Right Mouse, Boss Brain

The Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City is the best microbrewery in town.  They make excellent beer and have a big bar in a warehouse space.  They are going to serve plates of local cold cuts, nibbles and...cheese.  Boss Mouse landed the account, and I am also going to work on a beer cheese for them.  Here is a 3 gallon batch of brine I made from Right Brain beer

Big pot 'o suds to which I added…forgive me…lots of salt

The beer is RBs Flying Squirrel Nut Brown Ale, one of their many brews - I love all the names

THE BEER MENU

CLASSIC TAPS (ALWAYS ON)

BLACK EYE PA / DEAD KETTLE IPA / FLYING SQUIRREL BROWN ALE / SHADOW WATCHER STOUT / NORTHERN HAWK OWL / WILLPOWER PALE ALE / CEO STOUT / SATISFACTION ESB

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SIGNATURE TAPS (ROTATING)

MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS / IRISH GOODBYE / NAUGHTY GIRL STOUT / THAI PEANUT / BIG MEECH IPA / FIRESTARTER CHIPOTLE PORTER / CHERRY BRULEE/ VAN GOGH CREAM ALE/ CAN I GET "WHEAT" YA? / VANILLA CREAM ALE

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PREMIUM TAPS (ROTATING)

LOOPING OWL / DEBAUCHERY WHEAT WINE / SOUR OWL / MANGALITSA PIG PORTER

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ALSO

CAT SCRATCH FEVER CIDER / MOULIN ROUGE RED WINE / BETTY 

sky study #80

Sunrise over the farm November 24, 2012

truckle

A truckle is a small cylindrical wheel of cheese - here is a batch of blue cheddar on the draining table

I wonder if Butch likes truckles?

Holman smoked whitefish

My friend Laurie's husband Tim makes the best home smoked whitefish I've ever tasted.  The spicy cherry montasio cheese I made a few months ago using Holman farm cherries was ripe, so we had a little cheese for whitefish exchange.  They also gave me the recipe for their delectable smoked whitefish dip:

1/2 - 3/4 pound smoked whitefish (or any type of smoked fish), flaked

8 ounce package cream cheese

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish

3 Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients, chill and enjoy

smoking fresh mozzarella

I did it in the burn barrel - getting the coals going

tinfoil package of apple wood chips in a metal egg basket

keeping the barrel warm & containing the heat

here are the little cheeses, cold smoked for about an hour - lovely yellow patina and subtle, delicious smoky flava

Smoking assistants Max & Cozy - I was doing all of this work inside the small barn, as the weather was so bad outside, so all of us got smoked in the process - the dogs have a great apple wood aroma to their fur now.  Cozy is wearing Pucci's old dog coat which is way too big on her.

terrarium

I wanted to make a succulent terrarium, and found this big, hand blown bottle when I was in Detroit.  They are fun to make with a few simple tools and a bent coat hanger.  This bottle is about 2 feet tall.

there are many varieties

This is from a weird old nature book I have that was published in 1946

Happy Tofurkey Day

sky study #79

sunset over the West pasture November 21, 2012

Boss Mouse rising

My Dad worked the Boss Mouse table at the farmer's market last Saturday and we sold out again.  Cheese for the peoples!

everybody loves where they are from

Detroit co-traveler and almost new Mama Megan, posing here with her baby daddy

We went shopping and these are the ugliest shoes I've ever seen

excellent lunch at ground zero of my family's heritage: Vinsetta Garage

Dad & the boys, 1980s

Raquel got a cute new hairstyle

mocha fabulous host doggie Kelly

know what I'm sayin'?

hello Motor City

I  am going to Detroit this weekend and will post on Monday!

you know you're getting old when...

I got my hair cut last night and told my stylist I wanted it kind of like Bob Seger in the 1970s, to which he replied, "who's Bob Seger?" 

it's National Pickle Day

ha

sold!

Boss Mouse had another great day at the farmer's market this past Saturday - sold out of everything again!  

More traded goodies: winter vegetables

cherry tomatoes, salad mix, broccoli and chard

a baguette

foraged Michigan chanterelle mushrooms

This gentleman has a table near mine at the market - he is a forest forager and sells all kinds of crazy stuff he finds in the woods (the source of the chanterelles)  Plus look at his awesome outfit!

there's a rabbit on the rug

How cute is Bunny Lee?

canine MMA

Max & Cozy in a full on Kingsley rules rugby match

I have to tie Max up or else he will run all over Kingsley - his leashes and tie-outs become part of the game

bring it

so thug

Boss Mouse is alive!

http://www.bossmousecheese.com/

la petite armée de fromage

The little St. Marcellin buttons at one week in the cave

the beauty of the barter

At the farmer's market I traded some cheese for a beautiful bag of organic vegetables: parsley, garlic, daikon radish, tatsoi greens, broccoli, kale and watermelon radishes

first farmer's market

Boss Margaret at my table at the Traverse City Commons, an historic state hospital that has been converted into shops, restaurants and art galleries - they hold an indoor farmer's market all Winter, and Saturday was the opening day -  http://www.thevillagetc.com/farmers_market.html

A close up of my new banner and Dad-welded frame - the market is open from 10-2 on Saturdays and I was completely sold out of cheese within the first 2 hours!  It was great.

cutting the cheese like a pro

My new cheese cutting knife!

A gift from the M. Kurta Council on Cheese Advocacy

I'm tanked

The State of Michigan sent me my $50 "bulk milk tanker permit", which is funny, as it will be affixed to my used Ford Explorer.  So bulk.

Meauwataka cabin

There is a beautiful little log cabin just a mile from my farm at the start of the Meauwataka highway between Kingsley and Cadillac.  The breadth of the planks they used to build it were so wide, it only took three to create the whole height of the cabin.  It has a private property sign on it, but is otherwise abandoned - I wish it were mine!

autumn bright

sun through the trees in the morning