Of Coddled Eggs and Kings

Sunday 29 June 2014

Say Cheese Please

The time has come the walrus said ......

It may be because I am of dutch birth or maybe it was being there and amongst all the cheese but one thing I promised myself last year was when I return to New Zealand I would start making my own cheese....

I have been back nearly a year now so this weekend saw me wear a big Cheesy smile.

This weekend went so fast I am still reeling.....

The Matariki celebrations were held on the lakefront. Fires burnt , stories were told, people sang Maori songs, there was a huge meal of Hangi ( A traditional Maori way of cooking food in the ground) and the finale was a spectacular fireworks display.

A huge congratulations needs to go out to the organisers Kahu Youth ....Hip Horray.

Did you know that Subaru is also another name for Matariki hence the stars on the Subaru Insignia .

It was an entertaining conclusion to the day .

A day that saw 10 woman and one man (so often its the same ratio) gather in my kitchen to learn to make feta and butter and sour cream......

The tutor was very informative .I feel so confident to make more cheese on my own.

Make your own butter very easily.

Just tip a bottle of cream in your beater and keep beating till the solids separate and the butter turns firm yellow.

There will be a good amount of buttermilk that will come out as the solids separate.

I never salt my butter as it salts the butter milk.

Be careful at the end as the butter milk separates. It splashes everywhere.

Pour off the buttermilk and then mould the butter and you can either freeze it or pop it straight in the fridge.

Add garlic to the butter or chopped herbs such as Rosemary to have with lamb or sage for with beef.

You can add salt at the end after you have drained the buttermilk.

I was very happy with the end result ........

The feta was used to make a meal for my husband .

A meal I was very fortunate to have made for me this week by a friend that decided it was time myself and two of her friends met. A lovely idea that we plan to repeat .

It was a very delicious meal taken from a wonderful quick and easy recipe.

My husband enjoyed the meal just as I did at my friends.

The wonderful thing was the rocket, pumpkin, garlic , onion all came from our garden and the feta was made fresh by moi and 9 others with lots of laughs and much love and friendship.

I will always think of this meal now as "A loving spoonful."

I was also lucky enough

to be able to forage a few flowers to make a posy to bring my friend.

I love cooking and baking . I love learning new skills and love recipe books....most of all though I love to share the tasks with my grandchildren...

Here they are placing the prunes from our plum tree (this seasons pickings) on the sweet pastry just before the sponge topping goes on. I had collected a huge jar of poppy seeds and added a good cup full to the sponge.....