Homemade Cheese by Janet Hurst

I was reading the New York Times online yesterday and came across an article in the Dining and Wine section about a new DIY guide for kitchen projects, which included three on how to make cheese in the comfort of your own home.


There seems to be an ever-enlarging segment of our population that is becoming more food savvy. They want to know where their food comes from, what ingredients are included, how to get more involved, and how to become more self-reliant. The do-it-yourself food movement is looking for ways even a kitchen klutz can make their own food.

Cheese seems to be food that is being swept along with this movement. It is awesome to read about how many artisan cheesemakers are developing a following across the United States; not just cheesemakers, but GREAT cheesemakers!

So, this NY Times article seemed to be right in stride with a more personal focus on food.

A couple of months ago Voyageur Press invited me to review an advance copy of a book written by Janet Hurst. It, too, seems to be riding the crest of this self-sufficiency, DIY wave of interest.

The title of Janet's book is “Homemade Cheese: Recipes for 50 Cheeses from Artisan Cheesemakers,” but this book includes so much more than recipes. My first impression was delight. Just flipping through the pages, taking in all the gorgeous color photographs that Janet included in her book, was a visual feast!

Since becoming intrigued with artisan cheese, I’ve often used “Home Cheese Making” by Ricki Caroll as my resource. It will remain a valued book in my library. Structured more like a manual, it has excellent cheesemaking recipes and provides a lot of ways to use the cheese, and a resource section telling where to get equipment and supplies. Janet Hurst even mentions Ricki as Queen of Cheese, and honors her as an inspiration and mentor.

Janet, however, presents a different approach. She includes easy-to-follow steps for cheesemaking, but additionally provides insight into the lives and production of twenty artisan cheesemakers who work their farms, dairies, creameries and take pride in their animals, their cheese, and their accomplishment. At the back of this book is a wealth of resources and websites to reference. I’m a visual freak, so I relished the abundance of photographs of animals, farms, cheesemakers, cheese, and prepared dishes.

I responded readily to Janet’s book because it is so friendly, simple to follow, attractive to the eye, well researched and has a very personal touch. It’s like sitting down with her and, over a cup of coffee and a plate of hot out of the oven scones, having her share all of these wonderful experiences. Her passion for cheese is evident.

Janet writes from a background of 20 years of having a farm and goats and growing vegetables and making cheese. She’s still making cheese in her kitchen in Missouri, when she isn’t speaking to groups, teaching how to make cheese, freelance writing about cheese and food, and promoting her book.

Below I’ve included the link to Janet’s blog and her website. Her book is published by Voyageur Press, and is currently available for purchase for $19.95.

I wholeheartedly recommend you get your hands on a copy of “Homemade Cheese: Recipes for 50 Cheeses from Artisan Cheesemakers” and keep it within reach. It will provide you with wonderful ways you can make your own cheese in your own kitchen, and have fun doing it!



www.inpursuitofcheese.blogspot.com
www.cheesewriter.com

Got cheese? Got it made!

   The other evening a friend and I made arrangements to throw together for dinner whatever food we had on hand. All I had was zucchini, and of course, cheese. Voilà! Au Gratin!  I halved the recipe for just the two of us, which worked out perfectly!

Zucchini Au Gratin

Makes 4 servings

 4-6 medium zucchini

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped onions or shallots

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup heavy cream or crème fraiche (I only had half and half)
¾ cup gruyere cheese (grated)

1 teaspoon tarragon (better to use fresh, but all I had was dried)

1 pinch of nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Grate the zucchini into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

3. During that time, sauté the onion in butter in a small pan until the onion softens and begins to brown (3-5 minutes). Set aside.

4. Scoop up handfuls of the sitting zucchini and squeeze out the excess moisture over the sink. Combine the squeezed zucchini with the onions and mix in the tarragon, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the veggies evenly in an 8” x 8” baking dish.

5. Pour the cream over the zucchini mix. I didn’t have heavy cream, so I substituted half and half, which tasted fine, but the cream would have given the gratin a richer taste.

6. Sprinkle the grated Gruyere over the zucchini mixture—when I halved the recipe, I still used the full amount of grated cheese. What can I say, I love cheese!

7. Place the baking dish in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese turns a lovely golden brown.

As you can see from the photo above, I left mine in the oven too long and it went past “lovely golden.” But it tasted heavenly, nonetheless! I loved the nutmeg and tarragon! When I next make this recipe, I‘ll cut the zucchini into ¼-inch slices rather than grate it. It will eliminate the 10-min sitting and squeezing step, and then I’ll just bake it another 5-10 minutes longer.

