Dropping the Ball

It has been a few days since I posted, not intentionally.  Yesterday was my birthday so I had the day off from the barn - well from the animal care portion at least.  Thanks Mom!  However, cheese waits for no one so there were cheese things to do, such as brining the feta I made the day before and hanging the chevre I set last night to drain.  Of course there is always a little affinage to do.

Even at the height of our production we are considered a micro-dairy.  Our large vat insert maxes out at 35 gallons and generally during the higher yield milk months I'm making cheese 3-4 times a weeek.  However, currently we are a micro, micro-dairy.  My recent batches of feta and also my last two of chevre were just under 5 gallons each.  And it took me all of my legal holding time to gather that much milk.  At this rate we may be done with active cheesemaking within the next 2 weeks. 

Done of course until the 50 or so does that are pregnant start kidding in mid to late February.  Enter the time of no sleep...  Last year our farm produced around 148 kids between February and July 4th weekend, most of them born between mid/late February and April.   We're often asked what we do with all those kids.  Well, last year some when back to Old Mountain Farm, friends we were leasing goats from (or in some cases had bought does from with kids back conditions) and a couple groups of young wethers went to a friend who raises them and sells them as pets - goats make great pets or companions animals.  All the others we have sold, except for 28 or so that we still have here, some still for sale but others bred this year to kid in the spring or the younger ones who we'll grow out this year and make a decision on them for next year.

I'm please to say that this year we had kids travel to Alabama, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, Maine, and other points around the new england area.  Some even went to show homes which we are very excited about.  We are quite busy with the farm and cheese so while we have the milk testing part in hand, we haven't had any goats in the show ring.  This year we have goats on the show circuit in a couple places plus just this week 2 of our young does went to 4-H show homes!  I can't wait to see what this next season of kids brings.

Cheese - Not just for crackers

I'm always looking for recipes that utilize cheese in a creative way. We try to eat seasonally so I particularly enjoy recipes that make use of seasonal ingredients. Earlier this week I made a stuffed pasta, incorporating fresh ricotta and some Parmigiano-Reggiano. It also called for Swiss chard and sweet peas, however since peas aren't very seasonal right now I opted for fresh, local leeks in place of the peas and a tomato sauce made with diced tomatoes with fresh basil, oregano and garlic, puréed to make a simple, fresh sauce, instead of the heavier more calorie heavy fontina cheese sauce originally paired with the pasta.

Since it is the holiday season and, for me at least, baking is a part of that season, I have been on the look out for a special, holiday-ish treat to make, in addition to our favorite chèvre truffles and goat milk fudge. When I saw this recipe I new this was what I'd been looking for. The recipe was originally featured in Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, and was from Moira Sommers, Co-Owner/Chef of 3 Sisters Cafe in Indianapolis, IN - Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie.

We won't cut into it until tomorrow but looks wise it was a complete success!

Mmmm Pie

The last couple days have been a bit busy.  We built sleeping benches for the does in the hoop house, did a bunch of repairs (broken dolly, replaced missing ladder step to hay loft, etc, etc.).  All in all a lot was accomplished and it feels great to have it all done.

Rob (my boyfriend) works for the Central VT Council on Aging.  The Council hosts a senior meal on Christmas day and they were a little pressed for donations of food for the meal this year.  So last night I made 2 kinds of cranberry sauce - regular whole berry cranberry sauce and orange cranberry.  I was planning to make two pies tonight to donate as well but Rob suggested we do 4 instead - so of course we did!

Clockwise from the top left we made pecan, blueberry (my first blueberry ever!), apple and pumpkin.  Tomorrow night I'll make the pies for our own family Christmas celebration:  French Silk (Rob's favorite) and a new pie for us this year:  Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie with Basil.  I'll post picture of those tomorrow.

Only 5 shopping days left!

I can't believe it's almost Christmas.  We are not having gifts here this year, instead we are sharing a meal with family and friends.  We have a small family only meal on Christmas Eve, this year a Raclette combined with our usual skillet meal (picture fondue without the oil, on a skillet).  Christmas day we have a family breakfast (usually I make eggs benedict),  followed by a larger meal with friends and family - standing rib roast with yorkshire pudding, followed by a sinfully delicious desert. 

As if...

As if I don't I have enough to do.  Today while out running errands I saw these cute little red felt stockings at the check-out line while at Jo-Ann's and got an idea.  Can you say impulse purchase?  So what do I do?  I go home and customize 5 red felt stockings to put out in the farm store in two different designs:  a simple white goat, and peace love and goat. 

As if that weren't enough, as I'm looking up information about a local senior citizen Christmas Day meal that I plan to make a couple pies for and read that they are looking for gift donations too.  Money is a little tight but I do a little google search for gift ideas for seniors anyway and fine these cute fleece hand/wrist warmers and think well I have some extra fleece in my stash of fabrics, I should make some of these.  So I dig out the fleece, thread, etc., make a quick pattern from a picture I found online, and little while later I have 7 pairs of hand/wrist warmers, some to donate and some to gift.

Not bad for an evenings work.  And yes, I know I have other things to work on and that Sunday is supposed to be my day off... I think it's a genetic disorder.

Breathe

Now that the last holiday market is done I can breathe a bit.  Both markets were great for us and the fudge and truffles, especially the truffles, were a big hit.  I even have requests for more truffles!  The only flavor right now is honey lemon and from the comments we received that is just fine. 

Also a big hit is our new Spanish Garrotxa-styled aged cheese - Tordera.  Both markets sold out completely in less than 2 hours.  Tordera has been the first aged cheese that was really mine from conception.  I am enamored with most Spanish cheeses, most because there are many I haven't even tried yet - all I've tried I have enjoyed.  I had quite a bit of expert help with this one too.  I had the opportunity to work with Enric Canut at the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese - one of the foremost experts in Spain on cheese.  It was through his teaching that I was able to produce this lovely little cheese.  We have a little work to do to improve rind development, really want a velvety grey rind, but it will come.  In the meantime, the flavor of this semi-soft cheese is right where we wanted.

Holiday Market

Tomorrow is a big holiday market, both in St. Johnsbury and Montpelier (aka Capital City Farmer's Market).  Since it is a holiday market we've added a few extra items to the booth to make it more special.

I made Honey Spice Dog Treats (with our chevre), Honey Lemon Truffles (with our chevre), Chocolate Chevre Brownies (they are about ready to go in the oven), and considering some cranberry walnut chevre cookies as well.  In addition we have our usual "Goat Note" note cards, goat milk soap, and CHEESE!!!! 

The addition we are most excited about though is the first public outing of our new Spanish style goat cheese.  Tordera, named for a Spanish river in the Catalonia region, is made from pasteurized milk and aged only 45 days.  We are also aging a few wheels at various lengths to consider the potential for producing it from raw milk as well.  If you are at the St. Johnsbury or Montpelier area farmer's markets stop in and see us for a sample of the newest addition to our cheese family! 

Spanish style cheeses have been a large influence on our recent cheese making.  It helps that the cheese maker in charge of making such decisions is smitten with Spanish cheeses and recently had the opportunity to work with one of the foremost cheese experts in Spain, Enric Canut.  You might even see another new Spanish influenced cheese (or two!) coming out this spring.

Just a note to market goers, this may be the last market until February where you can get our chevre.  The girls are drying out in preparation for kidding, which will begin in mid-February, and eventually we reach a point where we aren't producing enough milk to make cheese.