Cow Culture: Small-Batch Yogurt at Hastings Farm

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all-Batch Yogurt at Hastings Farm

by Gena Golaswith recipes from Chef Meg Buchsbaum

Laurie Bonneau photos

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Back in 2009, the Hastings family was at a crossroads. They had operated a dairy farm since the 1950’s, but milk prices had just dropped industry-wide, and they found themselves needing to make a choice: sell the cows and discontinue production for local dairies, or change their business model to treat and distribute their own milk. Sisters Megan and Lauren Hastings, among the fourth generation of this family’s farmers, chose the latter. They took a one-day dairy course

at Cornell University, and made the leap into processing and distributing their own milk.

Eleven-or-so years later, the farm, located on over 200 acres in Suffield, is thriving. Home to approximately 250 cows and four generations of Hastings family—Megan and Lauren’s parents, husbands, kids, and friends-who-are-like-family, all who help operate the farm by milking, feeding, making, and delivering—Hastings Farm is locally famous for their farm-

HASTINGS FARM IS LOCALLY FAMOUS FOR THEIR FARM-MADE GREEK YOGURT.

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THE YOGURT IS MADE THREE TO FOUR TIMES WEEKLY IN SMALL BATCHES...

made Greek yogurt. The yogurt is made three to four times weekly in small batches, and comes in nine flavors: plain, honey, apricot, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, lemon, vanilla, and coffee. The popular - but seasonal - pumpkin pie flavor is available each fall.

The milk is first pasteurized on-site, and a few grams of culture are added. The milk is then left to sit for seven to eight hours in a milk tank, where it thickens. Megan describes how she knows, purely by smell, when the milk is ready: “it goes from warm-milky, to tart, then sweet.” Years of experience and hundreds of batches make this a more sensory, and less scientific, process. A cold day might slow the culturing, while a hot day speeds it up.

At this stage, the milk mixture gets scooped out of the tank and into a cheesecloth-lined metal cart, specially designed for the Hastings by an engineer friend. The cart’s mesh screens strain the whey out of the cultured milk, leaving thick Greek yogurt behind. The yogurt is left plain, or flavored: think honey from nearby Hilltop Apiaries in Simsbury, fruit preserves, vanilla extract, or lemon curd. The result is a thick, creamy, silky, mildly tangy yogurt that’s not too sweet, even with flavor added: dig right in with a spoon, or use in your favorite savory or sweet recipe.

At the heart of all the Hastings’ dairy products are, of course, the cows and their milk. The cows are milked twice daily and produce 600 to 800 gallons of milk each week, some of which stays on the farm to be processed, while the rest is shipped to nearby dairies in a big tanker truck. The milk that stays on the farm is pasteurized, but minimally processed and nonhomogenized, so that the 4% butterfat settles deliciously at the top of each half-gallon glass bottle. In addition to whole white and chocolate milk, Hastings offers a few varieties of farm-fresh cheese. “Cheese is the fun thing,” says Megan. “We make whatever we feel like, we don’t have a ‘brand.’”

In their farm store or in the local markets to which they deliver, you might find Gracie’s Farmstead Gouda or Ginger’s Caerphilly - named, in this case, after a grandmother-andgranddaughter team of cows on the farm. Hastings also regularly makes ricotta cheese, and offers cuts of natural beef from the farm’s Hereford cows, which grow up alongside their Holsteins and Jerseys.

Come to Hastings Farm to visit with the cows, get to know the family, and pick up a bottle of milk, wedge of cheese, or a pint of yogurt - or, if you prefer, try your hand at homemade yogurt with the following recipe. Then, use your yogurt in some spring recipes inspired by Hastings Farm yogurt.

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AT THE

HEART

OF ALL THE HASTINGS’ DAIRY PRODUCTS ARE, OF COURSE, THE

COWS AND THEIR MILK.

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HOMEMADE

YOGURT

Yield: One quart

1 quart milk (preferably raw milk from cows)

2 tablespoons store-bought, live/active culture yogurt, plain

5 pint canning jars with lids

Heat milk in a stainless pot over medium heat until it reaches 180 degrees. Remove from heat and allow to cool until it reaches 115 degrees.

Add the yogurt, and gently stir to combine. Divide evenly between the jars and cover. Place in a water bath that is 110 degrees, and cook for 12 hours or longer until the yogurt is set.

Allow to cool and place in the refrigerator. Some “whey” may come to the top; pour off.

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For a chef, nothing compares to ingredients fresh from the farm. Here, Meg Buchsbaum, private chef and owner of Tapestry Hill Farm in Colchester, shares three spring recipes featuring Hastings Farm Greek yogurt. “Yogurt does have a shelf life,” she says, “but when you eat it freshly made, it’s a game changer! It’s not to say that store-bought yogurt is inferior; however, my example is this: a freshly-made chocolate chip cookie is so much better than a day old one.” This analogy neatly describes how products that have no delay to the consumer simply taste better. Meg’s recipes below highlight the freshness of Hastings Farm yogurt.

SPICED ROASTED CARROTS≈ GARLICKY YOGURT SAUCE

Serves 4-6

For the Sauce:1 cup Hastings Farm Greek Yogurt,

honey flavored or plain (if using plain, add 2 tablespoons of native honey)

1/2 teaspoon Za’taar spice2 cloves garlic, finely minced1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Letting the sauce rest allows for the Za’taar to infuse the yogurt.

For the Carrots:

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons honey2 teaspoons ground cumin1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes1 lemon, zested, then juiced1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees, with the rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a shallow dish, combine all ingredients. Toss gently to evenly coat the carrots.

Line the carrots on the sheet and place in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes. Toss the carrots with tongs, and cook until tender. This will vary depending on the freshness of the carrots as well as their size.

When the carrots are done, transfer to a serving plate and serve with the yogurt sauce.

YOGURT

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PANCAKES ≈ BANANAS

Serves 4 1 cup all-purpose flour1 tablespoon sugar3/4 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda1 cup Hastings Farm Plain Greek Yogurt1 egg1 cup buttermilk1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted1 pinch cinnamon1 ripe banana, sliced

Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, and melted butter.

Whisk together dry and wet ingredients. Do not over mix.

Heat a griddle to 325 degrees. When hot, grease with non-stick spray or butter. Drop batter by 1/3 cupfuls, evenly spaced onto the griddle. Place banana slices on each pancake. When the edges are set and the center has a few bubbles, gently turn each pancake. Cook until golden; serve with maple syrup or butter.

LEMON YOGURT CAKE

Makes one loaf For the Cake: 1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup cake flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup Hastings Farm Plain Greek Yogurt1 cup sugar3 extra large eggs2 lemons, zested1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup lemon juice For the Syrup:

1/3 cup lemon juice1/3 cup sugar

For the Glaze: 1 cup confectioner’s sugar2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 ½ x 4 ¼ x 2 ½ inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and the 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan and place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake after it is completely cooled.

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PRODUCTS THAT HAVE NO DELAY TO THE CONSUMER SIMPLY

TASTE BETTER

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