Made from Dark Creek goat milk
One of my Christmas presents was a gorgeous cheese press made by the oh-so-clever Toryn (it is SO handy to know a machinist!). To make sure the prototype worked, Dani and Toryn tested it by making a batch of cheddar with my stockpile of frozen milk. I had no idea what they were up to (I confess I was taking it easy in Hawaii at the time).
Unlike soft cheeses like chevre, mozarrella, or ricotta (which are most excellent for those short on patience), hard cheeses take their time maturing, so it was a full 8 weeks later before we could test their experiment! It was definitely worth the wait! The cheese is tasty, a little drier than I’d expect in a cheddar with a distinct, slightly sharp flavour. It’s delicious! Given how long we had to wait to taste it, I’ve been trying to pace myself and not gobble it up. This is proving difficult as it’s just so good – with crackers, on toast, by itself… Plans are afoot to try several more recipes as soon as Dani gets back from school. Feta, gouda, and parmesan are all on the list to try.
My new cheese press is a work of art, is it not? It also makes a fine wheel of cheese.
Meanwhile, I am reading the books I got for Christmas. Here’s my current reading list:
The Joy of Cheesemaking: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Making, and Eating Fine Cheese, by Jody M. Farnham and Marc Druart
Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses, by Ricki Carroll
I already had this one:
Making Great Cheese at Home: 30 Simple Recipes from Cheddar to Chevre, by Barbara Ciletti
and there are a few recipes in my goat-keeping books as well, so that should keep me busy while I await my cheese-making partner’s return!
darkcreekfarmdotcom 