<< Back to main

First cold winds of winter hasten demise our milk supply AND Cajeta for the Markets

Posted 12/8/2011 9:53pm by Leslie Cooperband or Wes Jarrell.

The cold winds of winter bringing a skiff of snow tonight make it ever so hard to convince the does to come into the parlor to be milked. Every week, a few more peel off the milk line, drying themselves up before we have made the decision to pull the proverbial plug. Their fur coats are thickening and stand on end in the morning when the air is moist and cold. This gives them an exaggerated appearance of being "with child." Speaking of pregnant, we had the vets come out yesterday to ultra-sound the does to confirm their pregnancies and estimate their due dates. Lots and lots of easy confirmations--it went so fast this year compared to years past; further proof that March 2012 will be a busy month indeed. Despite their increasing reluctance to be milked and their waning milk volume, we will continue to coax them into the milking parlor for a little while longer so we can supply you (our customers) with plenty of cheese for the holidays.
Jemimah the donkey continues to feel more comfortable at the farm. She has started to make soft braying sounds whenever someone comes into the barn. She's even showing some "donkey attitude." She gets carrot treats at least twice a day in the hopes of winning her over. She got her vet checkup and vaccinations yesterday--good bill of health except for a few teeth that will need to be "floated" (that's equine terminology for having her teeth filed down--boy do I have a lot to learn about horses and donkeys!!).

This Saturday, I'll be at the Urbana's Holiday Market inside Lincoln Square Mall from 8AM to 1PM. I've got a great line up of cheeses to offer our market patrons this week:

Fresh chevre, of course--plain, herbs de Provence and cracked black peppercorn
Angel Food--this is the last of the season of our goat milk brie, so get it while it lasts
Little Bloom on the Prairie-super luscious goat milk camembert--perfect for holiday parties
Moonglo--our early fall batches are coming ripe now, so we should have plenty for your holiday needs
Kaskaskia-our hard, raw sheep milk cheese that has been aging for about six months, slightly salty and somewhat nutty, it's perfect for grating over those winter stews and roasted veggies

Back by popular demand for this week and next week's markets, our chef Alisa's "Cajeta de Leche de Cabra" aka goat milk caramel sauce. We have both 4 oz. and 8 oz. jars for sale. It goes great on fresh fruit or ice cream or any other sweet concoction you can dream up. Makes a great gift for the sweet tooth on your gift list too.