Raw milk cheddar

Saturday, September 01, 2007

My grandparents were farmers - cows and corn.  As a result, my mother didn’t have pasteurized and homogenized milk until she was out of high school and thought it was disgusting.  When you’re used to raw milk, everything else tastes super watered down.  I haven’t drunk raw milk since I was a baby...until recently.  I bought a gallon to make cheese, and nearly spit it out when I tried it.  It’s all what you’re used to, I suppose.

One thing even the skim milk drinkers amongst us might agree on: milk made from raw milk is far superior in taste and texture.  The flavor of raw milk cheese is so much more complex and, well, earthy.  I recently tried the raw milk cheddar from Green Meadow Farms, a farm run in Gap, PA.  It is amazing - it has a fairly sharp bite to it, which I love in cheddar.  Great texture, too - it’s a little crumbly, but smooth on your tongue.

While my bit of raw milk cheddar will be finished simply sliced and served with thin slices of apple, the cheese would make an unbelievable baked macaroni and cheese.  As the cooler weather approaches, I may have to try that.

Green Meadow Farm cheeses are made from grass-fed milk and are hormone- and antibiotic-free.  You can find their cheese at various restaurants throughout the Philadelphia area, including Fork and the White Dog Cafe.  I purchased my piece of cheddar at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market.