Homemade Goat Cheese

A good friend of mine recently gave me several gallons of fresh goat milk straight from her farm. Now, if you have been keeping up with my previous posts you will know that I love goat products and am a huge advocate of incorporating them into your diet. I was excited because this milk was local, raw, organic, and was particularly pungent smelling. My mind immediately went into goat cheese mode and there it stayed for the rest of the afternoon.

The recipe that I am sharing with fun, easy, and results in an absolutely fabulous cheese. Of course, if you can’t find any locally produced, raw goat milk then it is perfectly fine to buy pasteurized milk from the store. If goat products aren't your thing then cow or sheep milk will work just the same, just make sure it has full fat content. As I have mentioned before, goat milk can be a great alternative to cow milk. It has a far lower lactose level making it easier to digest for most people. It is also a great source of protein and calcium.

Homemade Goat Cheese:

Prep and Cook Time: 2 hours

Tools and Ingredients:

1 gallon goat milk

Salt to taste

1/4 cup lemon juice

Large cooking pot

Several layers of cheesecloth

Strainer

2 large bowls

Food processor (optional)

Candy thermometer (optional)

Pour the gallon of milk into the large pot and heat over a medium flame.

Allow the milk to heat to about 180-185 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer handy, you can just let the milk cook until little white bubbles start to form and the top becomes frothy (this is the point right before the milk starts to boil).

Once the milk has reached this point, stir in the lemon juice and let stand for about five minutes. The milk will begin to curdle and become a bit thicker on the top.

Place two layers of cheese cloth over your strainer and set into one of your bowls. Carefully pour the contents of you pot into the strainer. Once you have emptied the pot, you should be left with two items- the curds in your strainer and the whey in the bowl.

Don't throw out the whey! You can keep it and use it after you have made your cheese. Here is a link to a website with lots of ideas for the leftover whey: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.html

Take your curds in the cheesecloth and tie off the section into a ball, leaving a bit of free cloth at the top to hang. Let this bundle hang over a bowl and drip out the remaining whey drops for about 1- 1 1/2 hours. You can set this up in your sink, counter top, or any convenient place in your home. 

After about an hour, remove the cheesecloth bundle and open it's contents. You will be left with a ball of soft, crumbly cheese similar to queso fresco. Turn into a bowl and mix in some salt to taste. You can get creative with the flavor of your goat cheese by adding your favorite herbs and spices.

If you prefer crumbly cheese, then your adventure with the goat milk will end here. However, if you want a cheese with a creamy consistency,  put the cheese into a food processor and blend until creamy.

Eat liberally on bread, salad, fruit, or whatever your palate desires!

Nice to Meet You! Have Some Soup.

It’s all about stayin’ fresh and keepin’ it real.  Healthy, seasonal, whole foods. No chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, unpronounceable additives, or heavy refining. Just good quality food as locally sourced and seasonal as you can manage.  

The fact of the matter is, whether you like it or not, the food you eat affects you inside and out. From obesity to mental health, many of the health problems humans face today are related to the diet they choose. If you eat great quality food everyday it will positively add to your overall well being. If you eat crappy, heavily processed food as your main source of sustenance,you are bound to run into problems down the road. 

The Flavor Effect is here not only to encourage you lovely readers to think differently about the choices you make when it comes to the food that you buy, but to also get into the kitchen and try out some new recipes that are sure to impress your taste buds. Whether it’s your New Years resolution to learn how to cook or you are an avid foodie who is constantly on the search for some new flare for your recipe repertoire, this blog is for you. I'll be sprinkling each post with some nutritional information and health benefits that I have acquired through my personal experiences and research. 

So, with that being said, let's kick off this blog with a lovely winter dish!

Creamy & Garlicky Parsnip Leek Soup w/ Lemon and Thyme:

It's winter time and a perfect season to hang out and warm yourself up in the kitchen. Although the bountiful autumn harvest is behind us, there is still plenty of delicious produce to choose from this time of year. One of my favorite root vegetables, the parsnip, is in full swing! I love parsnips because of their unique flavor- sweet, almost buttery, and a tad bit spicy. They are also a great source of dietary fiber and rich in potassium and vitamin C. Instead of going with the more common recipe for potato leek soup, I wanted a dish with a bit more of an edgy sensation and the parsnip definitely brings that to your palate. Leeks are also abundant this time of year, are high in fiber and rich in vitamin A. I'm not shy about using garlic in this soup, or for that matter, really any recipe that has garlic in it. Garlic is one flavor that takes your dish from boring to brilliant in just a few quick stokes of a knife. The lemon and thyme are lovely subtle additions that really make this soup sing. I use goat milk to create a creamy texture and flavor because it's a lot lower in lactose than cow dairy, but if you absolutely can't handle any dairy you could use coconut milk instead. It would change the flavor profile of the soup but would make for an excellent substitution. 

Prep and Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 medium parsnips
• 2 medium leeks
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1 quart chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you prefer)
• 2 cups goat milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice and zest from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced + several sprigs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon salt (or more if desired)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Begin by cutting the parsnips into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Place in a medium pot and add about two inches of water to the bottom of the cubes. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until thoroughly tender and almost fall apart when you stick a fork into them. 

While you are waiting for the parsnips, cut the leeks width-wise creating little rings using only the white end parts. *Do not discard the rest of the green stalks and leaves up top! Those can be sauteed and used for future meals. The white part is used in this recipe purely for aesthetic reasons since it will be blended up with the parsnips and will be similar in color.*

Using a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil over  a medium flame and add the leek rings. Cook until leeks become translucent. 

Once the parsnips are cooked, transfer to a food processor or blender and add 2 cups of the chicken broth, all 8 garlic cloves, and cooked leeks. Blend until thoroughly smooth.

Place mixture into a large soup pot and add remaining broth, the goat milk, thyme, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. 

Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes then reduced to low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. 

Garnish with thyme sprigs and enjoy!