What's in a name?

There’s been a lot of excitement lately with the launch of Coach Farm’s newest product – Rawstruck – our first ever Raw Milk Goat Cheese.  But naming this cheese was no easy feat!  Since this cheese was so different from our other offerings, it needed a different name…something unique and unlike our other classically named cheeses.  To come up with a creative moniker, we reached out to YOU – the public – to help us!

To start, we partnered with Culture: Word on Cheese Magazine  to create a user engagement program that utilized digital and social media platforms.  As part of this program, we selected bloggers to receive samples of the cheese to describe its characteristics, videos of the process were posted to YouTube, ads were placed on both Culture and Coach Farm’s websites and pictures of the cheese were in heavy rotation on sites like facebook and twitter.  The naming contest went viral very quickly thanks to our fans sharing with their networks as well.

Our 6 bloggers did a really great job with their vivid descriptions of the cheese.  “Angel food cake of goat’s milk cheese”, “a surprising depth of flavor that pleasantly lingers”, and “a cheese with a crumbly texture at first that literally melts in your mouth” were just some of the descriptions we heard (you can read the blog posts here).  All of the adjectives used suggested surprise or “awe” at the flavor and texture of this new cheese.  We received an overwhelming response, but the name that best summed up the descriptions was Rawstruck.

Want to learn more about Rawstruck? Then please visit http://www.coachfarm.com/WWA/newproducts.html.  You can also visit our facebook page to see what our fans had to say about our first ever Raw Milk Goat Cheese!

 

Hello My Name Is...

Very exciting news!! We’ve got a new addition to the Coach Farm goat cheese family –raw goat’s milk cheese. You’re probably going WHOA – just what IS a raw goat’s milk cheese anyway? In a nutshell, raw milk cheese is made with unpasteurized milk (some cheesemakers do pasteurize the milk, but that’s for another blog post).  The cheese is then aged for at least 60 days before being offered to the public.  After 60 days, acids and salts in the cheese prevent any potential growth of pathogens.  This is why the FDA mandates that this timeframe be adhered to.  Besides being a safety precaution, aging for 60 days does help with enhancing the flavors of this cheese (at least we think so!).

So, we’ve got this great cheese – but no name!  We usually name our cheeses for their shape and style, but we’d like to have a very creative name for our newest masterpiece.  To help, we have partnered with Culture Magazine for a naming promotion called “Hello My Name Is…” where YOU can submit a moniker for our raw milk cheese. 

To get you started, check out the below video where Kate Arding, Co-Founder and Cheese Director of Culture Magazine, and Mark, discuss the taste profile.  We think she’s is spot on by saying its “crumbly” and “so fluffy when you put it into your mouth…really light…with a great range of flavor.”   We’d also have to agree with her how the flavors are in sync with each other and not overpowering.   Looking for more details to help think of names? Follow the team of bloggers we’ve enlisted to try  the cheese and share their thoughts in their blog posts.

Now that you have the details, submit a name to socialmedia@culturecheesemag.com with the subject line “HELLO MY NAME IS” by Sunday, May 5th at 11:59 p.m. EST.  Include your name, cheese name, and email address.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, May 9th on Culture’s blog!

 

 

 

 

Kid Vid: Just Kidding Around!

Technically, it's Spring, but it doesn't quite feel like it yet on the farm! Since it's still a little extra frosty outside, we kept the little ones inside today for a fun "play date."  Check them out, jumping around and "talking" with each other. If only we could translate their "bhaaa" sounds!

 

 

Spring into the Season

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

Hey, we can’t speak for you, but we’re happy to shed our heavy coats for a lighter jacket, trade snow for lush green grass, and best of all – start home entertaining again (even better if you’re able to entertain outside)!! After all, aren’t most people anxious to get out of the house and go to a nice dinner party again now?   

Spring is also a particularly great time to offer a few goat cheese dishes on your party menu.  Why?  Spring is when the goats’ lactation cycle begins, when their milk is at its richest.  And with Coach Farm now offering fresh goat cheese stuffed with pear and fig, you can REALLY get creative with your entertaining edibles.

