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Check out my new website www.cheesewriter.com and learn about the next series of cheesemaking classes coming soon.

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Summer time

And the living is easy, or so the song goes. Weeds, weeds, and more weeds in the garden! The only thing good about them is the chickens enjoy eating them. Of course, someone (me) has to pull them for that to happen. We are keeping the chickens in their yard, away from the dog and the tomatoes! The first tomatoes are almost ready. It will be a big day when we eat the first one, grown from seed this year. Heirloom varieties, too!

Lots of cheesemaking going on, too. Good goat milk from friend, Sue. I made chevre and a molded goat cheese last night in preparation for the cheese class tomorrow. The class in Hermann filled quickly and we have scheduled another session for July 28th. I had no idea when I started teaching cheese just how many people would be interested in learning to make cheese. It is so great to be able to share my love of this art with others. Some of my students are surpassing me! Their innovative techniques and drive to create is inspiring.

Time to sign off. Tomorrow's another exciting day. Green beans to pick, eggs to pickle and cheese to make. Life is good.

Better late than never

Summer is here, no matter what the calendar says. Our garden has been a challenge with all the rain here in Missouri this Spring. My husband and I decided to put in raised beds. We had about 6 and they have been doing great. We've had beets, lettuces, chards, peas, etc. but the main garden, traditional rows, has been a mess. So, even though it seems a little late, we transplanted the few seedlings that are growing and then built a series of raised beds. We are hoping for the best. Eternal optimists, we are already making plans for next year! However, I still have high hopes for this one. I've been out weeding, weeding, weeding. The only bonus is, the chickens love the greens! A few green beans are coming on now and the yard long beans are blooming. We had a steady diet of those last year! Tomatoes are on the vine, so all is not lost. In dirt we trust.

Snow peas and chevre

It's time! The snow peas are ready. The pea vines are full of fresh pods and blooms. Enjoy a simple pleasure, snow peas stuffed with chevre. Simply run a knife down the pod to open it, stuff with fresh chevre and top with black pepper. Enjoy!

Hello to MaryJane's Farm Readers

Hello Farmgirls! I just got my new issue of MaryJane's Farm and I am so pleased to see goats, hats and cheesemaking as current topics! I started making straw (raffia) hats two years ago and have been having fun ever since. It is amazing how many of the things I am interested in show up in MaryJane's magazine! Haystacks, outdoor tubs and showers, sunflowers, and all those things that keep life interesting.

It looks like rain here in Missouri and I've got to get the rest of the tomatoes in this afternoon but tonight, be sure, I'll be kicked back and reading MJF from cover to cover! If you don't know about this magazine go to http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/ and find your long lost sisters! Farmgirls rule!

Read the previous post to find out about my cheesemaking classes in Hermann, Missouri.

New classes coming soon

Are you looking for a way to be more self sufficient? Learn the art of cheesemaking! Classes are geared to the home cheesemaker and require no special equipment. I will be teaching soon in Hermann, Missouri in conjunction with the Dierberg Educational Foundation through the Hermann Farm. http://www.hermannfarm.org

New classes staring in June for guests of the Inn at Hermannhof http://www.innathermannhof.com and in July for the general public. We will work with goat and cow milk. Enjoy hands on instruction and learn to make 4 different types of cheese. After you learn the basic techniques you will be able to make an amazing variety of cheese in your own kitchen.

Come to Missouri Wine Country, taste the local wines, make cheese and have fun! Check back next week for a schedule. Email me at jlynnehurst@yahoo.com for more information

Cheesemakers Unite!

Hello to all my cheesemaking friends. I am happy to report there are up and coming cheesemakers in Missouri. The class at East Central College in Union will come to a close this evening. We will have our farewell flatbread pizza! This is becoming a tradition on the last night of class. A super flatbread crust topped with fresh mozarella, fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes and other goodies.

Now my sites are on the Hermann Farm and new classes to begin there in June and July. What a perfect venue. We will have a bit of wine with our cheese experience which will give us a better understanding of the whole concept of wine and cheese pairings. For some reason it has always been a bit of a mystery - what to pair with what? We will break it down into easy terms and have a flight of wine to go with our freshly made cheese.

For more information about the classes go to www.hermannfarm.org

Herbs

One of my farmer clients has fresh herbs for sale, already! She and her husband start their plants in January and they are now ready to go. I have to go and get some fresh basil and chives. I bought chives in the grocery store and they are huge....more like scallions, not the delicate wispy greens I was hoping for. Every Winter I vow to keep a pot or two of herbs going and every Winter, I get side tracked and the frost comes. This year I did pull my wine barrels into the little greenhouse, which did prolong the inevitable. However, hubby did some housecleaning and mid January pulled them outside. So much for that experiment! My plan now is to buy some of the ready to go herbs and create a fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil arrangement. Oh, for fresh garden tomatoes about now! Those luscious sun warmed orbs, nature's perfection! Soon, soon! The sun is out and the lady bug (beetle) brigade continues. My home is surely the designated landing space for their entire population.

I'll post the moz recipe soon! Anticipation.

Back to the blog!

I'm back! I've been taking a break from the blog to finish my book and teach a few cheesemaking classes. It is amazing how many people there are who want to learn to make cheese! Cheese is one of the those mystery foods that no one is sure exactly what is involved. So it is great to be able to share and bring the joy of cheese to those who are interested. We meet for 5 weeks and learn to make chevre, a molded goat cheese, a bloomy rind, cheddar and mozzarella. My goal is for everyone who takes the class to be able to make cheese on their own. So far, so good! We are linking up cheesemakers with milk producers, so it is a win win situation.

My neighbor's goats kidded last weekend, so there are kids running about the neighborhood! What fun. Kids and lambs are surely the best cure for the winter blues. They hop, skip and tumble and make me smile just thinking about them.

Tonight's cheese making selection includes: Chevre with crushed black pepper and a soft goat cheese served with pears, pecans and local honey. This combination is elegant and impressive.