email this pageHappy, healthy goats make good cheese. That's the philosophy of Dee Harley, owner of Harley Farms Goat Dairy in Pescadero, Calif.
Seventeen years ago, this native of Yorkshire, England, started her goat dairy with six American Alpine goats. Today, 200 goats pass their days leisurely grazing on a tasty blend of a dozen grasses and their nights snuggled in the restored barn. Milked at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m., each goat produces a gallon of milk a day, enough to make a pound of cheese.
The farm's location, about 50 miles southwest of San Francisco, is ideal for producing tangy chevre. "The secret ingredient is the salty air from the coast two miles away," confides Harley.
The farm's rich full-fat ricotta is sold to high-end restaurants in the Bay Area. Flavorful feta and fromage blanc are also popular, but chèvre is the bestseller. It's shaped into rounds and studded with dried apricots and pistachios or adorned with brilliant edible flowers from the farm's garden. The cheese is the epitome of fresh-it takes two and a half days from udder to packaged product.
The farm offers tours and tastings to educate visitors about how cheese is made. Guests are encouraged to decorate and sample freshly made chevre.
"When people finish the tour, they leave with a piece of us," says Harley. "It's about having a personal relationship with the food that you eat."
-June D. Bell
Herbed Spinach and Goat Cheese Strata
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Here’s a recipe perfect with chèvre, courtesy of Relish Executive Chef Jon Ashton. You can prepare it the night before and pop in the oven in the morning or let stand a couple hours and bake. It’s also great for dinner with a big green salad.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt, divided
Coarsely ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed rustic bread, such as ciabatta (about a 1-pound loaf)
1 cup (6 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2¾ cups 2% reduced-fat milk
8 eggs
1 to 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in spinach; remove from heat.
3. Toss bread cubes, spinach mixture and cheeses together in a large bowl. Place mixture in a buttered 13 x 9-inch baking dish or 3-quart gratin dish.
4. Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard and herbs. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Pour evenly over bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove strata from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
6. Remove plastic wrap and bake, uncovered, about 45 minutes, until puffed, golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Serves 10.
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