In honor of the warmer season, we want to share a few dishes that pair goat cheese with in-season fruits and veggies.  We bet your guests will be talking about your dinner party long after it’s done!

Just click on the picture for the step-by-step recipe!

 

Ramps and Lemon Zest (Ramps grow on our farm too!)

 

Goat Cheese Tarts with Ramps and Lemon Zest

Asparagus

 

Asparagus-Goat Cheese Pasta

Strawberries

 

 

Goat Cheese and Strawberry Bruschetta

Spinach and Artichoke
 

 

Goat Cheese Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Plantain Chips

Arugula and Beets

 

 

Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

Apricots
 

 

Apricot Goat Cheese Ball with Fried Rosemary and Shallots

Carrots

 

Carrot Cupcakes with Goat Cheese Frosting (Vegetarian recipe!)

Peas

 

Goat Cheese, Pea & Bean Frittata

 

Last Christmas I Gave You My Tart

So we've been yammering on about food, and drinks, and combinations, and compliments, and taste buds all month. Has it been educational? We hope so. This time around though, we wanted to hone in on some specifics and rather than pair foods based on texture and taste, we thought, "tis the season!" So here are some goaty, cheesey dishes infused with the flavors of the season. 

Just click the picture and enjoy!

Fig

Goat Cheese and Honey Stuffed Fig Muffins

Date

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Chorizo and Goat Cheese

Nutmeg, Vanilla & Cinnamon

French Toast with Goat Cheese Drizzle

Cranberry, Orange & Almond

Cranberry Almond Goat Cheese

Pear & Pomegranate

Arugula, Pear, Pomegranate & Goat Cheese Salad

Lavender

Lavender and Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Sage

Sweet Potato, Sage & Goat Cheese Pasta

Ginger

Honey Ginger Ice Cream

Chocolate

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Goat Cheese Brownies

One Man's Funk is Another Man's Pleasure

"Ugh, yuck! How could someone eat that?" 

Ever find yourself wondering this? Or maybe someone asked you how you could stomach sardines, that ridiculously hot wing, or anything with mayo. Would you eat fried tarantulas, sip on snake wine, or crack open a Balut (look it up, we dare you)? What makes us like what we like and hate what we hate?

The answer is twofold. Firstly, there is the external cultural influence. Our family, and more importantly our culture, has a significant influence on the food and drink that we consume. This is the factor that steers one culture to the brains over the bacon, or to the feet over the fat. If you're raised thinking a certain food is the norm, then naturally it is difficult to understand how others might find it troubling. Would it surprise you to know that the savory and sweet mix of maple bacon is a turn-off outside of the US? Or that our soft bread is a wonder to some and cheese is strange to the Chinese?

The second part of the answer has to do with our tongues and noses. The amount of papillae (those little bumps on our tongues of which the vast majority house taste buds) an individual has determines the intensity of flavor sensation. The more papillae, the more one is apt to order things mild or take their coffee with extra cream. These people are called "supertasters", presumably because their tolerance for extremes is super low. On the other end of the spectrum are the "nontasters" or "subtasters", individuals that can order those ghost chili pepper wings and cry tears of joy, not pain, for the complexity of the heat and flavor. A nontaster's papillae density is lower than a supertaster's, meaning that there are fewer buds to overwhelm. 

Think of a papilla as a bouncer working for Club Flavor Experience. Supertasters have hired the worst possible candidate. He's weak, easily overwhelmed, and can't stop letting everyone in - even the guys in t-shirts and sneakers. Nontasters went a different route and got that huge guy that does two-a-day lifting sessions at your gym. He only lets in the people you want to see, isn't afraid of slamming a door in someone's face, and is all about letting the party rage inside.

What's happening here is that when a supertaster chomps into a jalapeño (for this analogy, a t-shirted clubber), the door stays wide open, and with each subsequent bite, more and more casual joe-schmos flood the club. The flavor becomes overwhelming and the signal to the brain that shouts, "Spicy!" never abates. Nontasters, on the other hand, savor the flavor as the door shuts on the schlubs, and the party continues inside. They are able to continue to eat, taste, and enjoy, as the heat never overpowers.

