Say Cheese!
Last summer we received a donation of milk which we froze as it was more than we could use at once. Defrosted frozen milk isn't exactly something you want to pour into a glass so Sr. Mary Catharine went to trusty Google and researched what to do with extra milk! Thus she was introduced to the world of cheese making! A little lemon juice or vinegar added to heated up milk and voila! you have cheese!
Of course it didn't stop there! Then she found out about 30 minute mozzarella. And then she began reading up on making cheese and thanks to the cheese making school of YouTube, particularly Gavin Webber, the self-proclaimed cheese nerd who makes cheese making look not only possible but fun, Sr. Mary Catharine was on her way to all sorts of new cheeses!
Sr. Mary Catharine shows off the Queso Fresco she made! It WAS delicious!
There are a few cheeses you can make without a cheese press or an aging "cave". Cheese presses are quite pricey. They aren't exactly the thing most people are lining outside the store to buy! So, after Sr. Mary Catharine got beyond the gallon jug press she began researching the possibility of either making one (nope!) or finding someone who made one that would be affordable. Through Ebay Sister met Sherry and Frank who generously gave us the gift of one of their cheese presses!
So, Thursday afternoon Sr. Mary Catharine made a Queso Fresco with chives from our garden to serve on our patronal feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. We are so grateful to Sherry and Frank for such kindness to our community and we ask God, through our Lady's intercession to bless them for such goodness! And if you are looking for a cheese press buy one from them!
Who knows what cheese Sr. Mary Catharine will be making next! She has a wheel of Bel Paese in the fridge that has been aging for 4 weeks and we have to wait yet another week to try it. Perhaps we'll need to start thinking about getting a cow!
