Once upon a time, not too long ago…it dawned upon me that out of all the artisan skills I had, one that was missing…was cheese making. I’ve made my own breads, sausages, pastas…you name it. But cheese? Well, I never! I made a commitment to myself, that somehow, some way, I’d learn how to make cheese. And it was going to be diviiiiiiine.
But- to be honest, cheese making kind of scared me. Isn’t it difficult to make cheese? Doesn’t it neeed special spores, special equipment, and incubators and mystical apparatus to turn milk into cheese? And…Where do I get those ingredients from in Perth?!
And then in June this year, at the U.W.A Perth Upmarkets…I saw it. The clouds parted and it appeared like an apparition from heaven.
Can you see why this caught my attention..?
This was the beginning of a new, fun and exciting way to experiment with food and make something beautiful from milk and cream. Cheese for me is the ‘Nectar of the Gods’….which is perhaps why it marries so divinely with wine, the other nectar of the Gods! No wonder they both send me to heaven. Each and every time.
Wine and Cheese. A match made in heaven. My water was divinely ‘turned to wine’ at lunch AND afternoon tea…but we had fun pretending whilst we were on the job!
Well let me tell you this. Cheese making is simple and easy, when you know how. Come and watch what you can learn yourself, when you join Tanya (or Pam) from The Cheese Maker [ www.thecheesemaker.com.au ] at The Cheese Barrel Fromagerie, nestled beside the Olive Farm Winery in The Swan Valley. I joined Tanya in a fabulous, fun and friendly small group of people, all sharing the same interest and one thing in common. We were all lovers of cheese, and we were all wanting to become artisan cheese makers at home.
All keen to get started! What a great group of people I met…from Dave with 40 goats wanting to learn how to make goats cheeses, to Lindsey; an Organic Dorper Lamb farmer in Donnybrook. There was a fun loving married couple, ‘Toni’ a camembert loving girl who was redeeming a birthday (voucher) gift.’Tina’… a German Foodie. Anne-Marie from the Hills who loves to make her own ‘everything’. You name it…all a great group of people!
Watch how much fun you can have if you come on your own, or with a partner or a friend, and learn how to make your own camembert, quark, cream cheese AND sour cream. It’s so simply when you know how. Cheesemaking is one of those arts where it’s more than just following a recipe. It’s about timing, and looking out for the right texture, consistency and movement. It’s about watching it being made, and understanding why and how you arrive at all the glorious cheese making stages. It’s a skill that’s quite experiential, and that’s why being there in a group and having an instructor walk you through all the steps and techniques (for me) made all the difference.
And look out for what happens during morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. Now that’s something you can only get when you come along to a class!
Ready to learn how to make cheese?! Would you like to make white camembert…or blue? Choose a team and off we go!
Having just learnt the steps on safety, why sanitation and cheese is essential, and of course…the art of precision…Team Blue is concentrating…concentrating….concentrating…!
Team White is off and running! Heating milk and cream to the perfect temperature for creamy camembert!
Adding the spores to make the ‘good mould’ on the camembert. Team Blue is making Blue Camembert…so watch the magic happen.
Team Blue adds the Rennet….and we stir it to free it of lumps. We all think we’re doing marvellously until Tanya shows us where all the lumps are hiding! Thank goodness we learnt that trick!
…While the Camembert curds and whey rest…we go out to play. With the course generously including TWO cafe vouchers for coffee, tea or juice….we relax, get to know each other a little better…and enjoy that wide view and glorious sunshine.
…More time to chat with the two instructors; the very clever ‘Adam’ and the very entertaining and informative co-founder of The Cheese Maker….’Tanya’.
While the curds and whey are resting and working their magic…Tanya and Adam entertain the group with the notion of unlimited possibilities of using marscarpone and sour cream that we’ll be trying to make at home…Cheese cakes…Tiramisu…Berry Coulis…In Cream Cakes….Cream Cheese on Bagels… Cheese Infinitum here we come. Yum, yum, Oh yum.
Home made Marscarpone and Sour Cream…waiting to be tasted.
…Such concentration and discerning faces as we compare the fresh cheese flavours of home made marscarpone and and cream cheese, to store bought. It’s so surprisingly fresh and clean on the palate. I can’t wait to try these cheese at home!
Having added the rennet into the milk, it needs to sit for about half an hour. A perfect excuse to enjoy more sunshine, and of course, more wine and cheese…
..and more wine and cheese…
Time to review what we’ve done and have a few laughs…
Ahhhh…the cheese is ready to be cut. Adam shows us with the knife exactly what it’s supposed to look like, and how it should come apart from thr blade. So glad I could see this!
While the rennet works on an increased surface area of the curd….we have time to indulge in a little reconnaissance of taste, and what we might expect to taste from our own baby camemberts in 4-6 weeks time.
3 cheese to try. White camembert, blue camembert and a product of the recent truffle season…truffle camembert!
Doesn’t that look silky and creamy? Can you believe you can actually make this at home now?!
Tina works the curds exactly as we’ve been taught and soon they’ll be ready to scoop into our georgeous camembert hoops!
Everyone’s busy playing with their perfect curds while I slip away for some more…cheese. I’m in *such* a happy place right now, you have no idea!
Lyndsay has just mastered how to separate the curds from the whey. Thank you Adam!
…Now isn’t that just Absolutely Georgeous? Georgeous is…better than gorgeous.
As cheese lovers peer into the window to our cheese making room…who can’t help but smile. Doesn’t everyone love cheese..?!
Adam demonstrating how to carefully place the curds into the camembert hoops, while we look on and watch.
Camembert ready to start maturing….Mmmm.
Team Blue’s Baby Camemberts! We’re so proud! We made these today and we all get to take one home!
At the end of the class, we all come together, summarize and have a few more laughs. Now it’s about going home and making our own camembert, marscapone and cream cheese. Thanks Team Blue and Team White. You guys were all great, and I had a fabulous day!
So are you hooked yet? I am! Classes book quickly, ands class sizes are small so if you’re keen on trying your hand at Haloumi, mozarella or Farmhouse cheeses…choose the class that’s right for you. Bring your friend and double your fun.
Want to learn how to make the classics many of us use every day, like fetta, yoghurt, yoghurt cheese and sour cream? There’s a ‘Classic Delights’ class running on the 9th September.
Don’t worry about getting hooked on cheese making. The Cheese Maker gives you 10% off any follow up classes. I’ll be back to make Haloumi next week. You’ll catch me at The Cheese Barrel on the 27th August and I can’t wait to talk about it.
Want to book a class? Call Tanya Barretto on 0412 260 876 or email: info@thecheesemaker.com.au
How to find The Cheese Maker:
Travel down Great Northern Hwy until you see the entrance to The Olive Farm Winery. It’s located at 920 Great Northern Hwy, Millendon.
…Follow the long, romantic road through the vineyard until you get to the main entrance of the Olive Farm Winery…
…When you get to the main entrance, turn left to the ‘Main Carpark’. You’ll see The Cheese Barrel as a separate building…head towards it, and you will find….
Want to book a class? Call Tanya Barretto on 0412 260 876 or email: info@thecheesemaker.com.au