Summer has the monopoly on dairy appreciation

Frozen yogurt

For those of us who live in a region defined by its seasons, there is no better time of the year to indulge in all things dairy than summer.

Chilled smoothies, iced coffees, frosted milkshakes, ice cream cones, ice cream sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cakes…beastly hot days call for beastly good snacks.

And if the heat weren’t incentive enough to consume double the food group for three months out of the year, June is National Dairy Month, June 4 is National Cheese Day, July is National Ice Cream Month, and August is National Goat Cheese Month.

I’m convinced: I have to stop for frozen yogurt on the way home. The national calendar catalog says so!

But with August’s end just around the corner and the beckoning of autumn a song in spreading breezes, is it too late to pay homage to the summer-dominating industry that is dairy? We think not.

Dairy products are just about everywhere, and they’re ready at hand to enhance a late summer gathering.

Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery’s selection of pure Guernsey milk cheeses pay tribute to, as W.D. Hoard put it, the foster mother of the human race. If you’re looking for all-around quality cheese board staples, look no further. 

If mixed milk cheeses are your thing, search for creameries in your area whose curd comes from cow, sheep, and goat milks. Some creameries, such as LaClare Creamery in Malone, Wis., specialize in goat milk products, making them a perfect destination for the August’s chèvre theme.

Looking to improve your morning cold brew with additional health benefits? Top the glass off with a splash of value-added milk. Not only will it mean less digestive upset for lactose-intolerant folks, but it may get you closer to your protein goals.

Eager for a bowl of traditional, slow-churned ice cream? Take a last-minute summer vacay to Cincinnati, Ohio, home of Graeter’s Ice Cream, to experience the dessert at its finest. Or, you can order your favorite flavor from their online store.

Dairy comes in all shapes and sizes, and it is nutritionally sound every day of the year. But while the food industry spotlight is on the cow and her cousins, let us celebrate what goes into making that cheese board possible. Let us nod to the farmers and makers around the world who make monstrously hot months like these more bearable.  

Who knows? Maybe one day there will be a National Butter and Sour Cream month. With dairy, the possibilities are endless.