The British Columbia wine industry was good to Kirby and Crystal Froese, but after almost two decades it was time to return home to Saskatchewan.
It didn’t take long for their entrepreneurial spirit to resurface, and after researching various opportunities, cheese making seemed like a natural transition from wine making.
“Time, temperature, pH, hygiene and patience are elements of both businesses,” said Kirby.
The Froeses make a dynamite combination in small business. Kirby was the winemaker and Crystal worked in communications and marketing.
Read Also
Sustainable food has ‘lost all meaning’: prof
That marketing strategy is deader than a doornail, says a University of Guelph professor who specializes in consumer preferences and perceptions of agriculture and food.
They opened the Coteau Hills Creamery with a 750 litre batch pasteurizer/cheese vat. Local milk is delivered every second day from Caroncrest Farms at Caronport, Sask., and two other local dairies.
Milk is pumped directly into the vat and is held at 63 C for 30 minutes before it is processed into cheese. Milk will be delivered daily as production increases.
The Froeses are setting their sights on distributing their cheese throughout the country. A certificate of analysis is needed to be federally registered so that they can sell outside the province.
It must accompany all the ingredients and come from a Canadian Food Inspection Agency registered facility.
Their first cheese is a Balkan style feta, which is softer, creamier and saltier than a Greek feta. It will be available soon.
Next they plan to experiment with other small batches of handmade cheeses without using additives to increase yield or add colour.
A hamburger cheddar, a brie style, a saskatoon berry rubbed tomme style cheese are in the works.
I created the following recipes using Coteau cheeses.
Lamb meatballs
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 15 mL
- 1/2 c. fine dry bread crumbs 125 mL
- 1/4 c. toasted pine nuts 60 mL
- 1/4 c. crumbled Coteau Hills Balkan style feta 60 mL
- 1 tbsp. dried mint 15 mL
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano 15 mL
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper 2 mL
- 1 lb. lean ground lamb 500 g
Combine bread crumbs, pine nuts, feta, mint, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add lamb and mix gently to combine. Do not over mix. Form into 30 meatballs, about two tablespoons (30 mL) each, and place on a baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs until browned on all sides and fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Serve with chutney or mint sauce.
Pasta el Greco
- 1 lb. linguine 450 g
- 1 pkg. cherry tomatoes
- 1 c. Coteau Hills Creamery Balkan style feta 250 mL
- 1 c. kalamata olives, pitted 250 mL
- 1 pkg. fresh spinach
- 1 tbsp. fresh oregano 15 mL
- 1 tsp. lemon zest 5 mL
- 2 tbsp. olive oil 30 mL
- freshly ground black pepper, if desired
Prepare the ingredients before cooking the linguine. Slice cherry tomatoes in half, drain the olives and coarsely chop. Chop oregano.
Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package. Before draining, scoop out a cup of the pasta water to use if the sauce is too dry.
Add tomatoes, olives, spinach and oregano to the cooked and drained pasta and toss lightly. Return to heat for a minute until the spinach is wilted. Add a little pasta water, if necessary, then transfer to a serving bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil. Crumble the feta on top, garnish with lemon zest and serve with freshly ground black pepper on the side.
Phyllo Balkan Feta Torte With Spring Herbs
This is much lighter than a dip and can be heaped with microgreens for a dramatic effect. Serve with crostini or crackers.
- 1 c. fresh whole milk ricotta 250 mL
- 3/4 c. Coteau Hills Creamery Balkan style feta 175 mL
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 c. chopped soft spring herbs or baby greens (any combination of dill, mint, sorrel, chives, parsley dandelion, arugula) or pesto 75 mL
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 2 mL
- 1/3 c. unsalted butter, melted 75 mL
- 1 box phyllo dough, thawed overnight in refrigerator
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, feta, egg, herbs and pepper.
Brush 6 1/2 inch (16.5 cm) springform pan with some of the melted butter. Drape two sheets of phyllo on top of Bundt pan. Do this with two more sheets placed perpendicular to the first two sheets. Continue adding phyllo sheets in this crisscross manner until all sheets are used. Edges of phyllo should hang over edges of pan.
Scrape half of the ricotta filling into pan. Spread pesto over the cheese. Spoon the rest of the ricotta mixture on top. Fold edges of phyllo over filling.
Using a sharp knife, poke at least 10 holes in dough that reach all the way to bottom of pan. Slowly pour melted butter over torte. Some butter will seep through holes and some will remain on top of dough.
Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for about one hour or until torte is puffy and golden brown. Allow torte to cool in pan for one hour before removing from the springform pan and serving on a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Feta dip
- 1 c. Coteau Hills Balkan style feta 250 mL
- 2 c. very thick yogurt, Middle Eastern style or labne 500 mL
- 2 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/2 tsp. dried mint 2 mL
Mix all ingredients with a spatula or wooden spoon. Chill and serve with fresh vegetables, pita bread or chips.
More ideas for serving Balkan style feta
- Offer a chunk of Balkan style feta with crostini and accompaniments such as mango chutney, dried fruits, fruit pate or crudite such as cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks.
- Blend with pesto to make a spread for crackers and bread.
- Crumble on a salad or fold into an omelet.
- Crumble over roasted vegetables, barbecued salmon or a burger.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