    

Bzzzzzz ... bees in February? How is this possible?

 

 
I joined long-time friend Barbara Shepard for breakfast in Fairhaven yesterday. When we finished getting caught up on the latest in our respective lives over good food, a lot of laughter, and a goodly number of coffee refills, we parted our separate ways. I had other errands to run in Fairhaven, one of which was to check in with Beth at Quel Fromage, a friendly and helpful cheesemonger. She suggested a cheese I hadn’t tried before. I let her twist my arm, wrap up the cheese, and I headed back to Birch Bay.
I am so glad I experienced this cheese!

“Barely Buzzed” is a wonderful version of cheddar created by Tim Welsh and Pat Ford, brothers and owners of Beehive Cheese Company in Uintah, Utah. I’m not aware of many cheesemakers in Utah, maybe ten or so, but if Barely Buzzed is any indication, I’m going to try some of their other cheeses. Apparently I’m not the only one who appreciates it, as it won 1st Place, Flavored Cheddar American Cheese Society Annual Competition 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Barely Buzzed, such a catchy moniker, was aptly named by Beehive creamery fan, Andrea with Deluxe Foods in California. I say it’s aptly named because this full-bodied cheddar cheese with a smooth texture and a hint of butterscotch and caramel creaminess was hand-rubbed with a Turkish grind of Colorado Legacy Coffee Company (the cheesemakers’ brother) “Beehive Blend” blended with French Superior Lavender buds. What? Yes, I mean to tell you, that it sounds peculiar, but it tastes FAB! I could taste the lavender when I bit into the rind, and the espresso under note permeates into the paste. It just melted in my mouth!

Barely Buzzed is made with first class grade whole milk from Jersey cows at Ogden’s Wadeland South Dairy. For you vegetarians out there, a vegetarian rennet was used to make this cheese. It’s aged on Utah Blue Spruce aging racks in Beehive’s humidity controlled caves, and moved to different temperature during the 4-5 month aging process to develop texture and flavor. Check out Beehive Cheese's website for more interesting information about these brothers and their cheese making adventure.

Beth at Quel Fromage recommended pairing Barely Buzzed with beer, but I continued the “buzz” by eating the cheese with a dark roast coffee. Delicious!

One could use this cheddar in cooking, but it is such a treat to eat by itself, and the rind is part of the taste experience. Along with coffee, I also paired the cheese with Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps, wonderful cranberry and hazelnut crackers. What a lovely repast! See if you can get your hands on Barely Buzzed. Very cool!

A perfect cheese with which to sit with your sweetheart and feed each other morsels!

http://www.quelfromage.com/
http://www.beehivecheese.com/
 

Makin' Mac N Cheese

I had some leftover chunks of Whiskey Cheddar and some Gruyere, and what better use, on a cold, rainy day in Birch Bay than to whip up some comfort food Mac N Cheese! It's also great for Super Bowl Sunday grazing. Alas, I'm not a fan of football; I know, how un-American! However, I do pledge my allegiance to this tasty dish.

Here's what it looks like, and following the photo is the recipe. Perhaps you have your own favorite recipe. Try it with these two cheeses; they impart an added taste dimension you'll enjoy. I haven't a clue who is going to win the Super Bowl, but Mac n Cheese is a sure bet!

Oh, and throughout the recipe, I've shared some personal comments, i.e., using YOUR local farms, dairies for what ingredients you can. The freshness is great tasting, it supports your local economy, and it's probably more nutritious. Win! Win! Win! Hooray! Lucky you, if you know someone who makes their own pasta! Wish I did!

Anyway, after much ado ...

Baked 2-Cheese Macaroni

Serves/Makes: 6         Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter (from your local dairy if you’re lucky enough to have one that makes butter!)

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon powdered mustard

1-1/2 cups goat milk (recipe calls for cow milk, I just digest goat milk better/lactose intolerant)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 large egg (got free range?)

6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

6 ounces Gruyere, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper
Note: Buy block cheese and grate or shred it when you use it in a recipe. It tastes soooo much better freshly grated than if you buy it from the store grated or shredded. Trust me on this one!


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente. Important to not let the pasta cook too long because it’s going to cook some more in the oven.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and a sprinkle of paprika.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest for five minutes before serving.