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I have been buying goat cheese from Goat Lady Dairy at farmers markets for years. I am especially fond of the herbed olive oil marinated chevre and the ash-infused Sandy Creek.

Some of the Goat Lady Dairy cheeses are sold at several smaller grocers, and a few restaurants use their cheeses in preparations.

About two years ago, Goat Lady Dairy began serving weekend dinners. Guests receive a tentative menu by email after registration. (There are no choices.)

A tour of the farm begins at 6 p.m. Guests pet goats, mingle with chickens and look around the organic vegetable garden while host/proprietor Steve Tate narrates. The farm operates on a sustainable basis. Most goat milk comes from the dairy’s own herd. Vegetables are organic, and chickens are free-range.

A timber-framed, camp-style dining hall seats approximately 60. Dinner begins about 7p.m., after the kitchen rings the dinner bell. Servers pass boursin cheese with radishes and chives on toasted baguette slices as guests are finding their seats. A complimentary glass of North Carolina wine is served with the first course; bring your own if you like.

Seated service begins with a cheese course. Fromage — soft, moist and spreadable — comes in at least nine flavors. This evening’s preparation was infused with basil and garlic. Crottin is white-crusted, similar to brie. Sandy Creek is a Goat Lady original — soft, ripened and marbled with grape vine ash (the aforementioned personal favorite — the flavor is amazing). Smoky Mountain Round, smoked over apple wood, was the final selection.

Peach-basil jelly, lemon-accented pistachio summer relish and croutons complete the presentation. I have had more exotic, certainly more expensive cheeses in area restaurants, but never any better and hardly any as good.

The second course was Chickpea and Kale Soup with carrots, spiced with cinnamon and cardamom in vegetable stock. Each of the three vegetables carried clear flavor, melding with the stock.

Next, servers delivered a salad of mixed lettuces with carrots and Farmer’s Cheese, dressed in sweetish brown sugar vinaigrette. The freshness of the vegetables was evident in their taste. The cheese is a welcome enhancement.

The main course was Free Range Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Pot Pie with carrots and green peas. The chicken was more flavorful than usual, well matched by the mushroom flavor, hosted in chicken stock. A crisp, butter and whole milk biscuit crust capped the serving, providing excellent flavor of its own. (On other evenings, pork, beef, lamb, poultry, and local venison have been served.)

Dessert consisted of a cupcake with pink peppercorn frosting. The frosting is novel, peppery yet sweet, blending with butter crème icing.

As guests prepare to leave, servers provide chocolate goat cheese truffles as a takeaway. Letting each bite melt in my mouth made the drive home far more pleasant.

Charis Rose is chef. She is self-taught, from a family of foodies.

Ginnie Tate picked up the nickname “goat lady” from area residents when she was driving around Randolph County looking for property. Her two pet Nubian goats rode with her in the car.

The farm and house she eventually bought had been functioning for over 200 years. She passed away in 2009. Her brother, Steve Tate, and his wife, Lee, are co-founders.

The dairy has been in operation for approximately 15 years. The dining hall and kitchen staff also host events, such as weddings or retreats.

An evening at the Goat Lady Dairy brings you closer to the earth.

Contact John Batchelor at P.O. Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420 or email john.e.batchelor@gmail.com