Ferme de Lantein: Goat cheese!

A great collector of wines once told me that there's no definite 'good' and 'bad when it comes to wine, rather, we should assess if the wine is good based on if we like its taste. I don't always agree with this rationale; yesterday, however, I was reminded of this definition of quality by Tobias' response to what makes his goat cheese have a superior quality. "There is a great variety with goat cheese," he explained quietly, speaking timidly in English, "it depends on the variety of goats, what they eat, the recipe… but, yeah, have a friend who makes goat cheese nearby and it tastes very different. Mine is what I like. It's what I prefer." 

I second Tobias.

Tobias is the owner of Ferme de Lantein, a goat farm in the Ariege of the Midi-Pyrenees which produces fantastic goat's cheese, milk and cream. How would I word what makes Tobias' cheese superior? His cheese tastes like milk. I'm not sure why, and maybe it's cheesy to write, but somehow Tobias' cheese is feminine and maternal. I am reminded that this cheese is made from the milk made by mother's to nurse her springtime babies. Perhaps this nearly subconscious association is why I am made to feel pleased and youthful when eating his cheese. It also has a distinct herbaceous taste, especially prevalent in his fresher, wetter cheeses. The taste is unmistakably goaty. It's slightly mealy texture comes off as sincere. Even the wetter cheeses have a dryness in the mouth. And even the drier, more aged cheese, which have turned blue on the outside with friendly molds, are not overwhelmingly pungent. They still taste of milk.

Yesterday I went to Tobias' farm to witness the magic of this incredible cheese maker, whose cheeses I eat almost daily. The tour which Tobias gave me, which included a visit into the laboratories, is more extensive than theThe Goose in Toulouse Gastronomic Tours due to health and safety regulations.  I'll describe this part (which can be witnessed through glass windows nonetheless), as well as the more exciting outdoor part, which you will come to see as well! 

Tobias' farm is situation on a spot of land with one of the best views in the Ariege. From its height one can see the rolling fields, squares of agricultural production, a small village, large homes, and the towering distant mountains. 

His extensive property is perfect for his 30 goats who spend their days grazing the fields and forests. Every afternoon, after a day out and about, Tobias brings the goats in to milk them. He sprinkled a scoop of feed into the troths. The feed, a mixture of soy and corn, gives the goats a protein boost. Eagerly and orderly each goat quickly took her spot and calmly set about snacking. Tobias went around and gave each utter a squeeze to check that the milk was OK. He explained that this is necessary in the rare case that a goat has an internal problem, such as blood mixing into the milk. Having only milked goats once as a child, I was expecting we'd be spending long hours of awkward finger motions and squeezing, but even small production milking has modernized. Tobias pulled a machine over to each goat and placed a clear plastic tube over each utter. The utters were instantly sucked inside, and with a consistent pulling motion, milk streamed into the tubes. The plump, full utters shrank in size, and the goats continued to peacefully eat their feed. 

During milking

After milking

These tubes lead into large silver milk jugs, much like those from the days before the milking machines. After the first 12 goats had fed, I was surprised to see that the entire massive jug was full with beautiful, creamy milk. On average, these 30 goats produce enough milk to make 100 rounds of goat cheese daily (more in the spring, as milk production is at its peak).

Tobias then led me into his laboratory to show me how this liquid is turned into a tangy round of cheese. 

To enter the laboratory-- that meticulously clean, sparkling white room-- one must remove one's shoes at the first door that leads to a small anteroom. Here one must dress in a full apron and hat. Prior to handling cheeses, Tobias, first scrubbed his hands and nails with a small bristle brush. He explained that bacteria is crucial to cheese making, and to assure that only the right bacteria are effecting the cheeses one must take precaution. 

The room was laid out simply and chronologically.  On the nearest wall was a rack storing 5 large buckets of goat milk and rennet. Rennet is mixture of enzymes found in the stomach of any mammal (in the case of cheese production rennet is often a byproduct of veal). The enzymes separate the liquid whey from solid cheese curds. The liquid is then removed (and given to another farmer who uses this nutrient-rich water to mix his pig feed).

