Slow Sunday, lemon tree weather & kefir cheese.

Kefir cheese

Here in the UK we have moved from winter to summer, missing out spring! The blue skies and warm sun are slowing everything down, the world on this tiny corner of the planet is full of birdsong, lush-leafed rich green trees, and people are smiling.

Leaf shadows play on the red-bricked house opposite, rippling and waving, shadow branches nodding this way and that. Out in the street, just the black cat from next door, a bundle of fluff, with tail swishing.

Everyone in there gardens out back, or off to the seaside. Ice-creams and ice lollies, sand and pebbles, watery ripples and blue skies. Life moving to it’s own pace of Sunday slowness. Humanity, filling up with nature and nourishment, fun and laughter. Snoozes, picnic food, cool drinks and sun hats, giggling and chatting and basking in; own time.

Tomorrow the week begins again, but today, for some, early sunny morning turns into blue-skied afternoon, and early evening barbecues usher in dusk filled skies, with promises of stars and slice of milky moon. Then, darkness and silence, as sleep arrives and bodies rest. And perhaps, there will be an owl terwit terwooing, somewhere.

Kefir cheese

I’ve been making kefir from raw milk, then turning that into cheese. It’s so easy, and perfect for keeping your gut happy. Some people worry about buying raw milk, but the problems have been with raw milk from huge dairies, which are what the mainstream food bodies use in their research. You just can’t produce raw milk that is safe to drink with factory farming methods. However, raw milk from small local farms can be trusted. Here is a great article about these two types of raw milk.

To make kefir, you just need some kefir grains which are usually easy to find if you ask around your neighbourhood, because they multiply over time and people share the excess. Or, you can buy them online. A teaspoonful is enough to get started. Simply pop them in a glass jar and fill with full fat milk. Cover with muslin and leave to ferment. The length of time depends on how warm it is. They usually take 3 days in the winter for me, and a couple of days during spring. You know when they have fermented because the milk thickens up. Sometimes the whey separates but that is fine. Once ready sieve through a plastic sieve into non metal bowl, and use a wooden spoon to stir the kefir through the sieve. The longer you ferment for, the stronger (more sour) the taste.

If you would like to make the cheese, simply line a sieve with a large piece of muslin (about .75 of a meter). Place the sieve over a non-metal bowl and leave for 24 hours. Pop in fridge if you don’t want it too ferment any more.

24 hours later, drain off the whey, and using a wooden spoon, tie the muslin around so that the kefir cheese is tightly bound and hanging over the bowl. Leave for another 24 hours. The result is a soft kefir cheese to which you can add fresh herbs, spices etc. Or just eat as is.

Joy dots

Sunny days

Starry nights

Homemade food

Reading books

Taking time

Slowing down

Kindness

Birds flying into the tree

Being

Shadow play on red brick walls

Summer tree

Photo by Huijae Lee – unsplash

The black fluffy cat, tail swishing, yawned and looked towards the rich green-leafed tree, as shadows played behind on the red-bricked wall. The tiny birds flying in and out were calling him but, he just turned and walked in the other direction, slowly, then jumped onto a wall. There he lay, unfurled, with tail swishing and dangling. Next door the dog watched on, following that tail as it swished from side to side, then turned in the other direction and wandered his way into the distance. As sunny afternoon turned to dusk, and trees became silhouettes, birds sang there way to sleep and owls, woke up. Gliding with great wide wings on the night air currents, over roofs and chimneys, treetops, gardens and on out across ancient woodlands. There, they terwit terwooed to their hearts content and some lucky people heard them, as they sat under tree patterned deep blue sky.

Wishing you the warmest,

Lucy x