I took goats for walks with Iglo the farm's shaggy dog of disorder, milked cows with rough tongues that would scour your face if you were looking the wrong way, and made cheeses: soft goat's cheeses, gentle whey cheeses and beautifully round matured ewe's milk Tomme.
In lieu of an iceberg wedge there was butter lettuce with blue cheese as well as avocado, the classic salad assuming a gentler, fresher and more Californian form.
The category "cheese" included all kinds of cheese, that is, soft cheese and hard cheese.
The friendly Stinky staff stands at the ready with graters, teasing out customers' preferences with generous samples and a gentle education on cheese vocabulary.
Also, mustard powder brings a sweeter, gentler heat to the cheese than the more popular cayenne, and I like that.
The texture is midway between a brownie and a pudding, with the cheese lending a gentle, sharp flavour.
A long, slow bake is crucial here – because ricotta is lower-fat than the usual cream cheese, it needs a gentle cook to avoid splitting and graininess.
For a start – and belying the gentle, wholesome image of goat's cheese and milk – most of our dairy goats are raised in zero-grazing systems, which means they're kept indoors without being able to graze or browse outside.
Animals also thrive in the gentle climate, giving chefs access to local milk, cheese, eggs, pigs, chickens, quail, lambs and rabbits.
The grilled cheese at Lucques starts with a gentle, buttery Cantal, a mild semi-firm cheese with a fantastic creamy consistency when melted.
