Farm News
I am obsessed with making mixed milk dairy products. The rich, fatty & buttery jersey milk combined with the clean, white and slightly tangy goat milk produce some amazing cheeses. The sunny-side up egg color of the curd, the firmness when cut and the yields have me smitten. There is a distinct “other” quality to the cheeses we make from these milk blends. They possess some of the qualities that we’ve come to expect from the pure goat or cow versions. Yet, the mixing elevates the cheeses to textures and flavors beyond the pure milk versions.
I have always believed that our Nubian x La Mancha cross milking does have given us the best (and then some) of the two breeds alone, but I never extended the idea of hybrid vigor to cheese making. It is natural for a farmer to want to improve on the generation before him/her by crossing the best lines for future generations. Yet, we cheese makers tend to stay in the lanes of pure milk creation most of the time. Blended milk cheeses started as a necessity for us to keep production going as our seasonal goat milk dwindles. Perhaps their greatness deserves more recognition than I had been willing to grant.
Our cheeses and gift boxes make the perfect gifts for the holidays
It’s not too late to start thinking about holiday gifts. We now have several NEW curated collections of cheese, charcuterie and accompaniments for holiday gift giving. We’re also stocking up on PFFC merch: t-shirts, sweatshirts, tea towels, aprons and goat milk soap.
Not only can you order for shipping or farm pick up, but we can also accommodate larger business orders. If you would like to discuss a gift box for your favorite customers or clients, please email us at prairiefruits@gmail.com We offer several price options too!
NEW WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET
Starting November 7th and running every Saturday until December 19th, we’ll be selling our products (safely with masks and social distancing enforced) from 8-11 am. We will be located just inside the south entrance to Lincoln Square Mall (next to Stango Restaurant). This is a farmers and food only market (no crafts). We are thankful to The Land Connection for hosting this market. PLEASE come out and support your farmers! There is a still a lot of great local food to be had in this community.
Here’s the cheese line up for this weekend:
NEW ITEM: Mixed milk (cow-goat) plain yogurt (Quart size only) $7
Add on: Girl & the Goat-ceries blueberry refrigerator jam ($4/ 4-oz. jar)
Fresh Chevre $8/each
--plain
--herbs de Provence
--cracked peppercorn
We are transitioning from goat milk only to mix-milk bloomies. All Goat Bloomies are Buy 1, get a second at 50% off
Angel Food: our “crottin” style bloomy-petite but loaded with delicious goat tang! Nice ‘n ripe & gooey$9/each
Black Goat-ash-rind bloomy that has a firm tangy paste when young and gets progressively earthy and funky (and gooey) as it ages. $10 each-nice ‘n gooey
Fleur du la Prairie: Our delicate bloomy with dried herbs and edible flowers—this batch is aging nicely with lovely herbal notes! $11
Snow Fog: mixed milk camembert—sneak peak at the first batch of the season! $10/round
Blushing Goat-washed rind goat milk cheese, washed with bourbon-peach kombucha beer; this batch is aging beautifully with slightly gooey edges, and it’s loaded with great umami flavor $8/triangles—LAST of the SEASON—VERY LIMITED
Goat Milk Feta—aged in whey brine, tangy with a creamy-crumbly texture-PERFECT for fall salads or crumble over roasted beets or a hot bowl of stew! $7/each
Pelota Roja—raw milk “Manchego style” hard cheese with a guajillo chile-olive oil rub on the rind $7/wedge-consider shaving this cheese over roasted delicata squash! Shave it on a wilted salad of fall greens in place of parmesan cheese; grate it over roasted beets or cauliflower. Try using in a local corn-meal polenta!
We’ll be bringing some special house-made treats to the market too:
--cheesy popcorn balls (made with grated pelota roja, feta and Marcoot Jersey Creamery’s sharp cheddar)
--pecan brittle made with pecans from Voss Orchard
-spiced and cinnamon sugar pecans from Voss Orchard
ORDERING FROM OUR ON-LINE STORE
If you’re not able to buy our cheeses in person at the farmers’ market or during our farm open hours, you can always order online for on-farm pick up or shipping. If you order for pick up by 10 AM Saturday, you can pick up from 1-4 pm either Saturday or Sunday.
Gelato pints are available for farm pick up ONLY- flavors this weekend include: NEW Seasonal Flavors: Pumpkin Spice AND Local Grape-Champagne Sorbetto, PLUS Vanilla, Chocolate, Salted Caramel Swirl, Pure Pistachio, Anise Hyssop, and Nectarine Sorbetto.
We ship on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week, 1-2-day ground ($20 shipping/handling) for most of the Midwest and 2nd-Day Air for other areas of the country ($35/shipping & handling).
There are also lots of retail establishments throughout central IL and the Chicagoland area that carry our cheeses. If you don’t find our cheeses in your favorite store, ask them to contact us, so we can get our cheeses to you!
Farm Open Hours and Offerings
The farm will continue to be open through December 20th BOTH Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 pm each day.
During our weekend open hours from 1-4 pm, you can peruse our farm store, enjoy a cup of gelato, or order a cheese board with wine/beer/other beverages to enjoy outside if the weather permits. We can also put together a cheese board to go if the weather is not suitable for outdoor enjoyment. You can visit with the goats and or take a walk around the farm. All visitors must wear masks and practice social distancing while visiting the farm.
We feature ALL OF OUR CHEESES as well as some from fellow farmstead creameries, an assortment of accompaniments (jams, pickles, fruit leathers, honey, nuts, crackers, baguette bread), as well as lots of great PFFC “merch” for sale during open hours. Ask about our Holiday Gift Box options too! We’d be happy to put one together for you during open hours.