What Makes Food Taste So Good? is the topic of today’s show. The truth is, it is much more than taste. I’ll provide some details as to what taste is as it relates to our bodies. The sense of smell and touch also are needed to understand flavor.

Today’s Show

• Homestead Life Updates
• What Makes Food Taste So Good?
• Cheesy Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Homestead Life Updates

First, I’ll talk about all the stuff I planted in the garden this week. Two days in a row, four hours each day, sunburned arms and hands and I got about half of my spring garden in the ground. I planted lots of cabbage. Some red, some green and four kinds of Chinese cabbage. What else? Collards, Swiss chard, escarole, mustard greens and kale. And let’s not forget those peas. Lots of green shelling peas and also some snow peas.

Next week it will be strawberries and onions and I think that will finish off the spring planting. Summer planting of beans, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, and celery will begin in May.

Oh, I almost forgot, I planted Red Norland and Yukon Gold potatoes.

Lots of visitors are coming to the farm this coming week. Some family and some that found us on the internet. They are interested in the Normande breed of cows and will be taking a look at what we have to get a better idea of what to expect.

Speaking of cows, it looks like we won’t have our first calf for another couple of weeks. We will definitely making changes to the breeding schedule for next year. We should be making cheese by now.

The creamery updates are really exciting. Scott dry stacked a whole bunch of blocks a few days ago. It was so amazing to walk around inside the space he created. While only four blocks high, they clearly defined the utility room and parlor. As usual he is out there right now working on those walls. This morning while we were out with the cows going through the morning routine, I could see the definition of about a quarter of the window in the utility room wall. I don’t know how high that is and there is a long way to go, but it is still so exciting.

Another thing that is exciting is cooking good tasting food for our families. I thought today I would talk about how we humans determine our preferences.

What Makes Food Taste So Good?

It’s a lot more than taste. We choose our food as much for its pleasing sensory qualities as for health and nutrition. Sometimes that’s all we focus on, to the detriment of our waistlines.

From the earliest days we used our sensory organs to assist in survival. We have olfactory receptors in the nose. These were used to sniff out appealing smells and also to warn of rotten or contaminated food. Taste buds helped distinguish between safe foods and foods that were poisonous. Today, eating food is also a pleasurable experience where even the texture is important. Let’s get into the sensory experience of food to get a better idea of where we need to grow our understanding around cooking for our families.

The sensory properties of food

Sensory perception is the ability of the sensory organs to detect and evaluate sensory stimuli such as odors, tastes, textures, sights, and sounds, all of which are active during eating. It’s all about the smell, the taste, how it looks, is it crunchy and how does it feel in my mouth. Each sense organs have special receptors that detect stimuli. When a receptor attuned to taste on your taste bud is stimulated, it produces an electrical signal. Nerve impulses carry many the signals to the brain, where the information is processed. The brain then determines whether the taste is sweet or salty, or whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. Food presents a lot of sensory stimuli, therefore a basic understanding of sensory perception is invaluable to the Homestead chef. We don’t just throw something on the table. Instead we take great care in deciding on menus, blends of tastes and textures and so on. You may not think of it that way but nonetheless it is what you are doing.

I’ll start with the sense of sight, then taste and smell. All of these and more are working in your mind every time you plan a meal for your family. After listening to this podcast, I hope you have a greater appreciation for all you do to make the best meals for your family. Not just nutritious meals, but beautiful, fragrant, tasty and lovely luscious meals.

Color and appearance of food

A foods appearance is usually the first indicator of how it will taste so we’ll start there. The brighter and more colorful the food, the more visual its appeal. Your brain processes information about flavor and texture on the basis of appearance and makes decisions about your particular likes and dislikes. This evaluation happens because of our highly developed sense of sight. I’ll bet those Facebook pictures of food that everyone is always posting already makes more sense.

Human eyesight is so perceptive that the brain sometimes even ignores competing messages from other senses. For example, you expect lemon candy to be yellow. If it were colorless, you might have difficulty identifying the flavor as lemon. If it were purple, some might mistakenly identify it as grape. That’s little extreme but you get the point.

Color and appearance are important to food evaluation. That is why we take care in how we present the food. I’ll do a whole other podcast on presentation so let’s skip on to the basics of the food itself. Factors that affect the perception of a food’s color and appearance include its chemical and physical properties, the quality of light that is illuminating it, and the other surroundings. Let’s take these one at a time.

Chemical properties

Food is made up of chemicals. Chlorophyll, for example, is the chemical that gives green vegetables their color. Varying the amount of chemicals and produce different effects. Cake made from egg whites will be whiter than cake made from whole eggs because egg whites do not contain yellow carotenoids. That’s how you get that whiter than white cake for your child’s birthday cake. Fresh spinach looks greener than old spinach because it contains more chlorophyll. The older it gets, the more of those yellow leaves you will see.

