Cooking & Foods

Come and learn to make Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Whey Ricotta the traditional way. We will learn to make our own cultures rather than using laboratory produced cultures and will even discuss how to make homemade rennet. We will also make yogurt and cultured butter. All products will be made using organic, grass-fed, raw milk. It is recommended that you purchase (and review) the book, "The Art of Natural Cheesemaking", by David Asher. This class is a combination of demonstration and hands on.

Come and learn to make Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Whey Ricotta the traditional way. We will learn to make our own cultures rather than using laboratory produced cultures and will even discuss how to make homemade rennet. We will also make yogurt and cultured butter. All products will be made using organic, grass-fed, raw milk. It is recommended that you purchase (and review) the book, "The Art of Natural Cheesemaking", by David Asher. This class is a combination of demonstration and hands on.

Come learn the fundamentals of working with an open-air wood-fired oven as well as fermentation, while making your own pizza and brewing your own beer. All pizza oven tools and ingredients will be provided. Beer kits will include everything needed to make and take home your own one-gallon batch of beer. Other brewing equipment will be provided.

Come and learn to make Chevre, Aged Chevre, Valencay, and Crottin the traditional way. We will learn to make our own cultures rather than using laboratory produced cultures and will even discuss how to make homemade rennet. We will also make yogurt and cultured butter. All products will be made using organic, grass-fed, raw milk. It is recommended that you purchase (and review) the book, "The Art of Natural Cheesemaking", by David Asher. This class is a combination of demonstration and hands on.

Come and learn to make Chevre, Aged Chevre, Valencay, and Crottin the traditional way. We will learn to make our own cultures rather than using laboratory produced cultures and will even discuss how to make homemade rennet. We will also make yogurt and cultured butter. All products will be made using organic, grass-fed, raw milk. It is recommended that you purchase (and review) the book, "The Art of Natural Cheesemaking", by David Asher. This class is a combination of demonstration and hands on.

The Art of Cheesemaking:101 is being taught by Sheila Flanagan and Sal Speight, both internationally awarded cheesemakers, known for creative semi-aged cheeses. This course will focus on all of the simplest aspects of cheesemaking and the vast variety of cheeses that can be made based on different cultures, rennets, additives and mechanical processing methods. Shelia and Sal will highlight such topics as: importance of cheese starter culture and how different cultures dictate cheesemaking steps, varieties of rennet and their pros and cons, eight steps of cheesemaking and how each affects the final product, categories of cheese from fresh to semi aged to hard cheeses and all their sub categories, what makes cheese artisan and the constant clash with regulations and food safety consideration. Students will then put their knowledge to work by making a semi-aged cow's milk cheese. Tips on how to care for your semi-aged cheese at home will end this well-rounded class taught by the cheesemakers at Nettle Meadow Farm.

Internationally known cheesemakers Sheila Flanagan and Sal Speights return for this second course in the Art of Cheesemaking. This time they will talk about the methods for making mixed milk cheeses and the art of washed rind and hard natural cheeses. The first half of the class will discuss: differences between cow, goat and sheep milk and how the different compositions of those milks change the quality of the cheese, seasonality and adjustments to starter cultures and rennet to accommodate the amount of each milk that is available, financial/business considerations in producing mixed milk cheeses, the vast variety of washed and hard natural cheeses - finding your niche. The second half of this course will provide time to put your knowledge to work by making a mixed milk cheese. Sheila and Sal will provide tips on how to care for your mixed milk cheese at home and tips to try to convert your mixed milk cheese into a washed rind cheese.

The process of lactic-acid fermentation increases vitamins, enzymes and beneficial bacteria naturally present in good whole, fermented and culturally traditional foods. Roberta is hoping to inspire you to include all of this in all diets as a way to introduce healthier options for optimal digestive functioning. In this good for your gut class, you will learn how to make kombucha, kefir, sourdough starter (for bread baking), cultured butter and sauerkraut.