Just in time for Memorial Day: fresh sausage!

Now that spring has finally set its foot firmly down in the Northeast Kingdom, many parts of the country are already headed full-swing into summer. For us, that means barbecue season and taking as many meals as we can al fresco - out in the air to enjoy these warm weather months while we can!

If, like us, you can't get enough of eating outside, we've got just the thing for you: fresh sausages made with our own whey-fed pork. Our in-house charcutier at VT99 Meats has been busy developing new flavors using our cheeses and Pete's Greens organic vegetables. More flavors are on the way, but right now in our online shop you'll find:

Cheese Sausage. Made with chunks of Alpha Tolman, our alpine-style cheese. These are rich, savory, and balanced, not to mention oozing with warm, gooey cheese.
Beet Sausage. Roasted organic beets are pureed and mixed into our sausage blend, making these sausages bright pink with an incredible depth of flavor. Delicious lightly charred on the grill.

We'll have more to come later on as we fine-tune our new recipes. Stay tuned! You can also follow VT99 Meats on Facebook or Instagram to keep an eye on the test kitchen...

Meanwhile, we are still offering Bayley Hazen Blue at 50% off for the rest of May - no coupon required! Stock up for the holiday weekend, and try out our Blue Cheese & Broccoli Slaw - recipe below. And while you're at it, share your culinary creations with us on Instagram with the hashtag #tenthingsiateaboutblue. In June, we'll share our favorite and send the winner a free box of cheese!

ORDER BY THURSDAY 5/26 AT 10AM (EST) FOR MEMORIAL DAY!

BAYLEY HAZEN BLUE & BROCCOLI SLAW

A hearty yet refreshing salad course for summer. To make this salad a meal, add some grilled chicken or quartered, hard-boiled eggs.

8 ounces Bayley Hazen Blue, at room temperature
1/2 a small red onion
2 large heads of broccoli
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, plus 3 tbsp (divided)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. chives or green onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a small amount of water (a half cup should do) to boil. Slice the onion thinly, and place in a jar with equal parts vinegar and very hot water until just submerged. Let this rest for 10-20 minutes while you prep the rest of the salad.

Finely mince or grate the garlic and place in a large jar or bowl. Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, 3 tbsp. vinegar, chives, and sugar. Whisk (or shake, if in a jar) vigorously until combined, then season the dressing with salt & pepper.

Trim away the rind of the Bayley Hazen Blue and discard. Cut into slices about 1cm thick, and then crumble with a fork or your fingers into roughly pea-sized pieces.Add the crumbled blue cheese to the dressing and gently incorporate - we like some chunks to remain.

Chop broccoli florets into slices about 1/4" thick - a food processor with a slicing blade is wonderful for this. Trim the skin from the broccoli stalks and chop the tender stems as well. Place the broccoli in a large bowl.

Drain the vinegar mixture from the red onions, and add them to the broccoli, along with the dressing. Toss well to incorporate. Add the toasted almonds and dried cherries, and give a final stir. Serves 4-6 as a side.

Ready for the grill.