Amaltheia Organic Dairy gets its name from the goat that nursed the infant Zeus in Greek mythology. Maybe if the king of the gods had continued to eat Almatheia’s cheese into his adult years, he wouldn’t have been such a temperamental old fart.
Chevre, the French name for goat cheese, is one of my favorite cheeses. It’s extremely versatile and can be used as both a topping on pizza or Bruschetta or melted within a tart. It has a distinctly sharp taste that adds a zing of flavor to anything it’s paired with. Plus it’s lower in fat than cow’s milk cheese. So I was thrilled to find out that I could get tasty local Chevre from Amaltheia Dairy in Belgrade
Sue and Mel Brown began their goat farm in 2000 and have been making cheese since 2002. Currently they milk about 280 goats which can produce 150 gallons of milk each day. Five pounds of goat’s milk will yield one pound of cheese. Herbs and seasonings are then added to produce flavors like spiced pepper, Perigord black truffle and sun-dried tomato. The Browns use locally grown and organic herbs whenever possible and vegetarian-friendly rennet only. When asked why they do this, Sue’s reply was “we believe that goat milk products are perfect foods for the body. We also believe that farmers can work organically to supply food to the people in a sustainable way, utilizing all by-products and enhancing, not destroying the land. Our goats and pigs are happy, healthy and thriving.”
I purchased a container of Amaltheia’s roasted garlic and chive Chevre from the Good Foods store in Missoula
Visit Amaltheia’s website at http://www.amaltheiadairy.com/ to order their all their products and to find a local store or restaurant near you that supplies or uses their Chevre.
