Locust Grove and the Great “Mistake”

When we arrived at Locust Grove, which is nestled in a somewhat suburban hillside of Knoxville, we found a dairy in a state of transition. Sheri Palko and her herd of all-star sheep are producing some great stuff. This past year she sold 6,000 pounds of cheese, about one third of her possible maximum production right now. That’s a big jump from the 35 pounds she produced her first year, which was not long ago at all. Sheri is now in the process of relocating the farm, relocating her home, and expanding her cheese production. Locust Grove has an incredible amount of momentum that has been accumulated after only a few years of milking.

Like the story at Everona Dairy, Sheri’s story begins with dogs. Back in the day she was a competitive exhibition dog trainer. She bought some sheep to do some exercises with her beloved canines. Next thing you know, the cheesemaker of Knoxville, Tennessee is born.

We rounded a corner behind her home and the house guard animal, a large mule, “HEE-HAWD” at us like crazy! Mules are guard animals! I had no idea. When those teeth are showing and those gums are flappin’ and the “HEE-HAWS!” and the imposing wide-legged stance—YIPES! If that fence wasn’t there I’d have been running like a jackrabbit!

Other farmers we have met seem to have a slight weariness about raising and milking sheep. The general thought is that sheep can be very delicate, prone to problems and not very productive. We asked Sheri what she thought of all this sheepishness toward sheep. “I think people have that misconception because they don’t have the patience to raise them properly,” she says. “It is very easy to over care for sheep,” she continues. That may sound too easy to believe, but her robust, productive, flourishing herd speaks for itself.

Along the way there was an accident that occurred at Locust Grove that much to Sheri’s surprise turned out to be an extraordinarily positive thing—a really great “mistake.” She had been breeding both Fresian and Tunisian sheep.

Fresians are typically the better milk producers and Tunisians are a bit heartier and require much less feed (and produce less milk). At the time, cross-breeding was not in her game plan. Until one day, a very excitable Tunisian ram escaped by jumping a fence and got one of the Fresian ladies pregnant. The result? Sheep that produce as much milk as Fresians but are much more cost effective. “Breeding Tunisian with Fresian produces sheep that lactate for 180 days on much less feed,” she explains. These super efficient cross-bred beauties work like magic.

Sheri is the kind of person that radiates success head to toe. She has a spark, outgoing positive energy and a zip that matches the bold and tasty zip found in her cheeses. Her “La Mancha,” a Manchego style cheese is sold at two ages, 60 days and 6 months. Both are really good. The six-month really has a nice complex tang and could easily be aged another six months. She also makes this interesting cheese called Cumberland, flavored with garlic, onion, sweet chiles and ginger. This cheese is unusual and really yummy. Of all the “flavored” cheese we’ve tried so far (which normally we’re not really into), this one is particularly satisfying. Sheri suggests grating Cumberland over a a pizza crust with nothing else, just O' Natural. Or try making a thinner, cheesy flatbread for an appetizer.

With Sheri we traded some cheese and said farewell. A day later we shared her La Mancha with a Spanish friend in Columbus Ohio who was really impressed. Give me a little Rioja, some olives and anchovies and Halehluja! Perfecto! We will look for this one in Cali. It’s pretty widely distributed.

I Wanna Be Your Goat!

If I had to come back in another life, I would want to return as one of Liza and William's goats. Specifically, I want to be a descendant of Polly, one of the four original goats and lead goat, who passes down the trait of freckled ears! They would feed me special treats like roasted peanuts throughout the day, set out buckets of hot water to drink and pet me all day long! For now, however, I am quite happy as a human being able to visit Ripshin Goat Dairy and hang out with Liza and her family. The cheese business is quite the family affair at Ripshin. William does the milkin’ and farm maintenance, Rachel, Liza’s daughter does the cheese makin’ and Liza does the sellin’ at all the farmer’s markets, not to mention all the spoilin’!

