Merry Christmas, John said as he carried two huge boxes through the kitchen door. I checked the calender, yes, still January. The milking machine had arrived. Much excitement. If Daisy the cow could have seen us staring at the bewildering collection of bits and pieces with knobs and switches, all gleaming and solid looking, she would have been swinging her head in dismay. I quite literally stood in the middle of the living area, the floor strewn with packaging materials, and boxes, the instructions clutched firmly in my sticky little hands, saying what is that bit, how do you think this works. Oo that is nice and shiny!
Later John had it assembled and the pump running smoothly and seemed to be making sense of it. Thankfully it is his job to get the wretched thing installed and keep it running. It will be my job to approach that enormous and probably reluctant cow with the contraptions, her eyes no doubt rolling in horror and not get murdered by flying hooves for my troubles. What I will do to get a bucket of raw milk.
John grew up on a wee farm that had pigs and played Bob Dylan while working on cars. I grew up on a beach with a dog and visited farms in the school holidays. Neither of us has milked a cow. That is OK, we will work it out. I believe that most things can be solved using common sense. Given, of course, that we Have the sense we were born with.
This morning we have awoken to the finest drop of gentle rain. The stock water barrels are filling again and I can almost hear the grass growing. Just the tiniest tease of January growth. I have decided that every day that it is above freezing, the brassica seedlings can go out in the sun. It will slow them down and once March rolls around they will be hardy and raring to go. We will carry them back inside in the evenings. We do this each year. This year we are about three weeks ahead of ourselves but we cannot lose anything and we might gain a crop. At the end of Feb everything is re-sown anyway. This wave is like an advance guard. A bonus.
On a wee sustainable property like this you cannot grow too much food. Everything is consumed one way or another. February will get cold though. It has to happen.
Yesterday I made the cheesecake using the last of the lemon curd. I called it:
Lemon Honey Cheesecake with a Twist of Mint!
For the base:I combined one cup of finely smashed cookie crumbs, 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts and slightly more that 4 oz of melted butter. Mix and press into a springform cake tin.
Sprinkle with finely sliced mint leaves. Roll the leaves in your hands a little first, to release their fragrance. I chose to spread the mint on the base so it would infuse the cake with mint very subtly. (I grow a mint plant in an enormous pot specifically for winter picking, at the end of summer it comes in and sits in a south window with the potted Rosemary.) Now allow the crust to wait quietly in the fridge while you assemble the filling.
The filling:
- 2 packs of cream cheese. (500 grams) I had to buy the cream cheese as the milking is over until the spring, same with the yoghurt. So yes, I cheated and bought both these items at the local store. But when we are milking (fingers crossed) this cheesecake could be made with mostly home grown ingredients.
- 1 1/2 cups lemon curd (I make the lemon curd quite tart.)
- 3 eggs ( at least these were home grown)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened yoghurt
- 1 cup honey (from my bees)
- 1 tablespoon of cornflour (cornstarch)
- a touch of vanilla (though my vanilla is about two months from being ready)
Beat this up. Pour into shell. Cook at 325 for 1 1/4 hours. Cool on a rack. Loosen the crust and cool again.
Do not cut until quite chilled. Preferably wait overnight. This is a rule I had to ignore as the light was so lovely for the photograph! But this morning I just ate a slice for breakfast (as you do) and it cut perfectly and the base did not crumble.
I surprised myself with this one as I am not a dessert maker. Nor am I a dessert eater. I do prefer to finish a meal on a savoury note. But this is tangy, not too sweet but rich. And very good. Now I am going to just gobble up the last slice, before the world awakes. Because I am like that. Sometimes I just am the Little Red Hen.
Good morning. We have another nice mild, cloudy, damp day just breaking. No cold weather worries today.
Good morning!
c
oops John just came in from his run to report that the drizzle has turned to freezing rain and the lane is a sheet of ice. Hmm I had better get to work.
PS If you would like to read a well balanced article on coyotes (there was rather lively discussion on this subject yesterday in my commnents) this is a very intelligent piece of writing on the subject.
The Kitchen's Garden 
80 responses to “Lemon Honey Cheesecake with a Twist of Mint and a milking machine.”
Yum. Yum. Yum. I am so making this, possibly with tangerine curd or a tangerine-lemon combo.