But it's not all about the papillae. Our brain can only detect 5 tastes; sour, sweet, bitter, salty, and savory (10 point synonym for savory? umami), but the chemicals that trigger those flavors are different from one person to the next. Additionally, food odor molecules that travel through your nasal passage or nostrils have a strong influence on flavor. When the passage is blocked due to sickness, or when your nose is held, flavor all but disappears from food. 

So the next time you find yourself wondering how on earth someone can enjoy a particular dish, remember that there's much more at work than just a simple, "I dare you!" 

Pairing is Caring

For the uninitiated foodie, the thought of creating the perfect pairing is understandably intimidating. Endless choices of beer, wine, fruit, cheese, bread, meat...the whole pyramid really! So many places to go wrong. Right? WRONG! Rather than being overwhelmed by possibility, why not revel in the fact that there ARE so many possibilities? Plus, we are so much more adept at pairing food than we give ourselves credit for. If you can cook, even just a little, then you've already got a head start.

So where do you begin? With what you like. Start with a drink - wine, beer, or otherwise, and from there you may go one of two directions: complimenting or contrasting. A complimentary drink will have flavor characteristics similar to your food (think a crisp, grassy white wine with our fresh goat cheese) while a contrasting drink has a bold dynamic that sets it apart from your food (think a full-bodied red with an aged cheese). It is also important to note that the body and alcohol content of the drink should match the impact of the dish. A robust dark beer will overpower a salad or fish dish while a light white will be lost in the texture and heartiness of a New York Strip.

Even though every palate is a little different, here are a few universally helpful tips for your next pairing foray:

- Fatty foods tend to coat your tongue. Acidity from fruity, citrusy, hoppy, or sour drinks cuts through the fat and refreshes you for another bite.
- Slighty sweeter drinks are a good compliment to both spicy foods (by counteracting heat) and not too sweet dishes (by maintaining consistency).
- Carbonated drinks are good palate cleansers.
- Confused as to where beer falls on the spectrum? Think of ales as red wine and lagers as white.
- The higher the alcohol percentage, the spicier a food will taste.
- Oak is a strong flavor that tends to overpower 

Are there any other guidelines you follow while pairing foods?

The Fast Track to Cheese Expertise

A wine expert is a sommelier, beer, a cicerone, heck there's even one for charcuterie (it's charcutier, for those curious readers). But is there a term for cheese experts? Not quite. There's the affineur, the person resposible for monitoring the aging process of cheese, the fromager or cheese merchant, and the cheesemonger who sells the cheese. You can add Maître in front of affineur or fromager to express a higher level of knowledge, but there's still no universal term that implies the highest level of cheese mastery.

Not to worry, there are still plenty of affifromamongers (we're still working on the best portmanteau for this situation) that we can turn to in order to teach us about the wonderful world of cheese. They've even written books about it!

First up is Mr. Steven Jenkins and his book Cheese Primer. Cheese Primer looks at the world of cheese though an encyclopaedic lens, starting with the inception of cheese, how it's made, classified, and changes throughout the seasons, and moving to cooking, serving, and eating cheese. From there the book is broken down by country, then region, discussing cheeses hailing from all over the world and their specific characteristics, best examples, wine pairings and bottom line. Coach Farm is even mentioned in Steve's book (and we think he's got a pretty awesome hat on the cover). Overall, it's an epic 576 page pocket tome full of hard (and soft) cheese knowledge and its sure to impress guests when casually strewn across your coffee table.

Our wonderful friends from Culture Magazine came together to publish our next recommendation. Cheese for Dummies is another in the long line of the "Dummies" series, that, ironically, you are quite smart for choosing to read. Similar in structure to Mr. Jenkin's book, Cheese for Dummies spices things up with more thorough drink pairings, a metric conversion guide, and a whole part of the book discussing famous cheesemakers, festivals and the world's most bizarre cheeses. Lighthearted, yet detailed, this is another strong choice to make when choosing to educate yourself. Just stow it away somewhere; that bright yellow cover is a dead giveaway.