Liza welcomed us in to her home and a chance to wash up before we toured the farm. When we walked into her charming home (which was originally her grandparents’) we found the preparations for that night’s dinner ready in the kitchen; Scottish Salmon (Loc Duart maybe?), fresh, crisp lettuces, and a bubbling pot of Irish Colcannon on the stove. She had invited us to dinner AND to spend the night in their gorgeous apartment above the garage, a welcome treat for us weary travelers…

We walked out the back door and down the path toward the goats. The whole herd of Saanens were excited to see Liza as she cooed and cawed upon approach. Just as we arrived, Liza's niece and husband, William, had just started the evening milking.

Two by two they milked the entire herd, luring them out for the milking room with roasted peanuts (their favorite treat). After milking these very loved pets look forward to a drink of steaming hot water. It’s like high tea—goat style!…almost. Across from the milking room is the cheese making room where cheesemaker

Rachel does her magic. Inside was the day’s production; bags of fresh goat curd hung draining in cloths to create the perfect moisture level.

We walked back outside to say hello to the odorous and excited bucks. It is breeding season after all. Now that I think about it, Darren wears a similar smelling cologne called New

Buck! Pewf! We watched as the boys paraded up and down the fence trying to attract the flirting ladies!

Ripshin Goat Dairy sits amongst 500 acres of beautiful wooded North Carolina family land on which many other family members are scattered including Liza’s daughter Rachel and husband Serkan, her son Jesse and his wife Amy and her sister’s family.

We had a little bit of time until dinner still so we hopped into Liza’s car for a surprise excursion and drove across the street and up a dirt road and parked. From there walked down a dirt path to where Liza’s son raises his heirloom Tamworth pigs. These adorable red piggys will end up being some of the most delicious whey fed pork you will ever eat. As we supplied them their daily whey we heard “pop pop pop” not too far away. It is black powder season in North Carolina.

Liza had another treat in store for us--a sturgeon farm nearby still within the limits of her land! Can you say CAVIAR? Liza’s late brother developed a project farming sturgeon with the support of a state university. We got to sneak a peek in at these prehistoric looking fish in the pitch dark and we used our handy dandy cell phones to light up the pools of fish. The first tank contained the smaller sturgeon which were only about a foot long. As we moved down the row of corrugated steel tanks the fish got bigger, and bigger and bigger! The biggest ones looked like they were about 5 feet. At six years old these “little” fishies terrified me. I had to jump back from the pool several times in fear that they would jump out and bite me.

Back at the farm we settled in to our digs and then we gathered around the kitchen island for none other than our absolute most favorite delicious perfect never-get-old-even-after-two-weeks-of-having-it-straight cheese and wine. Liza put out some of their fresh cherve that Rachel had just made and we cracked open a bottle of Metz Gewürztraminer. With our dinner Liza shared with us a bottle of local chardonnay. Not too shabby North Carolina! And if we thought that the tender, rich salmon and buttery, rustic Colcannon couldn’t be matched, we were wrong because for dessert the freshly baked brownies topped with homemade citrus frozen yogurt was to die for. Our ice cream maker at home will again see the light of day for that recipe. And we definitely can’t keep this one to our selves so here it is:

2 3/4 cup of fresh raw cow's milk yogurt

1/4 cup of half and half

1/2 cup of lemon juice

zest of 1 or 2 lemons

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp vanilla

And use a seriously old school ice cream maker for best results!

On full, glorious bellies we slept like whey fed piglets. The next morning we leisurely packed our bags and packed up the car. Our exceedingly gracious host sent us on our way well prepared with a comforting breakfast of local granola, fresh goats milk and hot steaming coffee and tea. She packed us with a wheel of goats milk camembert for aging and bid us adieu. William keep on milkin’, Rachel keep on makin’ and Liza keep on sellin’ and we’ll keep on eatin’!

And Coming Up!

After our posts for Ripshin Goat Dairy and Locust Grove Farms, look for our visits to...

Capriole in Greenville, IN (counts as half visit cuz we just kinda showed up and bought cheese)

Bonnie Blue Farm in Waynesboro, TN

Full Quiver Farm in Kemp, TX

Mozzarella Company in Dallas, TX

p.s. We haven't really gotten to write much about our other "cheeseless" adventures while traveling but one small change, the Rennet-gade is had ! Bad, rumbling brakes and in need of an oil change we traded him in for a new baby. She is doing well is is a ton more comfortable. She has been baptized Big Bessie! Our horn might as well say "MOOOOOOOOOOVE"

Well Shoot! Makin' Cheese is Hard Work!

