This time last year I was trying to figure out how to run a dairy plant.
I was up to my neck in “all things dairy.” Running a diary plant is no easy feat. Today, I am a mechanical engineer, sanitarian, lab technician, chemical expert, scientist, culinary steam expert, cheesemaker, manager, and all-around troubleshooter. And that is only after the milk has left the cow.
Recently, I hired someone who I thought was a perfect fit for our team of amazing employees. They quit after day two. They were highly educated, strong, and previously worked as a marketing brand rep for a large cheese company. They were excited about working in “dairy” and actually “doing” the process. I’m disappointed they quit, but I understand it’s not for everyone. It’s a lot of plain old hard physical work—REALLY hard work.
Every day is a little different at the plant, but some things remain the same; heavy lifting, long hours, and getting wet with either milk or water.
People are shocked at the amount of work required to produce a glass of milk or a 1lb of cheese. To produce one pound of cheese it takes 10 pounds of milk that have been pasteurized, cultured, coagulated, cut, cooked, milled, salted, pressed, and aged for months or years. Long after you’ve spent oodles of $$$ on processing, you’ll see some return on your investment—that’s if it turns out as you planned.
My appreciation for dairy farmers and people in the dairy industry is somewhere in the superstar category. They truly are the hardest working people I know. The next time you take a bite of cheese or dunk a warm chocolate chip cookie in a glass of milk, marvel at the little miracle you’re holding in your hand.
I love this recipe. It combines my favorite foods; veggies and all things dairy. It’s heavenly.
Dairy Good Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
One large bag of baby spinach
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tbsp. butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
½ cup half & half
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for the top
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Pepper to taste
2 cans of artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped and stem removed
½ tsp. seasoned salt
12 Ritz or Keeble Club crackers, crushed
Preheat oven to 350°.
Over high heat, place half of the spinach in a large saucepan add ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil and cover; steam until wilted; about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining spinach; set aside (don’t forget to add more water to the second batch).
Drain the water and reduce heat to medium. Add the butter and onion; cook until tender; add the cream cheese, sour cream, half & half, parmesan cheese, garlic, pepper, and seasoned salt. Stirring constantly until the cream cheese is melted. Add the spinach, artichokes and dill; fold in.
Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish or a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with crackers and more grated parmesan cheese to taste. Bake for 30 minutes until mixture is bubbling and top is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Lisa Erickson is a food columnist who loves adventure and food. You can find more recipes by emailing her at wildchowrecipes@gmail.com.
August 16, 2020 at 11:01PM
https://ift.tt/3h3jyQu
Looking at the world through milk-colored glasses - Osceola Sun
https://ift.tt/2XiyktG
Milk
No comments:
Post a Comment