Making Goat's Milk Feta and Garlic Planting

Alexa and I finished up our goat's milk feta that we started yesterday. We purchased a gallon of fresh goat milk from the local farmers market and used the recipe from Riki Carroll's book Cheese Making at Home. It was relatively simple and we came out with a great first cheese. We did use a yogurt culture which I made from some whole milk yogurt that I also purchased at the same market. Overall, I was impressed with the end result and ease to which I was able to make cheese. Cheese is one of those things that I always buy - so I have been keen to give it a go. Tomorrow we are going to try and make ricotta using the leftover whey.
Check out this video on cheesemaking:



We also cleaned out the garden of all the dead plants - and planted the garlic that I got from a great lady from Hacienda Shiloh in Gettysburg. She always attends the Mother Earth Harvest Fair at Spoutwood Farm - and last year I bought some German Red and planted it. It was great - even though I didn't know to cut the scapes back in the spring. However, we have almost eaten all that I harvested in August - so this year I am converting my existing garden to become an herb garden - which now is halfway filled with strawberries and now garlic. We planted 168 total cloves- which should yield as many bulbs come next August. I kind of like garlic because you plant it in the fall and pretty much, mulch and leave it alone until next August - with the exception of cutting the scapes come spring. But those can be used in stir-fries and soups. The varieties I planted this year are: German Red, Music, Polish Soft, Italian, Kettle River, and Ozark. They are a mixture of hard and soft neck varieties. I labeled them all really well as unlike previous years, I am trying to keep better track of what I am planting.


On the Menu for tonight:

Roast Pork Loin - purchased from the farmers market - with home grown oregano, garlic and parsley.

Mashed yellow potatoes

Beets from Spoutwood Farm