"Darren! Hurry up, we're gonna be late!

We got in to Galax, pronounced 'gay-lax,' very late and had decided to splurge on a hotel room at the Super 8. We have gotten a little too used warm beds and continental breakfast and haven't camped since. I pull the Belgian waffle out from under Darren, "You can finish this in the car!"

Ok, so I was a bit neurotic. But I was SUPER exited about visiting Meadow Creek Dairy. Grayson was the first cheese I ever ate at Casellula (when I was a customer). I didn't want to make a bad impression by being late. When we arrived, the milk was already being brought to temperature in the large, circular Dutch vats. Darren and I were given a pair of sterile, white rubber boots and were escorted into the cheese making room. WOW! yes WOW! We were going to watch first hand how cheese was made. How the "magic" happens! And guess what? We were going to watch Grayson being made! Whooopppp Whooopppp! (Really, I do make these sounds)

Helen is an exceptional cheesemaker who has her recipes perfected. The milk is handled as little as possible before going into the vat. After a 23 minute rennet the curd is cut. When the curd is ready, large buckets are used to scoop the curds and whey from the vat into the molds. The whey drains off and the curds settle. Then all of the molds need to be flipped at exactly the ten minute mark (or as close as possible) so it's a race. It took a team of 4 to make Grayson. One thing we learned clearly by watching this process is that incheesemaking timing is everything. If you are just one minute off not only with flipping, but with many other parts of the cheese make, the cheese will be all messed up. We broke a sweat just watching these ladies go! The physical energy is tremendous.

Meadow Creek makes two cheeses every day. The other cheese they were making that day was their Mountaineer which is the same exact milk prepared differently. In this case the curds are pressed in the vat, then cut into squares and then molded. Mountaineer is a harder cheese than Grayson and just as delicious.

Later in the day we were invited to take a ride with Rick in his pickup to see more of their mountainous property. He walked us right into the middle of a herd of cows as he talked. Watch out for the patties! The pastures are seeded with rye grass, clover, chicory and grazing turnips which give the milk character. Up the hill an intern whacked away some giant weeds with a machete.

When it comes to Grayson especially, Rick says this cheese is really made in the cave. That's how it gets it's distinctive nose and we agree with him when he says, "I don't see anything wrong with stinky!" In the cave there were many different cheeses including the harder and robust Appalacian and an experimental blue named after the second oldest river in the world (which happens to be right near their property) called New River Blue.

Rick was kind enough to share a lot of information with me about their cave. He and Helen have traveled all over the world seeking knowledge on the best way to build a cave appropriate for their cheese. There are a few important things he has discovered about cooling and keeping the humidity right. Unsealed concrete works really well for keeping the moisture level high. He has a water sprayer on a timer that sprays the walls. Consistent high humidity has been the key for avoiding ammonia—and it works. A room without corners at the ceiling is preferable because this helps to avoid any dripping and also is ideal for airflow. He uses fiberglass-reinforced plastic to round out the corners and has cold water flowing through pipes around the walls to keep the cave cool.

How did it all start? Helen has a passion for cooking and was spending a lot of time throughout the week preparing delicious meals for her family. So her husband suggested she use that time and love for cooking to do something that may make some money. Lots of trial and error, brilliant ingenuity and some delicious recipes and BOOM! Mind blowing, outrageous cheese glory!

Helen is still an amazing chef. We were invited to sit down for a incredible mid-day meal that included the whole staff including the team of young cheese making interns who have come from all over the world (South America, Thailand, The U.K.) to learn the art. Lunch consisted of fresh from the farm chicken, potatoes, lettuces, bread and cheese (all home grown and home made). Fresh delicious everything! Grayson and Appalachian were melted in these little mini pans on a Raclette grill and poured over the potatoes and the warm bread. These big family lunches are the norm at Meadow Creek, but for us it was far from anything ordinary. We feel honored to have shared a meal with this outstanding team of cheesemakers.

