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Winlock dairy inspires stab at cheese sauce

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published November 04, 2009

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What do Saanens, Lamanchas, Alpines, Oberhaslis, Toggenburgs and Boers have in common?

They are six kinds of goats, and the Blue Rose Dairy is home to all of these. Five are dairy producers; the exception is the Boer, which is a meat goat. The milk from the bucolic beauties is the basis for handcrafted farmstead goat cheese.

Rhonda and David Rider were not always in the cheese business. In fact, Rhonda “never dreamed I’d have a goat.” But one day they acquired one goat to help with the maintenance of their acre of property. No one in the family was crazy about the milk, so they started to make cheese.

That was 20 years ago. Now there are 120 goats at the Blue Rose Dairy, including milkers, males, babies and meat goats. They have been producing cheese commercially for four years.

The rainy autumn morning my mom and I visited the dairy we learned the goats prefer to remain under cover. This made it easy to look at the goats up close, as they were milling around the barn. Over the radio speakers, John Mellencamp’s voice was rocking out with “Hurts So Good.” The goats looked happy to me. Their 24-hour-a-day guard dog, an Anatolian shepherd, was lounging nearby, but had been out earlier checking the perimeters of the 13-acre farm for unwanted predators like coyotes.

The daily supply of milk is processed on-site where it becomes absolutely delectable cheese, both fresh pressed and aged, like Northwest Comfort and Black Jewels. The two younger still-at-home daughters, Danyel and Alixandrea, are in charge of the milking. Rider experiments with techniques and seasonings for variety.

Their cheeses are available at the Olympia Farmers Market, as well as other farmers markets in the state. Blue Rose Dairy cheese is featured in numerous restaurants, including our own Dockside Bistro on Percival Landing. For total convenience, take a virtual tour of the farm and shop online from your home.

During my visit, I was lucky to get a sample of Rhonda’s Marinated Feta Sauce, a marvelous topping for salmon or chicken. It inspired me to make my own at home that very night. The only way it would have been easier to make was if someone made it for me.

My sauce did not thicken up as well as I expected that evening, although it added a creamy layer of taste to our chicken. However, when I took out the leftover sauce the next day, it had thickened up a lot. I needed to add more milk to thin it a little. Next time I will make the sauce a day ahead.

Don’t limit this voluptuous sauce to salmon or chicken. It’s a winner over steamed broccoli and baked potatoes. Pour it over wheat blend pasta. Or toast. You get the idea.

By the way, Blue Rose Dairy has a delightful recipe booklet arranged by the seasons. You will find new ways to incorporate goat cheese into your meals.

From summer salad dressing, chevre pound cake, and fudge cake, to muffins, omelettes, strawberry mousse and stuffed chicken breasts – you will find something to tempt you. I can hardly wait to bake the cake.

Mary Ellen Psaltis lives locally and eats globally. You can reach her at TheRecipeWriter@hotmail.com.

Marinated Feta Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup minced green onions

1/2 cup evaporated milk

2-3 ounces of marinated feta

In saucepan, sauté onions with butter. Add evaporated milk and the amount of cheese you desire. Heat, stirring occasionally until blended. The feta should not melt all the way to nothing, so chunks are great. Pour over baked chicken or fish.

Note: From time to time, Rhonda teaches cheese classes and gives farm tours. Contact the dairy directly for more information.

Blue Rose Dairy

123 Rayburn Road W., Winlock, 360-785-0319, bluerosedairy.com