HOW TO MAKE GOAT CHEESE and FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Thirty years ago when I first began milking my beautiful Nubian Dairy Goats, and drinking the milk           -raw- (gasp), I was constantly ridiculed about my life style. Yes, people couldn't imagine eating "Goat Cheese" or even fathom how wonderful and tangy freshly made yogurt tasted.

 You see, I knew that the food typically sold in the grocery store was not what I wanted to eat or serve my children.  Growing most of our food was a top priority on my list.

Goat cheese was a main stay, a quick cheese set with vinegar was easily made within a few minutes.  Squeeky Mozzerella still warm from the colander, sliced and layered between freshly picked tomatoes, sprinkled with basil, drizzled with olive oil and dash of mineral sea salt brought sighs of contentment.  Adding cheese and chopped herbs to the centers of squash blossoms, rolling them in batter and deep frying, was one of our favorite meals. 

"You eat what?"

"You mean you pick the blossoms and eat them?"

"You put goat cheese in them?"

I really tried to be patient with people and not let the comments get to me, but I just couldn't resist feeding them (we have lived in quite a few towns so no one will know for sure where) a delicious pasta salad filled with fresh veges from my garden and freshly made goat cheese!  We had gathered together for a potluck meal and several even told me how delicious my salad was.  I just smiled and said thank you, but thought to myself, "I wonder what they would think if they knew they were eating (gasp) "Goat Cheese".
Today I am sitting in a motel, I am fortunate to be taking a portrait painting class and I am exhausted.  For several days I have been standing hour after hour painting so intensely my head swims, I am  sitting on the bed with my aching feet propped up on a pillow.  What a great experience!!!! I learned so much, having the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest painters on earth is such an honor!
As I flip through the TV channels finding something to watch, I don't have cable so I always enjoy watching the home remodeling and food channels when I am out of town.  Tonight I am watching cooking competitions.  What, -------one of the contestants is being coached by some famous female chef, I don't remember her name, but guess what they are making------- fresh squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese, battered and fried----- and in the next show goat cheese was used again.  I know it has been the "in" thing in fancy restaurants for a while, and it sure is great to see it becoming main stream and offered in your local grocery store.  However, it just doesn't taste as good as your own home made.

How to make easy.
EASY GOAT CHEESE

Use regular vinegar to set the cheese.  Lemon juice will also work.

Heat the milk in a large stainless or enamel pan. Heat it over medium heat. 

I generally use 1 or 2 gallons.

When the milk is hot enough it will form a skin over top.  I usually let mine come to a boil and promptly remove from heat.  Let sit for about 5 minutes.  Add the vinegar and stir it in. I add 3/4 cup vinegar for each gallon of milk. The acid in the vinegar will immediately set the cheese.  Leave it to rest for an hour or more.

The acid separates the fat solids immediately.

In about an hour it will look like this.

Pour the cheese and whey into a colander placed over a large pan to catch the whey.  Use the whey in your cooking or feed it to your chickens.

The whey left over from making mozzarella cheese can be made into a ricotta cheese.

When the whey has sufficiently drained off, add sea salt.  Let the cheese sit overnight in the colander to continue to drain.  You can also place in a cheese cloth and hang if you prefer a denser, firmer cheese.  Keep refrigerated.  

For more of my easy quick cheese recipes check out the book Caprine Cooking 

by Mary Jane Toth

Recipe for STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS here

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING POWERED MILK HERE

Making your own POWDERED or DRIED milk

When I obtained my first Nubian Dairy Goats way back in the mid 80's, I began in earnest to learn all I could about ways to use the milk. Of course we drank it raw, I added it to the homemade soap I always had on hand, used it in all my cooking (didn't like it in a milk based soup however).  Made cheeses of all kinds and even experimented making powdered milk until I got it just right.  This was handy to have on hand during the few cold winter months I didn't have fresh milk.

  In the late 90's I submitted several of my favorite recipes using goat's milk to Mary Jane Toth, who was writing a cook book, the recipe for powdered milk was one of them. She accepted all the recipes and they were published in her book, "Caprine Cooking. "

Most everyone who has goats is aware of the book published by Story Publishing about raising goats. " Storey's Guide to RAISING DAIRY GOATS".    In the New Edition of the best-selling classic (pg.225), a reference is made to my recipe for dried milk taken from the Caprine Cooking cookbook . The authors' elude to the fact that they assume that the recipe works.  Well, I would like to assure everyone that it does work.  I showed my husband the reference to myself and the recipe and he just gave a snort and said  "Of course it works, you made it all the time!"

my husband with his favorite goat Diamond posing after they won
 Grand Champion and Best of Breed in an ADGA show

This is how I make Powdered or Dried milk:
Place 1 or 2 gallons of milk in a large double boiler.  Keeping the milk hot, but not boiling, the moisture (water) in the milk will eventually evaporate (in the form of steam).  This can take quite a while.  Keep an eye on the water in the bottom pan, you will need to add more water.  When the milk is the consistency of really thick cream, pour it into a large baking sheet and place in a low heated oven (about 250*) with the door left ajar.    When all moisture is removed the milk will be in a solid sheet.  Flip this out into a kitchen dish towel and then process in a food processor to make a powder.  Just pulse enough to break it up the large chunks.  Or simply crush it into a powder inside the dish towel.
Store in a tightly sealed glass jar. To use: soak 1 part milk solids with 4 parts water. Shake well to blend.

Here are a few suggestions.  I would use this within a few months if stored on a shelf.  For longer storage, up to 6 months, I would place the dried milk in a heavy freezer bag and store in the freezer.  I found that it tended to go a bit rancid (because of the protein solids) if left on the shelf to long.  If you have a cream separator I would suggest removing the cream from the goat's milk.  If using cows milk just let it set until the cream rises to the top and remove it.  I think this would keep it from going rancid.  I have not tried this however, but it seems logical.

I always free-fed my goats.  This allows them to produce greater quantities of milk, keeps them quiet, and I even have less hay waste by feeding whole bales outside the fence.

How to ensure the best milk production from your goats.  Keep them happy, always  rub behind their ears telling them how much you appreciate the delicious milk they give you.  Feed them the best quality, leafy hay you can find.  A goat can only produce according how they are fed....ample good feed, ample milk.  Also genetics play a part, but if you do not feed your goats a healthy ration, they will not have the ability to produce to their capacity. I feed them a corn and barley mix (without molasses) at milking time.  The above mentioned book has good information for grain rationing.  Always have a salt and mineral block available.