Spring Hill quark cheese from the Berkeley Farmers' Market

Spring Hill Jersey cheese quark, heirloom tomatoes, and a fresh Basler loaf from OctoberFeast bakery.

Spring Hill Jersey Cheese quark is a must-try for people who enjoy rustic, fresh cow’s milk cheeses.

It’s a rich and creamy spreadable cheese with the flavor of true butter, and the fragrance of fresh milk.

Quark is similar to cottage cheese, but has a much finer texture. It’s like ricotta, but creamier, more richly flavored, and not as dry. It has a tangy bite like sour cream, but is lower in fat. It’s creamy, but not as solid as cream cheese although it’s sometimes called “German cream cheese.”

Spring Hill quark is especially good because it’s made with milk from their own Jersey cows, a breed known for its rich milk and high butterfat content. The resulting certified organic artisan farmstead cheese is especially rich and creamy. And because quark is a fresh (as opposed to an aged) cheese, it has the sweet fragrance and character of true, fresh milk, a special pleasure now that most milk is purchased from supermarkets.

Enjoy quark…
On toast or bagels
In sandwiches, instead of sliced cheese
With fresh tomatoes
On baked potatoes with chopped green onion and chives
Stirred into mashed potatoes
Stirred into fresh pasta
On crostini with fresh fruit and honey
As a substitute for cream cheese or ricotta in cheesecake
On pizza

Quark with Fresh Pasta
Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side dish

• 12 ounces fresh pasta (recipe link)
• 3/4 cup plain quark
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• optional – 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
• salt and pepper

1. Cook the pasta as directed. Remember, fresh pasta requires only 2-3 minutes to cook.
2. Combine the quark and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Stir in the chopped fresh herbs if you are using them.
3. Stir the freshly drained pasta into the quark/cheese mixture.
4. Serve with salt and pepper and more freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Spring Hill Jersey Cheese quark is available plain, and in lemon, garlic herb, honey mustard, and horseradish flavors at the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets, in Bay Area stores (check their website for locations), online (along with other varieties of cheese, curds, butter, and other products, all organic) and also, (surprise!) at the Santa Barbara Farmers’ Market.