A few years ago, we started hearing about a trend in California cheese-making called “farmstead cheese.” The term brings to mind a farmer on his three-legged stool, milking his cows and then taking the milk and cream to his wife. She, and her four or five bonneted children, make the farmstead cheese with an old churn and wooden molds, probably in an old red barn with a few cats roaming around.
Not exactly. Though the term is decidedly old-fashioned, the industry is new and modern. A farmstead cheese is an “artisan” cheese that must meet certain standards: it must be handmade in small quantities and it must be produced on the farm using only milk from the herd located on that farm. The farmstead producer, in other words, directs the entire cheesemaking process, from choosing the cow’s feed through final aging of the cheese. This appeals on a lot of levels: quality control, pride in the product and control of the final taste.
In 1997, California had only three farmstead cow’s milk cheesemakers.
Today, there are a dozen producers with more entering the field every year.
At a time when the value of agricultural products is mostly staying even or declining, farmstead cheese makers are attempting to add value to their basic product: milk.
While the amount of farmstead cheese is a very small portion of the 1.5 billion pounds of cheese produced in the state last year, farmstead cheeses glamorize the image of all California cheese. In fact, our state’s farmstead cheesemakers have been winning national and international awards left and right, with many being won by the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company located in Point Reyes. I love their Original Blue which has a creamy bite all its own. Fiscalini Farms’ San Joaquin Gold is another favorite. This dairy farm in the San Joaquin Valley has won many awards for its flavored cheddars. The family brings generations of Swiss experience to its cheeses.
If you’d like to try a farmstead cheese, you’ll need to look in specialty cheese shops or gourmet grocery stores like Dorothy McNett’s in Hollister, Whole Foods, Draeger’s, Andronico’s and sometimes Trader Joe’s. If you’re in San Francisco, spend an hour at the refurbished Ferry Building and stop by the great little cheese shop. It’s chock full of farmstead cheese.
When you’re looking for farmstead cheese, look for that wording on the label and the California Milk Advisory Board’s seal of approval. If your favorite market is not yet carrying farmstead cheese, ask for it. After all, consumers generally get whatever high quality items they’re willing to pay for.
– Easy cheese hors d’oeuvre: This cheese recipe is a cinch to make, but gets rave reviews. Last time I served it, we ate outdoors on a deck and speared the delicacies off of a huge platter with our forks. Serve with sliced baguette rounds to mop up the balsamic sauce.
Aged Gouda with Balsamic Reduction
2 cups balsamic vinegar
8 tsp. sugar
12 small wedges of aged Gouda
12 tender spears steamed asparagus
Watercress or Italian flat-leafed parsley for garnish
In small saucepan over high heat, bring vinegar to simmer. Continue cooking until vinegar is reduced to 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Whisk in sugar; set aside to cool. For each serving, put three spears of steamed asparagus and three wedges of aged Gouda on a plate (or serve as above from a large platter). Drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction. Garnish with watercress or parsley.
– Sunday recipe: These next two recipes come from Antonio Del Buono School’s cookbook, “Recipes as easy as ABC’s.” Parents, teachers and friends have contributed recipes ranging from Ukrainian Stew to Swedish Coconut Gems. In between are plenty of American favorites, too. The cookbook may still be available from the home and school club, 9300 Wren Ave. in Gilroy.
This first recipe is Karen Haas’ idea of a large piece of meat for a hungry crowd. The cooking time for this dish is 2 to 2 1/2 hours, so choose a lazy day like Sunday. Invite your family and/or friends to share. Serve over hot noodles.
Haas Beef Roast
3 to 3 1/2 lb. beef chuck pot roast
2 T. flour
2 tsp. beef bouillon
Dash or garlic powder
2 bay leaves
2 onions, sliced
1/2 cup catsup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Trim meat fat and heat fat in skillet to get 2 T. liquid. Coat meat with flour and brown in fat liquid. Place in baking pan and add bouillon, 1 1/4 cups hot water and garlic powder. Place onions on and around meat. Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees. Remove bay leaves. Mix catsup, brown sugar and lemon juice and pour over beef. Cover and bake 30 to 45 minutes more.
– I also like the sound of this next one: Million Dollar Pasta. The ingredient list is short and the ingredients – feta cheese and Greek olives – are some of my favorites. This recipe is from Armida Villalobos.
Million Dollar Pasta
2 to 3 lbs. Roma tomatoes
8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and torn
4 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped
25 Greek olives, pitted
1 lb. penne pasta
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Core, seed and dice tomatoes into a large bowl. Add the cheese and basil; mix gently. Add olives, garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar. Stir to coat all ingredients. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes while you cook the pasta. Drain pasta and return to cooking pot. Toss the sauce into the hot pasta; cover and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.
– Restaurant reviews: Summer is almost here. It’s time to do our regular restaurant review column. If you’ve eaten at a restaurant you like in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Tres Pinos or other cities nearby, please tell us all about it. Give me a short review. Include restaurant name, city and what you liked. Send to: [email protected] or mail to The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, 95021.
Happy cooking!
“Man cannot live by bread alone. But woman can.” ~ Victoria Estern
Jenny Midtgaard Derry is the Executive Director of the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau. Write to her c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, 95021. E-mail: [email protected].
