Like a walk through the country side living on a small farm is full of daily surprises, sometimes wonderful and amazing, and other times puzzling and sad. I hope you will walk with me as I live out my dream of living on this tiny farm. You will come to know the dogs, cats, Shetland sheep and chickens that make up this farm and what goes into keeping them happy and healthy. Come and join the journey with me.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Jackson Cheese


Last week five of my ewes went off to new homes. Along with them also went "Jerry" a lovely shaela ram, owned by Allena and Beau who were very kind to bring him over to the farm a couple days before he was to be picked up.

We had a nice visit, with lots to talk about and lambs to look at. Allena tried another go at the spinning wheel, and we came up with some more ideas to try with it. It definitely needs some repair work, which I think I can figure out.

But that isn't what this post is about. This post is about the cheese! Goat cheese to be exact. Allena brought me a container of cheese she had just made that day. I was skeptical. I haven't had good luck with goat cheese in the past (mostly very strong, store bought stuff). But I wanted to try it, and it looked very good. It's great. I'm not sure what the proper name for it is, but it has dill, and parsley and onion and a bit of mint in it. Tastes wonderful on crackers. Allena said she also has other cheeses curing as well. This whole goat milking business is pretty new to them, but they've jumped in with both feet and it is sounds like it is working out great. I know I'm impressed!

Allena should be back in the world of internet soon. She is getting her laptop repaired (after a child versus laptop incident ;-), so I hope she'll detail some of her cheese making adventures. Until then, drool all you want, cause it was mighty fine eatin'!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yummy, I love goat cheese then again we raise goats and we used to make cheese a lot with the goat milk!

Pat in east TN said...

Back when we had our farm and raised goats I had no idea what to do with the abundance of milk, so got into making yogurt and cheeses. I was tickled to death with the outcome ... it was a real treat! I made various 'flavors', some of it just plain which was kind of like a cream cheese. Ooooh I have to admit I miss things like that, but that was then/this is now. At least I'm glad I did such things and have such good memories of them.

Vicki Lane said...

Lucky you -- I'm drooling!

I adore goat cheese -- but my husband hates it so I don't buy it as often as I'd like. Back in the days of our milk cows, I made various cheeses -- soft cheese was a snap- hard cheeses not so easy.

A Jackson said...

well, I'm glad you liked it. I like it that's for sure.

It's called Frommage Blanc and it is a soft cheese. VERY easy to make..

For those of you who would like to, you can order the packets from www.cheesemaking.com and you can use store bought milk or cows milk.

Unknown said...

See, now I am feeling more inspired to milk my LaMancha goats next spring...I was not the most organized person this spring due a lack of goat stand. But I am thinking that cheese looks mighty good:)

Kathy said...

See? Allena knows what she's doin'...first give you a taste of it, then it'll be some goats....LOL! Goat cheeses are wonderful!

Still having wheel problems? Let me at it, let me at it!!!! ;-) Maybe I should start looking to MO for sheep?

Tammy said...

I dodged the goat bullet once, (pre-Sheep era), so feel confident that goats are not in my future. :-) However whose to say a good milk-sheep or two wouldn't be handy to have around... I am toying with the idea of exprimenting with making cheese after following the link Allena left in her comment. I'd probably just use store bought milk at first (although, I might have a line, now on some fresh Dexter cow milk! ha...)
Oh, yeah, I think you need some Missouri Sheep Kathy---and my wheel needs you!
Tammy