Helen’s favorite recipe to make with Grayson: Tarte de Flet

Boil white potatoes with skin on and then slice. Fry up bacon or your favorite pork product. Reserve excess fat to saute your onions. Chop bacon and combine it with the onions. Add a good amount of red wine to the onion-bacon mixture. Begin layering potatoes with the onions until you fill up your baking dish. Slice your Grayson thickly and lay it rind up on top of the potatoes. Cover with foil and cook on 425 until heated through and most of the cheese has melted. Remove from oven, take foil off and return to oven until the rind is crispy. Gently peel away crispy rind and serve. (You can also leave the rind on if you prefer.)

We spent six hours at Meadow Creek and learned so much. Talk about a dynamic duo! Helen and Rick are awesome and inspiring, especially to us. We look forward to returning the gesture of generosity down the road.

Community and the “Nexus of Sustainability”

When we arrived at Goat Lady Dairy in Climax, NC we were shocked by the number of cars lining the small country road. People everywhere! Eight hundred something! It was their Fall open house, a major community event where all types of natural meats, produce, mushrooms and hand made pottery were being sold.

At the top of a small hill rested the dairy overlooking a small pond, and a small vegetable garden. Inside people tasted a variety of goat’s milk treats including fresh spreadable chevre, walnut-smoked chevre, yogurt and “goatella.” We couldn’t get to the guy we wanted to talk to, the main man Steve Tate, because he was so popular!

found him in a pen with ten goats and a big audience. With a bright projecting voice and almost tearful nostalgia he described the experience of watching the youngsters in the community grow up around him. At one point Suzy, one of the more “neurotic” goats, gave him a powerful head butt to the rear sending him forward stirring up big laughs all around.

There were volunteers, neighbors, friends, children all connected by the same enthusiasm for real, delicious natural food. “We do this because we feel like it’s our mission in life,” he says. With an intently listening audience he stood their answering questions and educating people on cheesemaking, clarifying the myths about goat cheese, and emphasizing the importance of sustainability.

We were looking for some cheese that was aged and harder so we went up to a guy who looked

like he was somewhat in charge to ask. Bingo! It was actually Steve Tate’s son Nate. He was nice enough to grab some Old Liberty (a raw cow’s milk specialty they make in limited amounts from a neighbors cow’s milk) from his secret stash. For a while we talked with him about the day’s event. “The community has made this a nexus for sustainability and that whole movement.” There was a sense that Goat Lady Dairy was something much bigger than just a place where they make cheese. The level of pride in having created this community is what we really noticed in Nate.

After the whole crowd had left we had a chance to sit on the rocking chairs in front of the Dairy with Steve and his family. He told us about their new invention they call “Goatella,” like Nutella only made with goat cheese. It was totally gone by the time we had arrived (only one hour into the open house) so we asked for the recipe. Here it is: Mix together 5 lbs. fresh chevre, 2.5 cups sugar, 1.5+ cups of cocoa, 2-3 Tbsp vanilla, 1 Tbsp Hazelnut essence. If you stir it too much it will get frothy so stir slowly and gently. There it is—Goatella!

A Jaunt to Chapel Hill

We were lucky enough to arrange a quick visit to Chapel Hill Creamery in North Carolina. Both Flo Hawley and Portia McKnight just recently returned from a trip to Italy with minds full of new ideas and inspiration about cheese. There to greet them was their closed herd of Jersey cows who are primarily pasture fed and are minimally supplemented with soy and minerals to round out their diet. Originally in 2001 when things were just beginning there were only 9 cows on the land. Today, Flo and Portia are operating at almost full capacity utilizing most of their 37 acres of pastureland.

They milk their 22 cows twice every day and usually make cheese five days a week. Originally they only breeded in the spring, but to grow their heard and cheese production they needed more cows. So they decided to have two breeding seasons in order to maintain optimal milking conditions for consistent, year round cheese making.

When we arrived Flo was hard at work in cheese making room but was able to slip away for a moment to chat while until Portia arrived to show us around the farm. She first pointed out that many of the cows were actually pregnant. Cows are like humans when it comes to gestation. A good 9 ½ months after conception, bunches of bouncing baby Bessies will be roaming around the paddocks. Only a few newborns are kept and they rest are sold to other frams. The Chapel Hill Herd is left outdoors year round with the exception of just a few of the coldest days of the winter.