I am really looking forward to next season so i can try these other curds you make.. what a wonderful notion.. c
What a gorgeous recipe – I love the idea of the lemon, honey and mint. A dessert for if you have a cold too! And how exciting about the milking machine. I wish you many gallons of milk 🙂
Oh so true, a cheesecake for a cold! priceless! c
Congratulations on the arrival of your new toy! I would imagine that Daisy has a few rough mornings ahead but no need to worry her pretty little head about that now. And what a great cheesecake you created! I love everything about it, especially that it isn’t overly sweet. I’m not a fan of really sweet things and this, with your lemon curd, sounds perfect! 🙂
The mint is so subtle too and absolutely there, i am pleased with the combo of tastes.. Morning John! c
Morning C.,
Once again you’ve given me a new recipe to add to my collection. Thank you.
I love the pictures of your roosters. I must admit, I never been a big fan of them, aesthetically speaking, but in your photos, I see just how beautiful they can be.
morning La trice, there are way too many roosters around here. But they are all very different. this one today, is called the Son of Caveman, and he is the boss of the barn chickens.. c
So…, I’m picking the Bob Dylan music out of your post today, simply to thank you for mentioning a native of the northern Minnesota Iron Range. His hometown of Hibbing celebrates Dylan Days each May. And, C., here’s something you may to check out: There’s a short fiction and poetry contest as part of the celebration. See DylanDays.org.
As for that milking machine, you’ll figure it out. I grew up on a dairy farm but never milked a cow, although I fed them and scooped their manure into the gutters.
I will tell John about that, he is a dyed in the wool Bob Dylan Boy! Thank you Audrey! Good morning. c
How very cool! (Though Daisy may have other thoughts on the matter!)
What do you plan to do with her calf, by the way?
Lovely cheesecake, too…wish the Hubby ate it. 😦 He has something against cream cheese.
If Daisy has a heifer then her baby already has a good home to go to, once she is older, if she has a bull calf then we will see how he looks and possibly keep him for a while.. c
Perhaps Daisy will enjoy the attention when she gets used to milking 😉
Lovely looking cheesecake!
That is true and she will get lovely goodies too at milking time.. all cows work for food! c
Good luck w/ milking! I bet Daisy will settle in nicely. As I recall from nursing, it was always a welcome relief to be done!
PS: FAB cheesecake! 🙂
morning Christin. It will work out and we have until May to work it out so all good.. c
That’s a very interesting post about coyotes on the Collie Farm blog. A very good link for anyone wanting an even perspective. And I can’t wait to hear more about the milking machine. This could be good. 🙂
Yes this article is very well handled. No bleeding hearts over on that farm. Just tons of research and good sense. c
The cheese cake looks so moist!
it was moist too, very delish.. c
I can’t wait to hear about the first milking :0) the cheesecake looks my and I love the minted base.
The minted base really worked Allison I love it too and I might do a bit of work on the whole cheesecake idea, it is so deliciously and positively Dairy! c
Do you have your own honey bees too? Is there anything you can’t do… You never cease to amaze me. Your cheesecake is dreamy. Bam
I don’t have a peacock yet!! Thank you Bam! c
I hope Daisy take to the milking machine straight away so her hooves don’t fly at you. Ouch. I like your idea of putting finely chopped mint on top of the cheesecake base, to achieve a cake infused with mint. Sounds good to me.
It really did work too! I am going to extend this idea into other dishes.. c
Looking forward to more adventures with the milking machine. ( hope you got it put together with no odd pieces left over – I always hate that when assembling stuff)
Oh i know karen.. there is that terrible silence as you look at the offending screw!! c
Try playing calm classical music while milking: if it does nothing for Daisy, it will keep you from panic!
I love your recipes, and would like to copy the last three lemony ones. But here in France we don’t do cups – or at least only for tea, and they’re all different sizes. Our measurement is in grams and litres – or if you still have scales from 40 years ago, you might scrape by with pounds and ounces. We just came home from shopping with Seville oranges for marmalade, a dozen or so lemons, three bags of flour on special offer and ditto, a new loose-bottomed cake tin and a larger loaf tin. So I shall be hard at work tomorrow.
@Viv. Russell of Chasing Delicious just posted this handy conversion chart on his blog. It may help you convert recipes from Americans. http://chasingdelicious.com/kitchen-101-measurements-a-quick-citrus-cinnamon-muffin-recipe/
good thinking, i might print that for myself! c
Thank you very much, kalechronicles. I’ve copied the charts to print upstairs and will keep them in my looseleaf recipe book.
You’re quite welcome: I printed it myself to help me with the metric system and grams.
If it is one of Mums recipes her instruction was no matter which cup, just use the same cup for everything. I cooked with a coffee mug for a cup as a kid!! Just goes to show that none of her measurements were exact! How wonderful to find the sevilles! Marmalade! you can make an orange curd too evidently .. c