yogurt mmmmmm

I've been having fun with the dehydrator up at the main house.  There are a few ways to make yogurt and I learned a new one from Melanie.  I love how it is coming out - perfect for Indian curries and sauces!  And I am so lucky to have this raw goat milk  to make it with.  We have an abundance right now so I'm experimenting with flavors and making extra for all the beautiful people who work on the farm.  I've made strawberry, peach maple, and pear cardamom.  

You need:  

- 1 gallon raw milk

- 1 pint of plain yogurt (from the store or from your last batch)

- 10 pint glass canning jars with lids

Put 1 1/2 tbsp of yogurt in each jar.  Fill with milk and secure lid.  Put in the dehydrator on the yogurt setting (115 degrees) for 10 to 12 hours.  And that's it!  You can add flavorings if you want - I haven't experienced any problems with adding ingredients yet.

xo

goat milk custard

And here is one from a dear Frog Belly Farm member...

CUSTARD RECIPE:

 

scald 2 1/2 cups goat milk while beating 6 farm fresh eggs.   Add the hot milk in thin stream (to not cook the eggs), mix in 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla.  Put in 6 custard cups set in a pan 1/2 filled with hot water, (or one large pan which takes longer to cook) sprinkle with fresh nutmeg if you like it, cook 315 degrees for 25 minutes.

 

 

we all scream

for iced cream.

So, since there is this beautiful raw goat milk here, and since Lita borrowed the iced cream maker from her mom, she dove head-first into gourmet iced cream making and made three flavors.  It was so beautiful.

There is nothing like home-made iced cream and it is actually super easy.

Here is the basic recipe we used:

5 1/2 cups raw goat milk

1 can coconut milk

6 egg yolks

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder

1 Tbsp vanilla extract 

1 2/3 cups organic sugar 

(We used sugar because of finances, but I think it would turn out even better using agave or honey)

Mix all ingredients (except for egg yolks) in a saucepan and heat on the stove until blended (but not boiling).

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks until fluffy.  Slowly pour the mixture from the sauce pan into the bowl, whisking constantly and then continue to whisk for a few minutes.

Add flavorings and chill in the refrigerator.

Put the mixture into the home iced cream machine and try not to weep when you get perfect iced cream.

This recipe makes a half gallon.  We used the kind of iced cream maker that uses ice and rock salt.  I had a better texture result with this than the kind with the thick metal insert that you put in the freezer, which I've used in the past.

The three flavors we made for our first experiment were:

- chipotle chocolate with cacao nibs (chipotle, cacao powder, dark chocolate chips and cacao nibs)

- Indian spiced Rose (coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and rose water)

- and coconut chocolate chip (coconut flakes, dark chocolate chips, and a pinch of cardamom)

Thank you Gaia for the magic of making iced cream.  Thank you for raw goat milk and delicious spices and chocolate.  And thank you for Lita who made it happen.

an Ayurvedic night cap

Most people are familiar with Yoga, the Vedic science of self-realization that depends on a well-functioning body and mind.  It is spiritual integration through self-transcendence.  Most people think only of the physical postures, though there are many branches of yoga.

Ayurveda is the sister Vedic science of healing for body and mind; a psychosomatic integration through comprehensive health care.  I am studying Ayurveda in books and I hope to study officially as soon as possible, but for now I've been reading and experimenting with Ayurvedic cooking.  One of the lovely aspects of an Ayurvedic diet is to drink warm goat's milk after dinner or just before bed.  Dairy is used as a prelude to some Ayurvedic cleansing therapies, to accumulate energy in one area prior to cleansing.  It gives grounding, mass, sweetness, and usually coolness to meals.  It is excellent for those seeking calm and grounding.  Drinking warmed, spiced raw goat milk is good for calming the nerves and relieving insomnia. 

We take:

- 1 cup raw goat milk

- 1 teaspoon ghee

- 1 teaspoon of spices

warm the ingredients in a pan but not very hot, so as not to kill the healing properties of the raw milk.

The different spice recipes vary, but can include just one or a combination of the following:  coriander, cardamom, dry ginger, cloves, caraway, or nutmeg.  

You can look up the different spices in Ayurvedic references to learn about their qualities.  I really like the new book that came out: Healing Spices by Debora Yost. 

