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This monthly column highlights the rich agricultural heritage of our region by featuring a local farmer or food producer, along with a submission of one of their favorite seasonal recipes.
We have a dairy pioneer in our midst. The folks at Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery in King Ferry make and sell kefir cheese with raw milk from their small herd of Dexter cattle, and it's a sure bet you have heard of neither kefir nor Dexter cows. This is artisanal farmstead cheese, meaning it is made by hand, from cows living on the premises of the dairy operation.
Why make Dexter kefir cheese?
I talked with Rose Marie Belforti, the head of this micro dairy, to find out.
Dexter cows
Dexter are a hardy breed of Irish cattle uncommon in the United States.
Rose's tiny grass-fed herd that she started in 1999, currently consists of six cows including four milkers. While the stubby little breed, some brown, some black, are smaller than traditional milking Holsteins, only 38 inches high, they also consume less resources and their milk output is generous relative to their size. Rich in butterfat, Rose claims it makes "drinking regular milk taste like water." She proudly says the gentle Dexters take very good care of their little ones and are hardy creatures, requiring virtually no shots or veterinary care.
The choice to operate a Dexter dairy was based on two factors. For one, she is interested in working with heritage breeds — those that have been around for a long time but for a host of reasons have fallen out of popularity and are in danger of going extinct.
Second, her quest to find an alternative to large factory farming led her to the Dexters. Rose was seeking a sustainable model for a small, local operation, and finds great pleasure in promoting the family cow to families who want to keep a single cherished milk cow to provide milk for a good part of the year for an entire family. Three to five cows are enough to start a small cheese business.
The cows are milked by hand, and with a 1945 Surge milking machine they purchased and painstakingly assembled in the dairy building.
What is Kefir?
Kefir is a type of organism that is beneficial to human health, in a similar way to the "live active cultures" you see advertised on a yogurt container. This special pro-biotic bacteria thrives in milk and can thus be cultured and made into cheese.
Kefir originated in the Caucasus Mountains, and in Europe, it has been nurtured and passed down for generations due to its legendary status in increasing human longevity and boosting healthy intestinal flora. Rose claims that kefir combined with the enzymes in the raw milk are "vital to keeping people young."
No one else in the United States has actually used it for cheese making, and Rose was advised at the outset that it was too difficult and shouldn't even attempt it. "Regular" cheese production from familiar time-tested ingredients is in itself an art form that can take many years to master.
She has encountered many challenges. For instance, Rose noticed that her spring and winter efforts were more successful than in the summer months. It took a year's worth of tinkering with the recipe for her to figure out that kefir thrives within a limited range of temperatures. Now the cultures are kept consistently cool at all times.
She has had help along the way, first with a SARE grant (Sustainable Agricultural Research Education), which enabled her to start up the operation, and then later from the Cornell Food Science Department, which assisted her in perfecting the recipe, equipment and procedures, in addition to navigating the state's stringent dairy rules and regulations.
And the results are in, as evidenced by the bountiful rustic wheels stacked up on the dairy's shelves where they are allowed to age for at least 60 days. The edible rind is powdery white, while inside, the light yellow texture is moist and springy. Take a bite, and the consistency is neither very hard-like aged cheddar, nor very soft, like Brie-but somewhere in between, with a pungent, nutty, tangy taste.
Several local wineries sell the cheese, as does Bet the Farm, a shop in nearby Aurora, which carries wine and other regional food products. Nancy Tisch, the proprietor of the shop, says the cheese is a natural pairing with wine.
"We've paired Rose's cheese quite successfully with Americana's Baco Noir. The cheese has a distinctive flavor. I would imagine that it also pairs well with Pinot Noir," Tisch said. "With white wine, I would choose an oaked Chardonnay."
There are big plans for the future: Rose hopes to broaden her pioneering efforts to include a kefir beverage, spreadable cheese and perhaps even a kefir ice cream.
Visitors wanting to meet the cows and purchase cheese are welcome at the farm — just call in advance. Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery will also be a participant in this weekend's Farm Trail Weekend.
Julia Reich, of Scipio Center is owner of Julia Reich Design, a graphic design studio, and self-proclaimed "foodie," with interests in cooking (and eating).
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