As for their indoor facilities we were able to tour the milking salon and peek in at the milk room and cheese making room. We found out that Solar panels heat the pasteurization tanks. Not only is this better for the environment but it actually increases the efficiency. They have 3 caves in the cheese making room. One is dedicated as a cold room and the other two are for aging. Because of our timing, we were unable to see inside then, however, Portia was kind enough to go in and pull out some of the goods for us to see.

The ladies of Chapel Hill make 6-7 types of cheese. Their most popular may be their mozzarella and now with their very own mozzarella stretcher they can keep it comin' with a bit ease. They also make a bloomy 1 pound camembert style cheese, feta, farmers cheese and a raw milk gruyere pictured below.

At the moment Darren and I are enjoying the Hickory Grove that Portia sent us home with (well to the campground really.) She suggested we wait it out a few days before we dug into it. It was hard but we were patient. And patience pays off. It's PERFECT!

It has been a few days since our visit and now we're in the middle of Kentucky at a Super8, our plastic knife in hand, and we gently cut through the healthy, thick rind only to find pure satisfaction in texture and taste. Gooey (not oozy) near the rind and a tad bit firmer in the center. The quality and freshness of the milk is the first thing that stands out, followed by a slight saltiness and an agreeable tang.

As we were leaving the creamery that day we asked Portia what she would serve with the Hickory Grove, or any of their other cheeses for that matter and she replied, “They’re just good on their own. That’s how you taste them the best.” We concur.

Rona Sullivan and the Reign of Terroir

Oh Rona! Where to begin? How can WE do YOU justice? This is what I struggle with at the moment. Should I begin with the cheese and your ancestral artisanal ways? Darren chants softly near me, “Clear and concise…Clear and concise.” Aaaahhhhhhh! I’m tryin’.

There couldn’t possibly be a more generous, more enthusiastic, more warm-hearted soul then Rona Sullivan of Bonnyclabbler Country Cheese and it permeates with vivid expression into her work. Her goat cheese, made from a herd of only five goats, is made without added cultures or rennet, something very unusual and rustic. The taste is exquisite: rich, bold, tangy and incredibly clean. Rona is committed to her “old school” cheesemaking technique which is inspired by her family’s Irish hometown traditions. She is a rebel in this world of artisanal cheese, a hidden gem and an excellent host.

"We can’t have brunch without flowers!” Rona says as she gathers wild flowers from her front yard. We followed her inside to her kitchen not quite knowing what to expect since this is only our second dairy visit but were soon awed. It was like talking to an old friend. Her knowledge is deep and rich and she was eager to share. Cheese, honey, fresh baked bread and crisp rainbow chard filled the kitchen.

The majority of our visit was talking about Bonnyclabber over breakfast. She showed us how to make Easy Southern Biscuits all the while sharing information about her cheese making process and commitment sustainable living. “As long as we can keep the farm no matter what happens—illness, hurricanes--that’s what sustainable is to me.”

She produces her own honey, soap (including the lye), eggs, bread, fruit preserves and maintains a diverse vegetable garden. Guard dogs and Lamas (which are also guard animals! who knew?) protect her property from coyotes and foxes. Her goal is to one day be completely sustainable throughout the year.

We asked her about a recipe that included her cheese and Rona referred us to her son Cole. An excellent cook and musician, Cole made us a stovetop, cast iron frittata we call Cole’s “Sandy Bottom” Eggs.

The Recipe: Cole began by whipping up farm fresh eggs with a little milk. To this mixture he adds a rainbow of vegetables including coarsely chopped red swiss chard, green bell pepper, purple onions and aromatic basil. Then most importantly he crumbles Bonnyclabber Sandy Bottom goat milk cheese into this heavenly concoction and it now stands ready for the cast iron skillet. The thick, frittata like egg omelet is cooked solely on the stove stop, being turned once for even cooking. Cole slices and plates the eggs where they are joined by biscuits topped with butter and either homemade honey, or Crazy Lady Preserves (Mmmm, or both!)