Finally, we come to Laura Werlin's Mac & Cheese, Please! which is something yours truly has been politely saying since childhood. The cover alone induces drooling, but wipe it off your lower lip, tie your apron on, and dive into the sweet, melty goodness that is this book. Recipes range from your garden variety mac, to mac with garden veggies, meaty macs, decadent macs and everything in between. She also has tips on preparation, sauces and preservation. In a pinch, this would make a perfect holiday gift, but take note that it doesn't hits the shelves until December 4th.

Any other literary recommendations for cheese fans looking to become froaffingers? Ooh...that one has a nice ring to it!

Thanksgiving and the Importance of Commensality

With our lives moving at a break-neck pace day in and day out, the time we spend genuinely unplugging from our demands and replugging into personal interactions is limited. Fortunately, every once in a while, a holiday meal comes along and provides the perfect opportunity for kicking back, cooking, sipping, tasting, talking, and connecting.

Commensality is the word for it; the act of eating together. It's the founding of a fellowship, an opportunity to learn more about those around you through their likes, dislikes, tastes and toasts. It's a continuation of tradition, a transmission of culture, with recipes taught and retaught through generations. It's a resurgance of memories, a time to reminisce, and a time revel in the present. It is a demonstration of altruism as a sharing of table and bounty.

It's a chance to shift the focus from ourselves to others, and a chance to silence the incessant chatter of our inner monologue. It's a nourishment of the body, spirit and mind, for all involved.

There are many things to be thankful for in any given year, but if this Thanksgiving you find yourself drawing up a chair to a table full of family and friends, know that you are participating in a tradition that is older than the pilgrims and is more than just a meal.

Excess Stress and Food Success

We've all been there before. The feeling of having too much to do and less than enough time to do it in. Or maybe  it's a thought we're hung up on and it seeps into our daily processes. Regardless of the source, stress can manifest in ugly ways, one of the ugliest being the effect it has on our eating habits.

Chronic stress occurs when the stressing element or elements do not abate for an extended period, typically days or weeks. Cortisol (the hormone response to stress that jumpstarts life-saving responses to dangerous situations) is released and in the case of cronic stress, continuously. This constant flow causes further anxienty, hyperalertness and in most cases, depression. The sustained state of anxiety and depression drains our energy reserves and causes us to seek fatty and sugary foods to keep up with daily life. Ironically, the sensation of eating these foods can sometimes alleviate anxiety and depression as the body gets what it wants.

While this move might be beneficial in the short term, the imbalance of healthy versus unhealthy foods is obviously dangerous in the long term. The real key lies in breaking the cycle and not allowing stress to have such a massive influence on one's diet.

So what is one to do in these holiday times of financial, temporal, familial, and gastronomical stress? Here are a few quick tips to keep the levels (and therefore the calories) down.

1. Expenses spike this time of year due to gifts and entertaining. If you're highly efficient, budget earlier in the year for gift shopping, squirreling away extra cash when it's available. Or shop earlier in the year, taking advantage of sales through other holidays. (This technique also saves you plenty of time with a big headstart). If planning ahead isn't your MO, try going for quality and not quantity. One gift well executed is worth many generic and middling. Big family? Consider choosing one or two members to exchange gifts with or chip in for a group gift.

2. Think back on a time when you were rushed during the holidays. What was the result? Half hearted gifts? Shoddy wrapping? Scant decorations? Burnt casseroles? Knowing that there is a lot to do is half the battle. Attack each project a little at a time. Piecemeal, the work will be a lot less intimidating and much more managable.

3. If family is your biggest stress, make sure you carve out space and time for yourself during the visits. A lot of extra cooks literally in the kitchen can swiftly become nightmarish. Ready your house a few days in advance if there are overnight guests. Prepare for the little things by stocking up on extra coffee, breakfast foods, clean towels and fresh sheets. That way, when your guests arrive, you are able to sit back and grin (or grin and bear it, depending on the family).

4. And finally, the food. Besides being prepared for whatever cooking has to be done, make sure to have plenty of healthy options on hand. Sure it's easier to reach for leftover cookies or chocolate but in the long run, fruits, veggies, and nuts (and not the amazingly delicious sugar and spice coated ones) are better.

Have any stress management tips for the holidays? Share them below or on our Facebook page!