Now I know what you’re thinking, how hard would it be for me to run down to the store and buy a gallon of milk and make the damn cheese already? And you would be have a point if I wanted to make my first ever cheese with just plain, old, ordinary, store-bought milk. But I’m not a store-bought milk kind of a girl.
In truth, I’m not much of a milk girl at all. I use a small amount in my baking but rarely have fresh milk on hand. When there is milk in the house, it’s organic and ultra-pasteurized. It’s organic because I can’t stomach the idea of drinking all the antibiotics and puss in milk from cows treated with rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) , and buying organic milk insures that I don’t have to. It’s ultra-pasteurized because I don’t use it very fast and the high heat treatment makes the milk last longer although it kills lots of the nutrients and enzymes.
But ultra-pasteurized milk doesn’t work for cheese making and it’s hard to find plain old pasteurized organic milk around here. Besides, I wanted to make my first batch of cheese with real milk, straight from a cow that lived in my neighborhood, because real raw milk makes the best cheese.
Now there is some serious controversy about raw milk. Raw milk enthusiasts claim that not only does the milk taste better, but it’s better for you. Pasteurization and homogenization change the structure of the milk and kill all bacteria naturally found in milk, including good bacteria. It’s thought that whole raw milk from pasture-raised cows contains more nutrients and enzymes and is better absorbed by our bodies and may even help alleviate some diseases.
Critics of raw milk claim that it’s dangerous and can kill you, especially if you’re young, elderly, or have a compromised immune system. Raw milk can harbor some nasty bacteria including campylobacter, tuberculosis, and e-coli (but then again we know that there can be plenty of e-coli in those grade A burgers you buy at the grocery store).
The data I found about the risks of drinking raw milk weren’t too scary. From 1998-2005 there were only 39 outbreaks of illnesses related to raw milk. 831 people were sickened, 66 ended up in the hospital, and only one death was associated with drinking raw milk or eating a raw milk product in those seven years. Drinking raw milk appears to be safer than eating industrial produced beef or chicken.
Drinking raw milk from a local farmer, whose farm you can visit and whose cows you can meet might actually be the safest way to go. Since the farmer has to look you in the eye when she sells you your milk and knows that you won’t come back if the milk is in anyway contaminated and that you will probably tell your whole neighborhood about how her milk made you sick, she’s got a vested interest in making sure her operation is spotless and her milk is contaminant-free.
Lucky for us, Idaho is one of the 39 states in the US where it is legal to purchase raw milk. In fact, the legislature just clarified and improved the law that allows raw milk sales. Unfortunately, it’s still not sold in stores.
There are two ways that you can obtain raw milk in Idaho. The first is from a farmer with 3 or fewer lactating cows who obtains a permit from the state and meets certain labeling, testing and sanitation requirements. That farmer can then sell you as much or as little milk as you want, you just need to find her and figure out where she’s selling her milk. I’ve heard rumors there is such a farmer at the Farmer’s Market in Sandpoint but I don’t know who it is.
The other way to obtain raw milk is to own your own cow, or at least part of one. The herd share program allows farmers with 7 or fewer lactating cows to sell shares of those cows, provided they obtain the correct permit from the state and meet the same testing and sanitation requirements as the small herd farmer. The shareholders get a certain amount of milk each week, depending on how many shares they own. The farmer does all the hard work of feeding, housing, and milking the cows and the shareholders just pick up their fresh milk each week from the farm.
Heritage Farms (www.naturalheritagefarms.com) has a herd share program. They had one in place even before the new law went into effect. Since it has always been legal to drink raw milk from your own cow, Luana and Wilber Hiebert, the owners of Heritage Farms, have been selling shares of their cows for years.
This is one the cow my milk came from!When I mentioned to Luana that I wanted to try making my own cheese, she generously offered to give me some free milk to try. Two months later I finally had the time to: a) pick up the milk in Cocolalla when both Luana was home and I could drop it right back at my house without it having to sit in the car all day and b) make cheese before the milk went bad.
When the planets aligned this past weekend, I stopped by Heritage Farms to pick up the milk. Luana was more than generous and there was a giant (and quite heavy) 4 gallon bucket of fresh milk waiting for me when I arrived. I drove it home and had to clear off a shelf in the refrigerator to store it (which I did with my fingers crossed so the whole shelf wouldn’t collapse under the weight).
The following day I spent hours watching curds and whey separate. It never ceased to amaze me (but then I’m easily entertained) although it was only the mozzarella that got me giggling and calling to Jon to hurry and come look. By the end of the day I’d made ricotta, mozzarella and paneer and had eaten generous samplings of each.
I’m happy to report I’m still quite healthy and all the cheese tastes delicious, even if it needs a bit more salt. I may be the proud owner of (a share of) a cow in the not too distant future.
Paneer Kabobs
makes 4 servings
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
Juice of one lime
1 tbsp. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb paneer, cut in ½” cubes (preferably homemade from raw milk)
2 red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1 med onion, cut into quarters, separated into small chunks of two to three layers each
10 Cherry tomatoes
Bamboo or metal skewers, at least 12
Mix together first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add the paneer cubes, toss well, and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Start a charcoal or gas grill. Allow charcoal grill to burn down to a medium heat or set gas grill to medium. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes.
Alternately skewer a piece of paneer, red pepper, onion and tomato onto skewer until skewer is full. Make sure to leave some room between each piece. Continue filling skewers until all the ingredients are gone. Grill, turning frequently, until all the ingredients are cooked through. Paneer should be crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. Don’t worry, it won’t melt completely. Serve immediately over a bed of basmati rice.
