Slate Roof Creamery

It’s rare that I stumble on a website and wind up doing a post about it. In this case, I was following a thread from the Fancy Foods Show and it brought me to a small company in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania which makes specialty butters from the milk of grass-fed dairy cows.

The butter looked so good to me that I had to share it with you – Sea Salt Caramel, Lemon Herb, Cranberry Orange, Parmesan Garlic, Pineapple Sriracha, Wild Maine Blueberry and Himalayan Pink Salt. Are you hungry yet?

It all began in 2013, when the 3 founders of the company, were preparing Thanksgiving for a large group of friends. Mark Ricigliano, DO (a family practitioner by day and a foodie by night) served his homemade Sour Cherry Butter and it was VERY well received. Discussion ensued about whether or not there might be a market for flavored butter, and they decided to find out.

Founders from left-Mark Ricigliano, DO, Jim Kelleher and Rik Morris

After months of testing recipes, they finally offered a few of their butters to family and friends in 2014. The feedback was very encouraging, so they proceeded to set up their business.

Less than a year later, in 2015, the Specialty Food Association contacted them about being members and selected them to be one of 50 companies they would be showcasing in the “New Brands on the Shelf Pavilion” at the Fancy Food Show in New York City. That was 6 weeks away!

December, 2015

There was so much to do in order to make a good impression at the show, that, as they say (on their website), they were like cows – sleeping 4 hours per day! But, when they set up their booth, the response was overwhelming. They gave out over 600 samples each day and made many contacts in the business.

Their booth at the summer Fancy Foods Show in New York City

Now, Mark told me in an email, they are working on coming out with products that complement their butters. Keep an eye out!

Their Philosophy:

From their website: “Slate Roof Creamery has a humble philosophy: They believe quality ingredients make wonderful foods. Wonderful foods make memorable meals. Memorable meals make great conversations. Great conversations make lasting friendships. Lasting friendships make life truly rich.”

Who can argue with that?

Grilling with their Lemon Herb butter (from their Twitter page)

Their website is a warm, welcoming place to spend a few minutes (or more). There are fun interviews with the founders and mouth watering recipes. Here’s one I found particularly enticing:

Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sea Salt Caramel Butter

From: Slate Roof Creamery

1 Quart Spiced apple cider
2 Tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
3 Pounds Sweet potatoes
3 Firm red pears halved and cored
5 Tablespoons Sea Salt Caramel Butter – ½ container
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Add cider to saucepan and boil on high until reduced by half, approximately 20 minutes.
Peel and rough chop sweet potatoes.
Add to baking pan with pears.
Remove saucepan from heat and stir in butter.
Pour glaze over sweet potatoes and pears, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast in oven, basting occasionally, until potatoes are tender and glaze has reduced to a thick syrup, approximately 1 hour.