I've taken some poetic license with Havarti & Edam--adding some of my favorite herbs after draining the curds. the lavendar edam was wonderful--and the havarti with fennel pollen was not only well on its own, but also recreated into a center of arancini that truly rocked the night!
Bravo Brie! Havarti is one of my favorite cheeses I will have to throw some fennel pollen in the next one. I give you another cheese but the software won't let me for another hour!
Brie, I've never heard of fennel pollen. Where do you get it? Does it taste like the fresh fennel you can buy in the produce section of the grocery store?
No tally--the taste is much more subtle. It's made from the flower of the fennel plant. I found it on-line at www.pollenranch.com (http://www.pollenranch.com).
Brie, I got my fennel pollen and it smells wonderful! The whole kitchen smells wonderful! If I make a 4 gal. batch of gouda, would a tablespoon be too much to add? The pollen smells so intense I'm just wondering about the amount to add to the curds. I also got the Asian spice and the Little Devil that I want to experiment with as well.
Your own tastebuds will determine the amount, but for starters I normally add 1 teaspoon per gallon of milk--add it to the curds befoe pressing. A sprinkle of lavendar adds another great dimension as well. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Will do, Brie. The milk is in the pot and I just added the starter. ;D