Guess what I just had a tall glass of? Milk. This milk. Whole milk. With the cream on top. The way my mother used to describe it. That lovely, creamy cushion of heaven floating just under the cap. Like creme fraiche. I dip it out with a teaspoon and spread it on toast with jam.
This milk comes from Jersey cows at Milk Thistle Organic Dairy Farm in Ghent, NY. Being organic farmers, the Hesse family uses no chemical pesticides or fertilizer. Their cows eat mostly grass, the food that cows, being ruminants, were meant to eat, not corn and grain. Because it doesn't have to travel far, this milk needs to be only lightly pasteurized to be safe; industrial milk loses both flavor and nutrition as a result of "ultrapasteurization" at high temperatures. The luscious cream at the top appears because this milk isn't homogenized, a method that uses high pressure to forcefully blend the milk and cream. Because it's less processed, this milk is more nutritious, a good source of complete protein, with carbohydrates for energy, and a nice balance of fats, saturated and unsaturated.
But mostly, it's incredibly delicious! And there's something wonderful about wrapping your fingers around a real glass bottle (100% reusable, that can be returned for a small discount on your next purchase) and taking a swig from its cold rim. If you want to know more about milk, check out Nina Planck's "Real Food", the chapter called 'Real Milk, Butter and Cheese.' Cheers!
I buy it at my local Columbia farmers greenmarket on Sundays. Learn more about the farm and find out where you can buy it at http://www.milkthistlefarm.com/
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