KEY POINTS:
Artisan cheese-maker Lisa Harper explains her craft.
What is an artisan or boutique cheesemaker?
We make cheese on a small scale. I make less than one tonne a year using minimal machinery. Often the craft has been passed down to us through the generations. I learned from my
mother and grandmother. We use local products as much as possible. The salt, olive oil and wine I use are all from Marlborough.
The hours are long. You start with milk. I collect mine - still warm, that's how fresh it is - from a local farmer. I bring it back to the dairy where I pasteurise it, which is a controlled heating process. Cheese cultures are added back in, along with an enzyme called rennet, which makes the cheese set. The whey is drained off - my cat, dog and pig line up outside the dairy to drink this. Then the solid curds are cut and milled (milling is a finer form of cutting). I mill by hand but a cheese harp - a device made of fine wires which are pulled repeatedly over the cheese - is on my wish list.
Why are all cheeses different?
It depends on how the curds are treated. Cut them finer, press them more firmly and age them longer and you'll be left with a harder cheese. Cheese changes with the seasons, as the fat in the milk fluctuates. There are other factors, too. Once I was baffled by a batch of cheese which was much saltier than usual. I traced it back to a storm where sea spray had soaked the grass the cows were feeding on, which in turn increased the level of salt in their milk.
How do you know when a cheese is ready to eat?
Each batch and every cheese is different. Some will take months - after all, cheese is a controlled rotting process. But it's ready when it looks and smells right.
What's the difference between cow's and goat's-milk cheese?
The colour of the curd from goat's milk is very white and almost squeaky. I use only cow's milk as I haven't been able to find a lasting supply of goat's. I use goat's milk in some of the family cheeses, though.
Any favourite cheeses to cook with?
I love making feta tarts with a mix of eggs, cottage cheese, feta, tomatoes and a sprinkling of marjoram. I also put blue cheese into broccoli soup and pasta dishes. Ricotta is great in pastas, too.
How do you put together the perfect cheeseboard?
I'd keep it simple with just three: a six-month blue, a Mahau Gold - based on an old recipe where the rind has been washed in wine - and a good, hard cheese. I'd serve them with bread and wine, ideally a Marlborough sauvignon blanc that's packed with passionfruit and complements the aromatic flavours in the rind. Add a few grapes and an apple if you want. I never serve crackers - they can make a beautiful cheese ordinary.
What's the best way to keep cheese once you've opened the pack?
Put plastic wrap over the cut surface to stop it drying out, then loosely wrap it in old-fashioned waxed or greaseproof paper. Keep it in the fridge but bring it back to room temperature before serving. And always keep blue cheese away from white cheese as the mould spores are invasive and can jump from one cheese to another.
MAKE YOUR OWN RICOTTA
"All you need is really fresh milk, a good quality vinegar and a quick eye," says Harper. "There's nothing like warm ricotta, although it will keep in the fridge for up to five days."
In a glass, mix 2 tbsp good quality white wine or cider vinegar with cup cold water. Put 2 litres of whole milk into a pan and heat to 94C (if you don't have a thermometer, heat until just below boiling), stirring constantly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the vinegar mixture in a slow, steady stream until the milk curdles, takes on a greenish tinge, and the solids float. Drain through a fine sieve, season with salt and mix with freshly chopped herbs, such as sage and chives.
Or, for a sweet dessert, serve with toasted walnuts, fresh raspberries and honey.
NEED TO KNOW
Sherrington Grange
Matua Sound
RD2 Picton
Phone (03) 574 2655
www.sherringtongrange.co.nz
Sherrington Grange also offers bed & breakfast, tailor-made cheese-making courses and local tours.
- Detours, HoS