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!