The home on the farm
View from the farm
happy sheep
Up another mountain today about 1000 meters up to Cerasa Farm. The Cavani family is part of a project to save the native breed of Garfagnana sheep. Signora Gemma uses their milk to make pecorino cheese. She explains how she makes the pecorino cheese by starting with the milk to cutting the curd and ladling it into moulds. We then watched her make ricotta from the whey. This is why here, Ricotta is not considered cheese because it is not made with milk, it is made by recooking the whey and making it curdle.
boiling the milk
Mixing and separating the curd from the whey
Gathering and pulling the curd out to put into forms
curd resting in pecorino form
She took us to her cellar where she matures the pecorino cheese.
Gemma showing us her cheese cellar
freshly salted pecorino ready to be aged
Pecorino aging in the cellar
Also on the property are ancient chestnut trees. Each has a small plaque below which tells the birthdate and name of the tree. Yes, they name the chestnut trees on the property.
Chestnut trees all around us
me with a belly full of cheese
