I’m having a caramel withdrawal. I brought back a box of fresh caramels from Asgaard Farm and Dairy in upstate New York, and am upset that I didn’t buy more! These caramels are hand made with goats’ milk (cajeta) and sea salt. They are soft, chewy and they melt as soon as you put them in your mouth. The only thing I don’t like about the Asgaard Farm caramels is that once you eat one, you cannot stop.
Perhaps one of the reasons the Asgaard Farm caramels are the best in the world are because they are made with fresh free-range grass-fed goats’ milk; so fresh that you can actually meet the goats on your way into the farm store.
Award winning chèvre, feta and soft cheese are also made daily right on the premises. One of the farm’s own creations, the Whiteface Mountain cheese is similar to brie or camembert, but in a pyramid shape. The farms owners say it is “an Adirondack response to the Pouligny-St. Pierre cheese of France’s Loire Valley.” The cheese is sold exclusively to restaurants, farmers markets and speciality stores in the area. In fact, many of the restaurants in Lake Placid incorporate Asgaard Farm and Dairy products in their menus.
Travelers looking for an off the beaten path adventure can stay and work at the farm. Guests can do a Farm Stay at the historic estate of well known artist, writer, adventurer, political activist and farmer, Rockwell Kent. The Emerson House is located on the farm. It was built in 1930s and offers two bedrooms overlooking open pastures, plenty of fresh air, and a backdrop of the Adirondack mountains. During your stay, you can also enjoy fresh cheeses, meat, eggs and vegetables that is produced on the farm. If you choose to learn the ropes of a family-farm, there are plenty of opportunities to tend to goats, chickens, cows, pigs and more. During your free time, you can go hiking, rock climbing, swimming, biking and fishing around Lake Placid.
If you happen to be in the area, visit the farm store on Thursdays and Saturdays. The friendly employees will happily show you around, give you a peek into the cheese making room and offer you samples.
But please bring me back some of those delicious caramels!
