Inspirational!

It's funny how things go. I got the cows to make my own cheese. It wasn't really going anywhere as I had no fridge to age it in at the correct temperature. About eight weeks ago I scored a fridge from the in laws that started off a little chain reaction that has got me fired up about making cheese.

It started with the fridge, but about the same time I opened up the new paddocks and with the new tasty grass Laf started producing up to 6L of milk a day. Meant the pressure to use that milk increased.

I had a success where I previously failed. My first attempt at feta was miserable. Fell apart. So I left it for a while, but with the extra milk I really needed to have another crack because it is a midweek cheese, one I can make in a nights timeframe. This time it came out fantastic and I haven't looked back. We use a lot of feta and I haven't bought any for almost a month now. The marinated one I am doing in lemon zest and herbs is particularly tasty.

This weekend though was where it all came to a point where I think I am really, really hooked. We were going to a family wedding in Byron and I threw in one of the first Bries that I was confident would be good. I thought it would be a nice thing to have on the weekend. I was also nervous. I really wanted it to be ok. Not mind blowing, just good enough to make me keen to keep trying. It was better than that.




Soft and creamy on the inside with good flavour. Maybe a bit too much rind, but I've already learnt a trick to stop that. I was very happy. However I had hooked up a meeting at the Bangalow markets with Justin from Bangalow Cheese the next morning so I snagged a piece for him to try and stashed it away.




The next morning The Wife and her Dad huddled under the market tents buying veg while I picked Justin's brain while a parade of people came past to buy my cheese. He thought by cheese was a pretty good go and gave me some fantastic tips and knowledge while I was there. Knowing my butter troubles he even gave me some of his fantastic cultured butter to try. I can't thank him enough, it was just a great boost to be able to talk to a professional, let alone one that's just won multiple awards at a cheese show.

I was even more fired up about cheese making. In two weekends time I'll be doing my Cheesemaking course and when I came home this morning what did I find at the postbox? My cheesemaking book I ordered with lots of new recipes. Today I'm making some Castle Blue.



Later I hope to solve the problem of the upcoming milk gap and considering the roll I'm on this weekend, maybe I'll come home with a cow!


- Lantanaland from my iPad

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