Monday, April 27, 2009

EWE not EW


photo credit: Ben


Sheep's Milk Cheeses are incredibly earthy, creamy and mouth-coatingly rich. They set the perfect stage for Syrah. Especially Santa Barbara Syrah, in all its bold, bright purple gem beauty.

The idea to make sheep milk yogurt was borne out of necessity for Willow Hill Farm. They started at home, making it for their dogs who were fed a homemade diet. Soon they began to bring some to local farmer's markets and it was a hit! Thick, tangy, creamy and rich.
Shortly thereafter we had chefs knocking on the door to find out more about this decadent treat. In fact, sheep milk has some very interesting characteristics that make it a natural for yogurt production:

Sheep Milk has more of the vitamins A, B, C, and E than cow's milk.
Sheep milk has twice the calcium and higher levels of the minerals phosphorus, potassium and magnesium than cow's milk.
Sheep's milk has less sodium than cow's milk.
Sheep's milk has more protein than cow's milk.
Due to its inherently smaller fat globules, it is easier to digest than cow's milk for some people.
Sheep milk's make up of short chain fatty acids has also been found to have little effect on human cholesterol levels.
Gluten Free
No trans fats
see www.eatwild.com for additional benefits of grass-fed dairy products


The live cultures in our sheep yogurt allow many lactose-intolerant people to digest the lactose in yogurt. One culture in particular, lactobacillus acidophilus, has been credited with improving intestinal health. However, sheep don't give as much milk as cows and perhaps this is mother nature's way of leveling the field! All this extra nutrition in a much smaller package. Good for ewe too!

Go completely Med and serve slow-roasted lamb with mint & garlic tzakiki using sheep's milk yogurt. YUM!

1 comment:

Heather said...

mmmm. i love sheep's cheese. so delicious!