Goats Do Roam

I am very excited about the thrilling weekend I have just had! I traveled to Whitehorse where I finally got to do a much anticipated cheese making workshop on Saturday. Then on Sunday, I visited the goat farm, the Lendrum Ross Farm, which produced the milk. It was an “udderly” fantastic weekend! Hardy har har! Not only was I opened up to the  intriguing world of cheese making, not only did I stuff myself full of the most delicious cheese I’ve had in recent memory, not only did I get to cuddle the most adorable little creatures ever to roam God’s green earth, I met some kind-hearted, knowledgeable and welcoming kindred spirits in my quest for ethical eating. 

The cheese making course (offered through Yukon College) was expertly instructed by Tina Ratay, a farming partner of the Lendrum Ross Farm. Tina is a foodie, chef, cheese maker extraordinaire. During the course of our workshop, she explained the history of cheese making, the chemistry behind it and the process of making cheese from farm to table. We then made mozzarella and paneer. She also showed us different ways to present and eat the cheese.

Cheese making is surprisingly a lot easier than you may think. You can make paneer that is ready to eat in a matter of minutes with 2 ingredients. Mozzarella takes a bit longer but is quite straight forward. The recipes that we used in the course originate from number of different recipes that Tina has taken bits and pieces of and perfected. Tina also showed us how to add different flavours to the mozzarella by kneading or rolling different spices and seeds into the cheese. Add the end of the class we had a cheese feast! I did not hesitate to lead the charge to the table or go back for seconds!

I was very interested to learn that the flavour of the cheese actually comes more from the cultures used rather than the type of milk. The mozzarella had no hint of "chèvre" in it. In fact, the average person would not be able to tell that the mozzarella was made from goat's milk as opposed to any other type of milk. What you would be able to note is that it is unlike any run of the mill cheese in its freshness and lack of processing.

Formed mozzarella balls in the foreground.
Flatten mozzarella sprinkled with Za'atar
(a Middle Eastern spice mixture)
about to be rolled.

Brined Mozzarella

1. Heat 4L of milk in a sterilized stainless steel pot.
2. Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid into 1/4 cup cool water.
3. At 13 degrees Celsius, add citric acid mixture to milk, stirring in an up and down motion until well incorporated.
4. Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of liquid rennet into 1/4 cup cool water.
5. At 30 degrees Celsius, add rennet mixture to milk, again stirring in an up and down motion.
6. When the solution reaches approximately 38 degrees C, you will see a separation of curds from the whey. Turn off heat. Note: The curds are the solids. The whey is the milky liquid.
7. Scoop curds into a bowl.
8. Press curds into manageable sized balls, squeezing out as much whey as possible.
9. Heat a small pot of water with about 1/3 cup of coarse salt.
10. Drop in the balls of cheese. The water level should just cover the balls of curd.
11. When the water reaches 60 degrees Celsius, remove balls again squeezing out as much whey as possible.
12. Return balls to salt water and continue heating.
13. When the water reaches 74 degrees Celsius, the balls of curd will be soft. Pull and stretch the balls until glossy and smooth. 
14. Form the balls into desired shape and drop into a pan of cold water, place pan in fridge and let them sit until firm. 
15. Dissolve 1/2 cup of coarse salt into 1 litre of cold water in a large jar. Add the finished balls of mozzarella and brine for 8 hours, shaking from time to time. 
16. Remove balls from brine, and allow to dry uncovered, on a plate for 8 hours (refrigerated). After 8 hours, flip over and dry other side for 8 hours more. At this point, the balls can now be used immediately, wrapped for future use or even frozen for further into the future use. Simply refrigerated, the cheese will last 3 weeks or more. You can also skip the brining step and enjoy the mozzarella fresh. It will slice but not shred easily and is like bocconcini.

Mozzarella marinated in olive oil, garlic & lemon zest. Yum!

Mini Mozzarella, Basil & Cherry Tomato Skewers.

Various flavoured mozzarella. Some with seeds, others with
Za'atar.

Paneer

1. Heat 4L of milk in a sterilized stainless steel pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 
2. When at a boil, turn down the heat and add 3-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The milk should curdle at this point. If it doesn’t curdle, add some more vinegar tablespoon by tablespoon until it does. 
3. Spoon the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander. 
4. For making a pressed paneer, lay the cheesecloth and curd bundle onto a cutting board, put the ends of the cloth to one side and cover with a plate and add a weight on top, pressing the curd into a patty. Tilt the cutting board so that it drains into a sink. Unwrap curd and cut into slices. It can be used in stews and curries, fried or eaten fresh. It does not last longer than a day or two even if refrigerated.

Pressed Paneer

There are several online resources and books should you choose to try it out on your own, however, I would greatly recommend taking a class. It was very beneficial to have an expert in the room, readily available to answer any and all questions as you went! I will certainly be procuring some vegetable rennet and goat's milk in order to re-create this at home.

You may recall me having mentioned the Lendrum Ross Farm in a previous post. They are the Yukon’s only (as far as I know) goat farm and fabricators of goat cheese. Tina has worked with them for a number of years. When I first contacted Brian Lendrum to ask about the availability of their cheese and to enquire about cheese making courses, he invited me out to the farm to meet the goats. After signing up for the cheese course and knowing the specific dates I would be in town, I contacted him to take him up on his offer. 

On Sunday, on my way back up to Dawson, I stopped by their idyllic little farm located on Lake Laberge. Brian, whom I had only previously corresponded with via email and Susan, who I had met the day before at the cheese course, were gracious and enthusiastic hosts. 

Baby goats hanging out.

Upon arrival, they took me straight away to see the herd. It was a beautiful spring day and the goats were mostly lounging in the sun outside their shelter. In the past couple of weeks, the majority of the goats had had their kids. There were 27 little babies, frolicking, sleeping, playing, calling out to each other, chewing their cud, and trying to get a little milk from momma. The dozen or so adults were equally enjoying the pleasant weather. I haven’t spent too much time around goats but what instantly struck me was their huge personality. They are smart, playful and fiercely individual. I was smitten. I loved holding and petting the sweet little babies as Brian and Susan answered my millions of questions. After awhile, the whole lot of them headed out to the hills for an afternoon stroll.

After spending some quality time with the goats, Brian and Susan showed me where and how they milked the goats. They do it all by hand! Then they showed me the rest of their farm. They also grow organic vegetables for market and keep chickens. Later they took me to the cheese making kitchen. What is especially impressive is that Brian and Susan live off the grid. They have solar panels and occasionally a generator for all their power needs, which include an electric fence! 

Then we went in for coffee and lemon bars and chatted about several topics: raising chickens, raising pigs, ethical food, goose rillettes, France, teaching, gardening, living off the grid, hunting, farmer’s markets, Dawson. Before I knew it, over 2 hours had passed and it was time for me to get on the road. Not, however, before Susan loaded me up with several kale recipes and French books. It was a delightful afternoon, one that I will cherish forever. 

I know I’m gushing a bit here. But really! Who knew that at the end of that little dirt road that I’ve passed on the highway so many times before, never thinking twice of, would have opened its doors to me and unleashed such a degree of magic and inspiration. Ever since, I’ve found myself dreaming about quitting my job and taking up goat farming and cheese making. Now, I know there’s a lot more to it than what I could possibly take in in the space of a couple hours. It is not easy work. But it is so important. For those who farm sustainably, humanely and with such love, my respect and admiration is huge. I look forward to returning soon. Thank you.

Goats heading off for a walk.