Goat Song: Living with Goats

I just read Brad Kessler’s Goat Song:  A Seasonal Life, a Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese in just a few hours.  I couldn’t put it down.  That’s saying a lot when we’re talking about a book that focuses on goats and cheesemaking but these are two topics that I’m keenly interested in right now.  I keep thinking I’d like a couple of goats but am not sure how dedicated I’d be to milking them twice a day for half of each year.  Just the kid’s routine drives me crazy.  Am I ready to commit myself this much to another creature?  To making my own cheese?

I feel much more close to saying yes after reading Kessler’s book.  He makes goat herding sound downright idealic and it’s not because he hasn’t included the low-down on the stinky side of goat raising, he’s just tapped into that instinct most humans have to be close to our food source.

You can hear him talk about living with goats here: http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/08/close-to-goats

Making Soft Cheese

I spent all day Saturday at Homestead Heritage making soft cheese.  It was the most fun I’ve had in a while!  There were 12 of us from all walks of life–some who had made cheese before and some who probably hadn’t stepped in a kitchen, ever.  The disparity in our skills and knowledge was fun since it was an intro class and led to the sense of community that permeates everything the folks at Homestead Heritage do.

the herb cheese log

So what did we make?  Here’s a quick run-down from memory.  I’d have to consult my notes to give you the full break-down:

1.  butter

2.  cream cheese

3.  sour cream

4.  buttermilk

5.  cottage cheese

6.  Feta

7.  mozzarella

8.  herbed cheese logs

9.  yogurt

10.  ricotta

11. labaneh

12.  and stuff to do with the whey left over!

One of our instructors making cheese

I bought some of the required materials that I don’t keep at home, like rennet, and now need to find a source for raw milk since I don’t yet have goats.  Interested in taking a class?  Find out more at Homestead’s School of Homesteading.

Now that I’ve taken the pre-req, I’ll sign up for the hard-cheese making class.  Woohoo–cheddar, here I come.

Urban Homesteading with Novella Carpenter

Ever wonder about how you’d feel killing and processing a pig or rabbit in the middle of the city?  Novella Carpenter will give you the lowdown–She runs Ghost Town Farm and has recently written a book about farming in the city.  It’s called “Farm City.”

Check her out in the video, on her blog, and her book.

First post in a while

Hello all–sorry to be so long in posting.  I’ve been keeping up the main blog this summer but have slacked off here for a couple of reasons.  Super busy with work, writing, traveling, etc., but also because we’ve had some changes happen on the homesteading front . . .

by that I mean that I think we’re going to make our dream of homesteading in the country (versus in suburbia) real sooner than I imagined.

J’s family has a farm in the middle of no-where (ok, it’s actually 40 miles east of Abilene and that puts it squat in the middle of the Texas plains) and we’re going to purchase about 10 acres of the 130.  We’ll own that small piece but then work the rest.  We’re stuck in the legal quagmire (not to mention financial) of making this a reality  but I hope to have more news soon. 

If this happens, I hope to use the blog to document the process and my lack of homesteading skills.  That, at least, should be worth a few laughs.  Will keep all posted!

Cilantro ready to harvest

The garden is coming along nicely, as well it should after all the rain we’ve had.  I harvested lettuce, peas, spinach, and cilantro this week.  I pulled all the remaining radishes last week.  I’m not really a radish fan but I keep trying, thinking that some spring my taste buds may change.  Everything that grows above ground is doing fabulously but all the root crops–radishes, carrots, and beets–are struggling.  The tops are lush and fantastic looking but the meat of the veggie is still spindly.  I’m wondering if our organic matter is too rich.  I guess time will tell. 

 

the cilantro harvest

Cilantro is one of those herbs that you either love or hate.  I love it.  Luckily so does the husband.  So I’m always thrilled in spring when I get a large harvest but it’s also a bummer because cilantro grows best in cool weather but many of the things that I like to pair it with don’t come into harvest until the heat is here–think tomatoes, corn, etc.  So how to store the cilantro I harvest now for when its companion veggies come in?  I’ve tried just about everything but one of my favorite ways to store it is to freeze it.  I’ve flash frozen it on a cookie sheet and then bagged it but I’ve also frozen it in ice cube trays as you can see here in this picture.  The cilantro is mushy when it defrosts and is best used in cooked dishes rather than just sprinkled on something, but I still get that good cilantro flavor I crave so much in the heat of the summer.  For fresh sprinkling, though, I have to run out to the store.  I think a shade cloth might extend the season and maybe I’ll give it a try.  Do you have good ideas for storing your cilantro harvest?