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I've been so enamored with the Cypress Grove cheese's--Humbolt Fog was my first attempt, and I then attempted Purple Haze--very different and both wonderful. I've posted my rendition of Humbolt Fog, which has the addition of P. Candidum and, of course, a nice soft mold. Purple Haze is just a soft Chevre with the addition of Fennel Pollen (www.pollenranch.com) and Lavendar. I added to much of both at the onset, and will compensate next time. In addition, I bagged the cheese, as opposed to immediate molding, which would have produced a creamier texture. Nonetheless, I think it is worth exploring. Any interest, my cheese compadres?

YES I have had Purple Haze and it is wonderful.  Being an old hippie I gota love the name anyway.  Keep experimenting with it and keep us posted on here.  That would be a great cheese to duplicate at home.  I don't have much access to goat milk so can't make it.  Enjoy.
Jen

I'd love to try it!  I'll give it a try next weekend!

So do you just dice up some lavender and add it to the Chev? About how much per pound? What about the fennel how much per pound?

I would like to make some and see how it tastes. I may add it to my product line. I have a customer requesting this cheese.

Troy--the first time I made this cheese I added way to much of both the fennel pollen and lavendar. Take a sample from the store and adjust seasonings, that is what I'll do at the next go-round. I bought lavendar leaves and then ground up in a coffee grinder. The fennel pollen was bought on-line at www.fennelpollenranch.com

I have ordered some lavender buds but I should have just got the from the garden. :-) DUH! Also ordered the other stuff. The customer that requested it is going to bring me some. LOL He said it is just on the outside of the cheese and not mixed in. Interesting.

 I have been making and selling this flavor of chevre for a few years. Didn't have the source for the fenne l pollen so just ground my own fennel seed.. I mix it in to taste, make sure to add some salt, and also add a  few lavender buds then roll the outside edges in lavender. People either love it or hate it, usually it is folks who don't  like fennel.   They don't know what they are missing!! i love this chevre especially in the fall with a really hearty rye bread and apples or pears..add a cup of good red  wine and there you go!
Missy

It looks yummy Brie! I have not used my fennel pollen in cheese yet only in sausages. I have to d that one of these cheeses.

Finally got the fennel pollen and lavendar amounts just to my liking--1 teaspoon of each to a gallon of goat's milk, along with 2 teaspoons of salt. Absolutely delicious!

Sound great I love fennel!

Cool.  I just bought my first fresh goat's milk (this morning's milking!).  Came straight home and started some chevre -- though I have to admit that I pasteurized the milk first.  I am such a chicken.  I wasn't sure what herbs to use with it -- I was thinking rosemary, but... Lavender?  Fennel?  I love it!

Let me know how the flavor textures work for you!

Well, I ended up using Herbes de Provence, since that's what I had on hand.  The smell of the goat cheese and herbs is heavenly!

I doubled the herbed soft goat cheese recipe in Ricki Carroll's book, and drained the curd for two days in cheesecloth lined 16oz ziploc containers that had holes drilled in the bottom, flipping the rounds after one day.  I kept everything in a 68 degree mini-fridge while it was setting and draining.

We ate one of the rounds with dinner last night, and the flavors and texture were very much to our liking.   

It feels weird that this delicious cheese was so little work.

Looks great--that's an awful lot of herbs! Not too overpowering for you?

The rounds are each ~ 1" tall and 4" diameter (~8 oz apiece), so there aren't a lot of herbs on any one slice.  Plus the herbs are only on the exterior of the cheeses, not throughout.  But I can see wanting to grind the herbs into smaller pieces and distribute them more evenly.  So far we've had this cheese with a pasta dish and with sourdough bread, and the herbs fit right in.

I'll be curious to see the difference that straight lavender or fennel has with it.  I saw that this type of cheese can be marinated in oil with herbs, too.  I wonder if that helps to preserve it or is just for flavoring.  Lavender is such a pretty plant, a jar of oil with a few sprigs of lavender blossom and a cheese round in it might be nice.