Cooking with heat also affects the chemical properties of food. The longer green vegetables are cooked, the duller and more olive green they become. The heat chemically alters the chlorophyll in the vegetables. Another example is, the longer a biscuit is baked in the oven, the darker it becomes. That change in color is the visible proof that the chemical changes have occurred when you baked the biscuit, cake or mac and cheese.

Physical properties

The physical process of food preparation also influences appearance. Take hollandaise sauce or even mayo. The more mayonnaise or hollandaise is whisked, the lighter in color it becomes. Whisking breaks the liquid oil or butter into smaller and smaller droplets and whips air into the sauce. How does that work? Small oil droplets and air bubbles scatter light more completely than large droplets do, so the sauce has a whiter appearance.

I mentioned the chemicals in greens. What happens when you apply heat? Raw spinach and other greens are composed of plant cells that contain a large amount of liquid surrounded by air pockets. When these greens are cooked, the surrounding air escapes, and the air pockets filled with liquid. Now the light is reflecting off the liquid differently than when it was air. They develop a translucent quality. Greens served a short time after air leaves the cells but before they fill with water are the brightest and most attractive to our sense of sight.

Quality of light

I want to briefly mention how the quality of light affects your perception of a dish of food. Different types of lighting can affect the perception of color. Greens viewed under candle light in your dining room can appear more yellow than when you looked at them under your bright kitchen lights. There are ways to make that work for you.

The interaction of the plate as a background with the surrounding food and garnishes can sometimes cause optical illusions. An example would be white cake served on a dark plate or vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce appearing whiter than if served on a white plate. This is because the dark plate or sauce provides a contrast that tricks the brain into thinking the cake or ice cream is whiter than it is. Contrast is a great way to make something stand out from the crowd.

Flavor of food

Why do you like or dislike a particular food. Most likely you will say the flavor, or the way the food tastes. Appearance may provide the first impression of a food, but flavor provides a lasting impression.

More so than sight, we are very familiar with the taste of food. But what are we tasting and how are we tasting? For that we use our mouth and nose.

Flavor is the blend of taste, aroma, and feeling factor sensations. These three sensations occur when food stimulates receptors in our mouth and nose. Let’s go back to the chemicals. It is because of the chemical nature of food that the senses are considered chemical sensors. Although together they constitute flavor, each sense system is distinctly different in that each one is stimulated by different chemicals and detected by different receptors. That all sounds complex and it is, but the perception of the sensations happens at once. While the food is enjoyed, the appearance, texture, and temperature are evaluated.

The three components of flavor are perceived by three separate sensory systems. Each system functions independently and each continues to function even when one or more of the other systems no longer work well or at all. For example, persons who have lost their sense of smell can still perceive the taste and feeling factors of foods.

The term taste is often used interchangeably with flavor, but taste refers specifically to only one component of flavor – the perception of dissolved substances by the taste buds.

Basic tastes

There are four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Sugars are the most well-known stimuli that produce sweetness, but certain other chemicals do as well. For example, artificial sweeteners, like saccharin and aspartame, taste sweet although they are not sugars. The sweet taste of shrimp and other seafood is from a naturally occurring amino acid called glycine. Acids in foods, such as citric acid in lemons and acetic acid in vinegar, produce a sour taste. Salt, such as sodium chloride or table salt, produces a salty taste. A variety of other chemicals, including caffeine, quinine, and many poisonous substances, create the taste of bitter.

Taste buds are located primarily on the tongue, but there are others scattered about throughout the mouth. These clusters of taste cells have receptors for the basic tastes – sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Taste chemicals in the food – the acids, sweetness, salts, and bitter components – alter the chemistry of taste cells. That triggers a signal that travels through nerve fibers to the brain, where the information is processed. Yum yum.

Saliva plays an important role in taste perception. Saliva, which is composed mostly of water, transports the taste chemicals to the taste cells on the taste buds. Without saliva, we would not be able to experience the basic taste.

Aroma, the sense of smell

The perception of aroma—smell—is much more complex than the perception of the basic tastes and is not as well understood. We can identify four basic tastes, but we can sense many hundreds, even thousands, of distinct aromas.

Each aroma is highly complex. For example, there more than 800 separate chemicals that make up the aroma of fresh coffee. Exactly how do we smell? Evaporation. The chemicals in food evaporate and they bombard the aroma receptors, called olfactory cells, at the top of the nasal cavity. Smells are perceived as they evaporate to the nose or up the back of the throat as food is chewed and swallowed. From there, nerve fibers transport signals from the olfactory cells to the brain, where the information is processed. Aroma is often thought of as the most important component of flavor. Without aroma, it would be difficult to distinguish between certain foods. You are left with sight, taste and texture to determine the identity of the food.