We sit down for breakfast at the Sulivans’ table where an array of 5 goat cheeses, fresh whey bread, and steaming hot coffee await. While enjoying our fabulous breakfast Rona shows us how she makes cheese, bustin’ out a presentation board with her process diagramed and illustrated from beginning to end. My favorite part in her process is when she tastes the curd to determine what cheese IT wants to be. If the curd is a little sharper, it will be made into Tidewater. If the curd is a bit sweeter she will make Moonshine or another cheese that wants sweeter curd. “This is the Rein of Terroir!” she says. The milk tells her what cheese it wants to be.

When it comes to molding time Rona sees no need in buying fancy French molds. Instead, she finds cool shaped containers around the house that could be used as molds. For her ashed rind cheese, Virginia Belle, she uses a French stylye coffee glass, and for one of her soaps she uses a Hershey’s Cocoa Tin as a mold. Talk about recycling and reusing!

I have to say that one of the highlights of this visit was a personal mini concert during out meal by Cole. In traditional Irish style we were serenaded with two original songs that made our visit more personal and enjoyable than we could have ever imagined. Check out more of Cole's tunes at www.colemusic.net.

We ended our outing by touring the unique facility where all of the magic happens. A 12x24 Grade A facility where the hand milking, making and aging of Bonnyclabber occurs. Rona sent us on our way with an entire basket of goodies including goat’s milk soaps, honey, fresh bread, “crazy lady fruit preserves,” cheese and more.

We left transformed. The Sullivans are a remarkable family on a remarkable mission. We feel the need to offer so many thanks and we hope to visit them again sometime down the road.

Holy Sheeeep!

Everona Dairy was outstanding. The stars of the show are Dr. Pat Elliot and her daughter-in-law, cheesemaker extraordinaire Carolyn Wentz. What a lady! She can fix a car, build a house, raise two beautiful kids and make fabulous cheese. Everything is farmstead and artisanal--handmade top to bottom. Their herd of 150 alfalfa-fed, Friesian sheep are milked twice daily and produce some super-delish milk.

Their flagship cheese is their Piedmont which is aged 60 days before going to market. It is slightly nutty, sweet and tangy with subtle alfalfa notes near the rind. This is a harder cheese that can easily be aged for more than two years for crystally, heavenly goodness. The cheesemaker’s favorite pairing with this raw-milk, natural rind beauty is apples. Either fresh or cooked down with some sugar, Carolyn says this is the perfect match.

Our two-hour tour was detailed and so much fun. Oscar, Carolyn’s adorable two-year-old son (and milking apprentice) was with us for much if it and so was Julie the sheep/guard dog. Carolyn is warm and has such a great sense of humor. The high quality of all of their cheeses, from unique blues to unusual sheep’s milk cheddar are no doubt products of her hard work and love for her craft. “We don’t get much sleep around here,” says Carolyn with an exasperated, yet beaming smile. She is a strong woman and there is much about her worth admiring.

Everona is in the process of expanding production to meet demand. They sell at about 15 local markets and ship coast to coast. April through June is peak season. The have some very interesting washed rind cheeses that are soaked in either Dr. Elliot’s home made beer (YUM!), or a very locally produced red wine. Their facility is impeccably clean and their cave is absolutely pristine.

Carolyn’s favorite recipe with their Piedmont:

Grate some cheese (coarse) into a nice little mountain. Get a frying pan good and hot. Take a 1-2 tablespoon pinch of the cheese and put it right in the center (no oil) of the pan. Let it melt down until it gets a little bit bubbly and golden brown on the bottom. Flip it over for about another 45 seconds. Remove from the pan and let cool. It should be crispy and golden on both sides. Top it with a smear of basil pesto and some diced (preferably heirloom) tomatoes. We recommend dressing the tomatoes with some lemon, salt and a drop of olive oil. What a treat! And, yes, we made this ourselves...I’m gainin’ on ya Fraser!

Tomorrow bright and early we head out to Wake, VA to see the super-friendly people at Bonnyclabber. They’ve invited us for brunch! Are cheesemakers the nicest people, or what? In the afternoon we zip down to Chapel Hill to meet with the superstar cheesemakers there.

Funniest thing that happened today: Darren nearly took a little more of the farm with him than he wanted too. Luckily, there was half a popsicle stick to pick it out. Hello thinning hair! ouch.

p.s. Car is named...Renet-gade, aka Renny G.