One of the best Ayurveda reference books I have found is A Life of Balance by Maya Tiwari.  Lita recently found another wonderful reference at the library:  Body Renewal:  The Lost Art of Self-Repair by Jay Glaser.  I have many others to recommend if you are interested.  Sleep peacefully, friends.

raw goat milk

I am truly blessed to have a job on this farm.  I believe one of the most important things in life is nourishment; to have a healthy body and mind so that we can reach our full potential and work towards our highest self.  And so good, whole, organic food and clean water is priceless.  I am fortunate enough to be in an environment with an abundance of such nourishment.  At the farm, we grow beautiful organic vegetables and herbs, and also have free-range organic eggs, grass-fed humane meats, and delicious raw goat milk at our fingertips.  We also interact with all these beautiful plants and animals every day, and witness and experience first-hand the cycle of life and the gifts we all exchange.  Melanie said to me the other day that really, we are the goat's babies.  They allow us to care for them and drink their milk.

The goats here are well-loved, and this week has been full of the excitement of birth.  I got to watch many goats have their babies, and each one was a miracle.  And already we have an abundance of delicious, fresh milk.

Lita started reading up on goat milk.  I always knew it was wonderful, but I didn't know how wonderful.  I want to share this information from a site that outlines it well.  (here)

According to the Journal of American Medicine, "Goat's milk is the most complete food known." It contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein, and fatty acids that are utilized by your body with ease. In fact, your body can digest goat's milk in just 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours to digest cow's milk. 

• Goat's milk is less allergic - It does not contain the complex protein that stimulate allergic reactions to cow's milk.)
• Goat's milk does not suppress the immune system.
• Goat's milk is easier to digest than cow's milk (An old statistic showed that goat's milk will digest in a baby's stomach in twenty minutes, whereas pasturized cow's milk takes eight hours.  The difference is in the structure of the milk.)
• Goat's milk has more buffering capacity than over the counter antacids. (The USDA and Prairie View A&M University in Texas have confirmed that goat's milk has more acid-buffering capacity than cow's milk, soy infant formula, and nonprescription antacid drugs.)
• Goat's milk alkalinizes the digestive system.  It actually contains an alkaline ash, and it does not produce acid in the intestinal system.  Goat's milk helps to increase the pH of the blood stream because it is the dairy product highest in the amino acid L-glutamine.  L-glutamine is an alkalinizing amino acid, often recommended by nutritionists.

Pg. 148 - "The Makers Diet"

• Goat's milk contains twice the healthful medium-chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids, which are highly antimicrobial. (They actually killed the bacteria used to test for the presence of antibiotics in cow's milk!)
• Goat's milk does not product mucus; it does not stimulate a defense response from the human immune system.
• Goat's milk is a rich source of the trace mineral selenium, a necessary nutrient, however, for its immune modulation and antioxidant properties.

Pg 149 "The Maker's Diet"

Lactose Intolerant?

• Easier digestion allows the lactose to pass through the intestines more rapidly, not giving it time to ferment or cause an osmotic imbalance.
• Goat's milk also contains 7% less lactose than cow milk.
• Additionally, most lactose intolerant people have found that they can tolerate goat's milk and goat milk products.

Goat's Milk Soothes the Digestive Tract

• Goat's milk has long been used and recommended as an aid in the treatment of ulcers due to its more effective acid buffering capacity.
• Children on goat's milk have been observed to sleep through the night and remain more satisfied between meals.

Mother Nature is very Clever

• Natural milk contains many bioactive components, which serve to retard the growth of harmful organisms, and to protect the health of the person consuming them. Goat's milk contains the same important bioactive components as mother's milk.

Medicinal properties of goat milk

The importance of feeding of infants with goat milk has been recognized since ancient days. In developed countries like U.S and South Africa, the goat milk is specifically marketed for the infants. The milk allergy problem common in infants fed with cow milk is rarely encountered when replaced with goat milk and it plays an important role in the formulation of infant formula. This is a proof of the medicinal property of goat milk.

The symptoms like gastrointestinal disturbances, vomiting, colic, diarrhea, constipation and respiratory problems can be eliminated when goat milk is fed to the infants. The reason cited for the relief in respiratory problems when fed with goat milk can be attributed to the structure of casein micelle of the goat milk. Pasteurized goat milk is well tolerated by the infants with gastro-intestinal or respiratory symptoms. Fermented goat milk products are ideal for the persons allergic to cow milk.

The goat milk is naturally homogenized. It forms a soft curd when compared to cow milk and hence helps in easy digestion and absorption. Regular intake of goat milk significantly improves the body weight gain, improved mineralization of skeleton, increased blood serum vitamin, mineral and hemoglobin levels. These points are considered advantageous when compared to consumption of human milk.

The other medicinal property of goat milk is higher concentration of medium chain fatty acids which play an important role in imparting unique health benefits in mal-absorption syndrome, steatorrhoea, chyluria, hyperlipoproteinaemia and during conditions of cystic fibrosis, gall stones and childhood epilepsy. The medium chain fatty acids minimize cholesterol deposition in the arteries, aid in dissolving cholesterol and gallstones and significantly contribute to normal growth of infants.