Nordic Creamery and Its Wonderful Butter

Nordic Creamery and Its Wonderful Butter

New to the Oak Park Farmers’ Market this year, Nordic Creamery offers a new item that may change attitudes about an old product.

That product is butter, the archetypal commodity, one side of the famous Econ 101 butter-guns equation, competing basically on price and availability, usually as personality-free as cooking oil.

Butter, of course, is a beautiful thing, and if I’m going to indulge in high-calorie foods, I am going to get as much taste as I can out of them.

Nordic Creamery does offer cheese, but for us the butter is the main reason to stop at this small stand – not that the cheese isn’t good, but nowhere else at the market are you going to be able to get butter this good.



Nordic Creamery’s “summer butter” is made from the first milking of cows feeding on grass pastures after a long winter eating hay. It is sweet, light, and wonderful. We don’t cook with it (though of course you could), because like a fine olive oil, we like to use for eating on bread (Red Hen baguette is a perfect accompaniment to the butter) or as dressing for pasta or salad.

At the market last weekend, I noticed that the price for a tub had been marked down to $5 for 12 oz. – that’s still more than what you’d pay in the supermarket, but there’s little comparison between that butter and this. Nordic Creamery produces smaller scale – they call it “handcrafted” – butter that tastes of the land, varies by the season, and has a dimension that’s hard to detect in more mass-produced varieties.

Some of us have mixed emotions about butter, because it’s sort of the epitome of high-calorie indulgence, but as Julia Child once said as she put a stick or two into a sauce, “I know some of you are afraid of butter. If you are afraid of butter, use cream.”

And you know who’s against butter? Nazis. As Herman Goering asked, “Would you rather have butter or guns? Preparedness makes us powerful. Butter merely makes us fat."

So short-sighted.

Butter, especially good butter, makes us very happy.

Nordic Creamery is in Westby, Wisconsin, and it’s been family-run since 1917; it’s a very promising addition to the Oak Park Famers’ Market.

Seconding the applause for Nordic's butter which is brilliant. I stock up at the end of the summer as well and freeze a supply which even then far surpasses even the "European" options.

Siun wrote:Seconding the applause for Nordic's butter which is brilliant. I stock up at the end of the summer as well and freeze a supply which even then far surpasses even the "European" options.

I was wondering about freezing. I had my first taste of this stuff last week, and then when I tried the same tub this morning, it seemed like it may have lost something. Unlike wrapped sticks in boxes, this stuff is open to much more oxidation, and I'm wondering if, when I get the next tub, I shouldn't cut some out and freeze it immediately to prevent any further deterioration. I mean, freezing doesn't have any affect on butter at all, does it?

Butter freezes very well indeed. But I'd wrap it in aluminum foil, very tightly, before putting, e.g., Saran Wrap (the best freezer film), around the pkg. O2 is decidedly your enemy in the case of subtle flavors in butter.

Herman Göring calling the kettle "fat"? Sheesh.

Geo

I would then put it into a ziplock back preferably a freezer weight bag. This is the only thing that can shut the freezer taste out. Neither foil or saran wrap will do that as effectively.

I am a big fan of Nordic Creamery's butter. The farmers markets in my neighborhood haven't started up yet, so I've been getting mine all winter and spring from Mariano's (on Western, in the cheese department). More expensive than regular butter, sure, but a half tub of the flavored versions cost $3.99 at Mariano's (I think), which is more than reasonable for the quality. I believe it's also available at Genes.

I have their Garlic & Basil flavor right now and have recently slathered it on corn and also mixed it with pasta w/ a liberal addition of Pecorino Romano. Both were fantastic. I can think of few better ways to harden your arteries than using their Maple Syrup flavored butter on french toast. Herman can say what he wants, but when I have this butter in my fridge, its Goering, Goering, Gone.

Anywhere else I can find this closer to the north side of the city/northern suburbs? Oak Park is a bit of a drive. Do they sell it at Green City market?

pacent wrote:Anywhere else I can find this closer to the north side of the city/northern suburbs? Oak Park is a bit of a drive. Do they sell it at Green City market?

See the Green City Market vendor list. In addition to Green City Market, they are also going to be at the Oak Park Farmers Market and the Mundelein Farmers Market. I also like their products.

skess wrote:I've been getting mine all winter and spring from Mariano's (on Western, in the cheese department) (...) I believe it's also available at Genes.

Both of those locations are on the North Side. I'm sure if you e-mailed them you could get a full list of markets, or at least the one most convenient for you.

The poster above you is referring to the Mariano's on Western Ave in Roscoe Village I believe...

Mariano's
3350 North Western Avenue Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 327-2093

pacent wrote:Anywhere else I can find this closer to the north side of the city/northern suburbs? Oak Park is a bit of a drive. Do they sell it at Green City market?

They've been at Green City market for a while. I've been getting it there for at least the last 2 if not 3 years.

Yep. Nothing wrong with the Harvest Butter, either, but it's much more efficient to freeze a six-month supply of Summer Butter for the cold months. I went a little crazy last year, and I've still got three frozen tubs left to finish before buying fresh butter.

My only regret is that they don't make an unsalted version for cooking, but it'd probably be wasted on it anyway.

Three remaining frozen tubs ... sounds like you are not eating enough butter George!

Siun wrote:Three remaining frozen tubs ... sounds like you are not eating enough butter George!

Well, the dog got a hold of one tub tonight, so now I'm down to two tubes.

Hoping your pup does not tell mine about that feast! 100 lbs of Great Pyr really loves butter!

Have you tried the new (I think it's new) cultured with sea salt? I'm going back and forth between that and the Summer butter.

Woodman's in Carpentersville sells it. I believe that it was $2.79 a tub.

Nordic Creamery's butter is really terrific . . . let me also recommend their excellent goat feta - I use it in salads, spanakopita and just plain.