The solids are then measured out and placed into little rounds with holes to let the access water drain. The initial steps in cheese making is all about drying the cheese in a temperature and moisture controlled space. Tobias makes these rounds each morning and twelve hours later he turns the cheese, now firm enough to be handled as a solid round, to rest on its opposite side to drain off water. 

 

The next morning, these rounds are taken out of their mini-strainers and placed on the first of a series of three racks. On this rack the cheese is now 24-hours old. Tobias sprinkles each round with salts. Through osmosis the salts are absorbed into the cheese. Tobias noted that in his opinion salt applied at this stage results in a better tasting cheese than when salt is added while the milk is still liquid. Here any additional moisture is released.

 

On day 2 (rack #3), the cheese is now nearly dry and a matte, white crust can be seen to be forming, though not yet consistently.

The cheese on day 3 has an even and consistent skin, and has started to taint slightly yellow. This cheese is then moved into the first of two caves, where it sits to rest for a few days. 

Tobias makes plain goat milk cheeses of three ages: a creamy cheese which is barley aged and still quite moist, a medium cheese, and a dry robust cheese. While the cheese is still in the "creamy" phase, he adds spices to some cheeses. I've now tried his paprika, which adds a nice smoky quality to the tangy cheese. His carmel cheese is a fantastic desert which pairs excellently with red wine. And the Herbs de Provence variety helps to bring out the grassy, herbaceous character already so prevalent in his cheeses. Especially for someone like me who is becoming spoiled by Tobias' cheeses, these herbal varieties are a lovely way to mix up the flavors on a classical, elegant cheese.

A round of cheese ready to eat in its 'creamy' phase

Cheeses on the top are noticeably smaller and are thus the most aged, called 'dry' (sec),  cheeses on the bottom are Tobias' medium aged cheese, nicely robust but with a moister consistency.  

This season I have enjoyed eating Tobias' cheeses starting in the late spring and ending in the late autumn. Each month brings new herbs that the goats munch on outside, and changes in the nutritional contents of the milk depending on the the needs of baby goats; factors which change the flavors of the cheeses. Tobias summarized these changes as springtime produces softer, herbier tasting cheeses, while autumn milk is more piquant, aged, and strong. 

Thank you Tobias, Ferme de Lantein, and all of those curious, quizzical goats for a fantastic tour. I am so happy to have this quality product produced in the most serene vista as a part of The Goose in Toulouse tours!

Xavier's Cheese

I am writing lying on my stomach. I'm not sure why I've chosen this position, as I have a large, noticeable bump in my middle: a cheese baby. I have now been in France for 5 weeks. This baby looks at least 3 or 4 months old. But unlike a real baby, which makes an exit after about 9 months, what happens to a cheese baby? For how long does it grow? And is the only solution dire and extreme, to stop eating cheese?

I hope not.

And I am sure that my cheese baby is only going to grow because I had the pleasure of partaking in something amazing: Xavier's Cheese Shop.

It's a cheese shop in the center of Toulouse, next-door to the sprawling Victor Hugo Market. This is not your normal cheese shop. This is a cheese refinery, a part of the cheese process which I had previously known little about. Refining the cheese is like dry aging your beef. Perhaps you have great cattle; they've been well-fed, they're nicely plumped, and their meet is well-speckled with fats. But you and I know how much of a difference a little time hanging in a tightly moderated temperature without moisture and with fantastic little bacteria will make. The same goes with cheese. Xavier's cheese receives exceptional cheese from all of over France. These cheeses are already amazing, and frankly, unlike most of what's available in the US. But Xavier takes what is already a joy and elevates it, or shall I say, refines it. By aging the cheese in tightly regulated rooms Xavier's Cheeses are able to bring each individual cheese to its perfection. Depending on the cheese, Xavier ages for certain durations, ranging from days to months. The art of refining cheese is based on several properties: temperature, moisture, and time, which regulate their exposure to bacteria / molds. Goat cheeses, which are typically smaller bundles, are periodically rotated (twice per week at Xavier's) to guarantee a consistent creme, that supreme gooey good bit on a soft cheese, between the outer layer powdered with molds or bacteria and the white interior (as shown below).

