Greek Island Mizithra

I somehow managed to squeeze Forging Fromage’s October challenge, Greek Island Mizithra, between our trip to Scotland and the end of the month, but am just getting a chance to write about it now.

The truth is, I don’t have much to say about this cheese.

It was simple enough to make (heat milk, add salt, add rennet, let curd form for an hour, cut curd, pour curd into cheese cloth and let drain for several hours at room temperature, and then 12 more hours in the refrigerator). The problem is that its simplicity resulted in a cheese with very little flavor. It was sweet and milky and fresh, but that’s not what I’m looking for in a cheese. At least, not these days.

It was only after I made this cheese that I learned that it’s traditionally made from a combination of leftover whey and goat or sheep milk, which may lend it some real tang. I wish I’d tried making it from goat milk instead of cow milk. And then aged it a bit.

Honestly. though, it’s not the cheese’s fault that I found it uninspiring. It’s my fault for spending too much time in the land of fresh cheeses where things feel easy and safe. It’s time to push myself and move on to the cheeses that convinced us to get goats and make our own cheese: soft, mold-ripened, tangy little goat cheeses.

I love the Forging Fromage group and plan to continue on with their challenges (next up is Queso Fresco, a fresh cheese I do like and will love using in our Mexican cooking), but I’m also going to leap ahead with my own cheese challenges. First up I think will be the beautiful, pyramid-shaped, ash-coated Valençay.

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Love being elbow deep in milk? Come join us at Forging Fromage. Check the web site for the current recipes and their due dates. Make the recipe, write about it, then use the link on the site’s sidebar to post your creation to the group.