted a busy ski area.
SARAH GRANT PHOTO Former York architect Donna Lee Woods cuts curd on one of her two daily batches of goat cheese, made at Hickory Nut Farm right across the border in Lee, N.H. Volume Discounts Route 1 Bypass, Portsmouth We Deliver #2 Fuel Oil, Kerosene, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel. 24 Hour Burner Servi
FOOD NO KIDDING AROUND Former York architect now earns living by making and selling goat cheeses We want to keep the operation a manageable size. New cheese ideas are under development in the farms cheese cave. Two years ago, the farm bought a shipping container and buried it in earth. It is the p
FOOD Greens and cukes and peppers, oh my! What to do with an abundance of seasonal vegetables By SARAH GRANT The York Independent So, youve signed up for a C.S.A. (Com- munity Supported Agriculture) offering. Or, perhaps you exuberantly over-bought at the last farmers market. All at once, you are ex
EVENT Listings Send us your listings! Let the community know about your group, service, or good cause. E-mail it to us at yorkindependentgmail.c Listings run on a space available basis. One-of-a-kind Each Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m., chicks with sticks gather to knit at The Yarn Sellar. Knitte
THE PET CONNECTION Monday, June 6 High Tide, 2:34 a.m. Low Tide, 9:09 a.m. High Tide, 3:17 p.m. Low Tide, 9:23 p.m. Thursday, June 9 High Tide, 5:17 a.m. Low Tide, 11:44 a.m. High Tide, 5:56 p.m. Sunday, June 12 High Tide, 8:30 a.m. Low Tide, 2:28 a.m. High Tide, 8:51 p.m. Low Tide, 2:40 p.m. The Yo
Visual Art Listings Send us your listings! Got a gallery exhibit coming up? Send the info to yorkindependent gmail.com. Listings run on a space available basis pottery and hand building classes from one day workshops to a class series of 3-6 lessons are options to choose from this summer. Mini- mum
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meets at York Congregational Church, 18 Church St., York Beach, Sundays at 7 p.m., from Sunday, June 26 through Sun- day, Aug. 28. Eucharistic, liturgi- cal, evangelical and catholic. Christ Church at 6 Dane St., Kennebunk, will hold a weekly informal evening wor- ship gathering to share the good n
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