Guys, I made CHEESE!! 😀 I’ve been inching my way towards trying cheesemaking for years, and this week I found just the right recipe to inspire me to take the plunge. And it was fun! I’m so glad I did it, and I’m definitely doing it again.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s focus: new book menu. Starting today, we’ve got a new book of the month, and it’s Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan! I read it beginning to end on a long car ride a couple months ago, and I just knew I had to make a menu for it.

Much like my Little House on the Prairie menu, I wanted this one to feature rustic foods inspired by farm life. I knew homemade cheese would make a perfect appetizer, but I didn’t want anything too complicated. Cheesemaking has simultaneously fascinated and intimidated me for ages, so as much as I wanted to try it, I avoided recipes with scary words like “rennet” and “calcium chloride.” After all, I figured farmers like Jacob Whitting in Sarah Plain and Tall often had to make do with little, so I wanted a cheese that I could make with just some basic ingredients.

That’s when I found out about farmer’s cheese. It’s a simple, relatively quick cheese that, though pretty flavorless on its own, is fantastic when you mix a few choice seasonings into the base. There are several varieties, but I like this version from Pocket Pause. It’s one of the more basic recipes I’ve seen, and it turned out great on my first try! It’s a little like feta, except denser and less tart. Depending on how long you drain it, it can have a similar crumbly texture to feta or be a bit more spreadable. I spread some on bread for a quick snack, but you can also crumble it on a top of a salad, serve it on roasted vegetables, or put it in a sandwich.

A

Homemade Farmer’s Cheese

We took lunch to Papa, cheese and bread and lemonade. Caleb nudged me.
“Ask him. Ask Papa.”
“What has Sarah gone to do?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” said Papa. He squinted at me. Then he sighed and put one hand on Caleb’s head, one on mine. “Sarah is Sarah. She does things her way, you know.”
“I know,” said Caleb very softly.

— Sarah Plain and Tall

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 gallon whole milk (I used pasteurized, but raw will also work.)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• You will also need a colander and a cheesecloth
• NOTE: Certain kinds of metals and other materials can affect the taste of cheese while it’s being made. Check online to make sure your pots/utensils are ok to use.

 

Makes a little over 1 lb of cheese

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line a colander with a cheesecloth. Place the colander over a large pot and set aside. On medium-low heat, bring your milk to a rolling boil in a large pot, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. It will immediately begin to separate into curds (white chunks) and whey (clear yellowish liquid).

   

2. Pour the curds and whey into the colander. The curds will remain, while the whey will collect in the pot in the bottom. Store the whey in sealed glass jars in the fridge (you can add it to soup stock for deeper flavor or use in place of water when soaking nuts and grains). Stir the salt, thyme, and garlic into the curds.
   
3. Twist the cheesecloth tightly closed and place something heavy on top for 15 minutes. I used a bag of rice in a large mug on a small plate.

   

4. Tie the cheesecloth to the spout of your kitchen faucet (with the colander underneath to catch it if it falls). Allow to drain for about 2 hours or until you see no more drips coming out. Unwrap the cheese and store in a sealed Tupperware container in the fridge.

   

5. Serve with bread, on salad, or sprinkled over roasted vegetables!

 

 

Check out some of my other farm-inspired recipes!

Smoked Venison

Snow Candy

Johnny Cake