CULINARY CULTURE

We eat a lot of yogurt over here.  Lately we've been eating a lot of Saugeen Country yogurt in lieu of other popular and widely available organic yogurts specifically because it is better. No, it's not thick and creamy Greek style yogurt, or fruit on the bottom full of sugar kinda of yogurt.  It's un-homogenized, real, the kind you'd make yourself yogurt.  If our dear little Cassie was still producing milk I would be making my own yogurt.  But, she's not at the moment.  Good news though, we think she's pregnant.  Bad news, we think it was her son who made her so.  Nonetheless, we will be having milk again soon.  

So what's the big deal with homogenizing milk?  Well, milk straight up from a cow contains cream, which rises to the top.  Homogenization is a process that breaks up the fat globules and evenly distributes them throughout the milk so that they do not rise.  This process unnaturally increases the surface area of fat exposed to air.  When oxidation occurs as a result, their is an increased susceptibility to spoilage.  Homogenization has also been linked to heart disease and atherosclerosis.  

Personally, I'd rather have runny yogurt that I can strain if I want it thick.  Milk that needs to be shaken before consumed also sounds like a much better deal than denatured milk.  I have also exclusively been buying Harmony Organic un-homogenized milk until Cassie the goat is ready to share her goods.  

Now all we need to do is work on getting unpasteurized milk on the market and we will be all set.  Until then, I am just really grateful that organic raw cheese is available everywhere, you just have to read the ingredients on the label and check.  Generally, the aged cheeses are raw, whereas the young cheeses like mild cheddar and mozzarella are not. 

So, without further ado, her is one of the many ways we eat our non-homogenized yogurt.....

YOGURT with Blueberries, Apple, Cinnamon and Wildflower Honey

1 1/2 cups organic whole, non-homogenized yogurt

1/4 cup organic wild blueberries (frozen at this time of year)

1/2 of an organic apple, peeled and grated

1 Tbsp ground seed mix (flax, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin)

1 Tbsp local wildflower honey

dash of organic cinnamon

Method:  Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir to combine.