Ready to have your mind blown? The plant-based artisan aged cheeses and “meats” that come out of Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford, CT will have you asking yourself (or one or more of the three girls at the shop): Was that a dairy cheese in that lasagna? Did I just eat a beef brisket? Was there red meat in that pastrami? Are you sure that sausage is pork-free? You might consider Tracy Alexander (the mother and chef behind the bustling business) an artisan foodmaker. We consider her a magician.
• ON-DEMAND: Listen to Faith talk to Tracy and her daughters about how they make plant-based meats and cheeses at their shop. •
Tracy runs Three Girls Vegan Creamery with daughters Brittany Guerra and Taylor Costin. The tiny shop is open to the public on Sundays from 10-3. People come from near and far to eat Tracy’s creations—and it’s not just vegan eaters stretching the line out the door and around the building—it’s food lovers of all types. With dairy-free, meat-free, gluten-free options and lasagnas that rival your grandmother’s traditional recipe, it’s not hard to imagine why Tracy works night and day to keep up with demand.
Tracy is a master at engineering enzymes to create the texture of the meats and cheeses you grew up eating. Her cheeses are made with fermented quinoa (and other good stuff) and as the age, they just get better. Tracy somehow turns mushrooms and beets into pastrami and dried coconut into bacon bits. You don’t have be a scientist yourself to engineer a plant-based diet, just get up early on a Sunday and jump in the line outside the shop.
Three Girls Vegan Creamery – 350 Stepstone Hill Rd, Guilford, CT. Open to the public on Sundays. Shop online anytime.
My name is Suzanne, and I am a cheese addict.. As a life long vegetarian and struggling vegan this segment of your show gave me hope that I may successfully succeed in being 💯 % vegan this time round. Having tried just about every vegan cheese on the market (some are so bad even my pica Golden retriever wouldn’t touch the stuff ) I usually succumb to the siren call of Brie, cheddar and feta…I cannot wait to visit the Three Girls Vegan Creamery!
Thank you so much for having them on the show.
Signed,
Suzanne
( recovering cheese addict 🤞)
Oh, Suzanne! We always admire eaters with such discipline. Goodness knows none of us on the show would be able to give up cheese or meat. One of the things I’ve learned about disciplined eaters like yourself is this: when people don’t eat a certain food–or can’t, for health-reasons–they don’t want a facsimile of the food or a mere substitute for it. People want to eat things that are delicious in their own right. When you’re busy focusing on the pleasure you get from a vegan cheese, you’re probably not wishing it were something else. Personally, I was amazed by Three Girls’ lasagna and brought a half-pan of it to a friends house for dinner. She said it was one of the best lasagnas she’s ever had, and she comes from a big family of cooks and eaters! We never wished that meal was made with “real” mozzarella or parmesan cheese. We just ate it and were happy. I hope you have that experience and that you continue to seek out food that inspires and satisfies you. Thank you for listening!