It's hot but there's always room for cheese
The mercury topped out at 101 degrees F this afternoon, and the heat index fluttered around 113, but there was a breeze. This is the kind of weather that puts my hair on end worrying about the goats, especially our "geriatric" girls. We have several fans blowing on them, and they can decide where they want to be throughout the day--inside the barn, out in the dry lot, out in the pasture or parked under a hay feeder--it's their choice. I checked on them every few hours and several of the does were buried half way up in the straw bedding to keep cool. Katie, one of our older La Mancha does, had her whole body directly in front of one of the strongest blowing fans. Chippewa (Chippy) was out running in the pasture much to my surprise. Chocolate had her jaw submerged in the waterer when I checked on them this afternoon. The kids sought shade under the eaves of the barn. Everyone drank LOTS of water. I decided to give the kids new collars and name tags this morning, and by the end, my coveralls covered in hoof prints, I succumbed to the onslaught of kid jumping, hair eating and earring pulling.
My reward for trying to keep them in line.
Farmers' Markets
This week, we have two farmers' markets to attend: Urbana and Chicago's Green City Market. Given the forecast of heat, I strongly recommend you bring coolers with ice packs to the market so you can buy cheese (and gelato in Urbana) without worry. Even in the "dog-days" of summer, cheese is a coveted food (Drummer, the Blue Moon Farm Dog, quivers longingly for a bite of Angel Food Brie in the photo below):
We've got the following cheeses for you to enjoy:
Fresh chevre--plain, herbs de Provence, cracked pepper
Fresh goat milk ricotta-limited amounts so come early--this would be perfect with some early season honey and fresh berries
Sheep milk feta-perfect for topping a crisp cool salad
Angel Food Brie-don't let your dog get it!
Ewe Bloom-delicate rind, bold taste
Black Sheep-ash coating on the rind, perfect for a summer evening snack
Black Goat-another ash rinded gem, slightly drier than it's sheep cousin
Roxanne--great for carving off a slice and putting it on a piece of crusty bread
Huckleberry Blue--raw goat milk--creamy, sweet and pungent
Caprino Romano--a perfect accompaniment to your grilled veggies
For our Urbana Market goers, you can cool off with some refreshing gelato and sorbetto this weekend:
Vanilla
Chocolate
Hazelnut
Fresh Mint
Ginger
Honey Lavender
Local Strawberry
Vanilla Chevre (slight tang like a buttermilk ice cream)
Peach sorbetto
Rhubarb sorbetto
Don't forget to come out to the farm on Wednesday afternoons from 4 to 6PM for our open house, farm sale. WE WILL BE OPEN ON JULY 4TH. STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS--THE GOATS MIGHT HAVE THEIR OWN INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE (AKA BREAKOUT).