To demonstrate this creme our guide tenderly squeezed a round of cheese, revealing a spring to the crust. That springiness demonstrates that the cheese has a well-formed creme.

He led us into a large room, which reeked of ammonium and alcohol. The ammonium smell came from the gas itself, which is released from some very gigantic rounds of cows milk cheese. The alcohol smell, however, is from the variety of liquors and wines poured on top of some cheeses to assist in its aging. Some muensters received splashes of riesling. A lovely round cheese, for example, was periodically doused with a brandy, producing a strong orange color and a sappy texture. The alcohol helps to form a seal on the cheese, which prevents it from loosing salt. I was surprised by its taste. There was a mild sweetness, but nothing that gave away its secret of regular liquor baths. As for the salinity, I found it to be surprisingly mild and balanced. 

The women with whom I was visiting the shop took home a bundle of cheeses. Though the spunky, funky, creamy goat cheeses were not surprisingly my favorites, I also was delighted by a blue cheese from Sauterne. It was speckled with dark blue-green welts. I expected it to have the bite of a roquefort, but to my surprise this cheese had an elegant balance: the taste of cream and butter softened the peppery molds. It was bold, but refined.

To view Xavier's Cheese shop from a distance, you may want to take a glance at their website, which I found fascinating. Complete with cheese tutorials and essays on everything you can imagine about cheese, the site is a great source of information and has options for purchasing cheese. 

Thank you Patti, DeDe, Analisa and Michelle for a great day! 

Antiques

Madame Bordeau has style: with oversized, color-block, 1970s Christian Dior glasses frames; bright red Chanel nail polish; and slender arms decked out in bling.  She has an eye for nice objects. She is very french.

She invited me to join her last Sunday at one of the many outdoor flea markets, common to this region. So I did, if only to watch her pick up an object with her delicate hands and examine its quality. She tinkers and she ponders. She takes great delight in a well-made object. She sees  details which are hidden to me.

I'm not sure why or how, but this little region in the hills of the Pyrenees is a heaven for antique collectors. Somehow, a bulk of Christolfe flatware sets, crystal decanters and glasses, ceramic ducks, and lots of linens, laces and draperies have ended up on folding card tables being sold for nearly nothing. Madame Bordea has purchased sapphires for the price of a toy in a grocery store gum ball machine, she has found sterling silver ornaments for the price of a can of coca cola.

Sylvie's House Part II

I have told you earlier about the joys of Sylvie's house. It is built with a celebration of life. It is a tribute to how amazing living can be. It is a place where everything thrives: the fish in their little pond, the bees in the wild flowers of their fields, and the chickens under the dinner table picking up the bread crumbs. 

These images do not do the magic of this fairytale house in the hills of the Pyrenees justice. It truly is like a child's book: and when at Sylvie's house, one has an inspiration to play. 

Gil, Sylvie's husband, is an artist who has built everything from found materials: the wooden crafted kitchen with perfect nooks for storage, the bicycle-powered laundry machine, a Princess' dress for Sylvie, and most of the house itself. 

Today we joined Sylvie and Gil for a stunning lunch. We had a salad of their homegrown cucumbers with the cheese from the goats on the other side of the mountain, followed by stewed turkey (which was delicious!), and a couscous ratatouille. I was blown away by the vinaigrette which accompanied their homegrown arugula, and when I asked what it was, Sylvie told me that it was their own homemade vinegar, mustard and oil! It had such a lip smacking acidity.  It was the sort of taste that makes you just want to kiss. Showing off his complete fantasticalness, Gil then blew us all away with a apricot and apple tart. All accompanied, of course, by delicious wine that a friend of theirs makes.  

Between the cheese and dessert courses, a white horse appeared from the birch trees and ferns, like a unicorn. So, I wandered over to it, and making better friends with its spotted companions, I decided why not hop on bareback! It was the first time I'd ever ridden without a saddle, but Peppino (as I soon learned she was called) was a fantastic ride. Hoping off Peppino I picked up a handful of gorgeous chanterelles, and walked over to eat the last bites of Tobias' piquant goat cheese and a perfectly funky roquefort.