The G.O.A.T.

Which cheese is the Greatest of All Time? Why, goat of course! The signature tangy minerality of goat cheese is a great partner for fall flavors like apple, squash, pear, mushroom, chicken, walnut, maple, caramel and wild rice.

Here, we're highlighting a few favorite local GOATs from the Specialty Cheese Case and suggesting some seasonal ways to incorporate them into any part of a meal.

LaClare is named for founders Larry and Clara Hedrich, who inherited their first two goats after buying a rural hobby farm in the late 1970s. Their goat cheese is made in Malone, Wisconsin, with milk solely sourced from within 10 miles of the creamery, greatly reducing road miles and CO2 emissions. High-quality milk is the hallmark of the LaClare brand. They won "1st Place - Best Milk" at the 2019 Wisconsin State Fair, a category that included both cow's and goat's milk. Popular flavors of LaClare's fresh chèvre include Blueberry Vanilla, Garlic & Herb and Fig & Honey.

Try LaClare goat cheese in our Arugula and Ginger Beet Salad recipe (pictured), an elegant starter for any fall dinner party.

Brad and Leanne Donnay make just two goat cheeses, including their artisanal chèvre, using milk from their 10-acre, zero-employee, true family farm in Kimball, Minnesota. They exclusively use local feed for their goats and zero pesticides on their farm – just insect-eating chickens.

Stuff Donnay chèvre into a chicken breast with olive tapenade, or use it in our recipe for Butternut Squash and Mushroom Pasta.

Owned and operated by the Cook family in Central Wisconsin, Carr Valley makes a young goat's milk blue called Billy Blue with the distinctive flavor of blue cheese and a delightfully creamy texture. It won first place at the 2022 International Cheese & Dairy Awards.

Serve Billy Blue with Sea Salt Caramel Pear Galette (pictured), Pear-Cranberry Crisp or Spiced Poached Pears as a final course.