Aroma is a large component of flavor. You’ve probably experienced your nasal passages blocked from a cold. It would not be uncommon for you to say that you can’t taste anything. In fact, you can perceive the basic tastes but you cannot smell. So you are only getting part of the sensory experience. Here’s another interesting factoid. The part of the brain in which information about aroma is received and processed is wired to the part of the brain responsible for memories and emotions. Not surprisingly, aromas often trigger memories or strong emotions. Hence, today we have aromatherapy as a treatment for various physical and emotional ailments.

Now that you know many more details about the amount of creativity you are putting into your cooking and how you might look at it differently, let’s get to today’s recipe.

Cheesy Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Around here we are just waiting for the asparagus to peak its head up from the ground. Yes, it’s that time of year. From about April through June an abundance of fresh asparagus is available. Check out your local farmer’s market.

Speaking of the Farmer’s market, we will be at the Wytheville Farmer’s Market on April 13^th from 10am to 12noon. No asparagus, but we would love to compliment your fresh asparagus with our ground beef, lamb and/or goat.

I urge you to take advantage of your seasonal asparagus. This dish is easy to make and low carb and keto-friendly. Use a cast iron skillet or perhaps a baking dish handed down from your grandmother. It should be large enough for the asparagus trimmed of the woody stem to lay flat.

What You Need

• 1 pound (500 g) asparagus spears, woody ends removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

What To Do

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease your baking dish.
2. Arrange asparagus on baking sheet. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil mixture over the asparagus and toss to evenly coat.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until vibrant and just beginning to get tender.
5. Remove from oven and top with the mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and broil (or grill) until the cheese melts and becomes golden (about 4-5 minutes).
6. Adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.

Final Thoughts

Life is speeding up. We have lots and lots of stuff going on. I’ll bet you do too. There is just something about spring that brings out that “gotta get stuff done” attitude. Have you been lounging around the house sipping cocoa in front of the fire for far too long? It’s time to get out there and experience the fullness of life’s pleasures.

Perhaps one of your first activities might be a spring dinner party. It’s the perfect opportunity to try something new in the kitchen. You can use traditional methods of food prep to make it a special evening. Put into practice some new ideas about the importance of everything you do in the kitchen.

In the 70’s it became fashionable to think that women were so much better than being a simple housekeeper and mother. The women that led the charge had no real experience in what it takes to be a fantastic homemaker and mother. They had no idea the complexity of creating a well-run household with fantastically creative meals for the family and close friends.

So many young women have been taken down this primrose path of chasing a career and keeping the house up as well. It’s not like that crappy homemaker stuff went away because mom is now working. Nope. It all still needs to be done. Only it’s not getting done nearly as well as it could. Cooking for family and friends became eating out at fancy restaurants. Raising your children has become a couple of hours in the evening and weekends—unless you’re divorced and you may not have most weekends.

Giving 100% of your time to your family is a full time job that doesn’t require you to get the kids up early in the morning, rush them around the house getting dressed, fed, and into the car so you can ship them off to someone else’s care while you struggle through traffic to sit in a cube somewhere or to maybe rush around even more, serving food someone else cooked to those who are not your family. It’s absolutely crazy how we’ve demeaned the most important job in the world and substituted it with boring cubicles or serving others instead of serving our family.

I’m going on and on here. I’ll just end it for now and regain my peace. I hope you’ll try that simple cheese with roasted asparagus. Remember to stop by the website. Sign up for our newsletter so you can get links to the latest recipes I’ve published.

As always, I’m here to help you “taste the traditional touch.”

Thank you so much for listening and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

Recipe Link

Cheesy Garlic Roasted Asparagus

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Spring has finally arrived. At least the spring equinox has passed. I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. Looking forward to sharing the homestead life with you. Today it’s about “getting in touch with the land”.

Today’s Show

• Homestead Life Updates
• What Does It Mean To “Get in Touch with The Land?”
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Homestead Life Updates

Retraining cows

Now that spring is approaching, we are preparing to begin the milking cycle once again. I’m excited. I can’t wait. Milking the cows is one of the great pleasures of our homestead life. Every fall we stop milking the cows. That causes the cow’s milk to dry up. This step in husbanding our animals is important. We want to make sure that each cow has the energy reserves she needs to feed her developing calf. After she has her calf, she has lots and lots of milk – more than her calf needs, and milking begins.

Before that date, it’s important to get the cows back into the habit of walking to the milking shed every day. They need to be reacquainted with that process. To fulfill that need, we have started walking them up to the milking shed every day. It has gone pretty well so far. They get there just fine. It’s the part that comes next that we will be working on diligently for the next week or so. It has been a while since they’ve actually been inside the milking shed. There are some unfamiliar aspects to the milking shed. And then there are those that have never been in the milking shed. We’ll get them there with a little practice.

The Milking Shed

Last year we erected a newer version of our temporary milking shed. We used it the previous year in the only flat place nearby the corral. Scott even ran power out there. Unfortunately, the corral area is also a lowland area and a lot of rain water flows through there. Not a problem if you only use it occasionally. Twice a day for milking is a different story. We were trudging through mud. All. The. Time. The temporary floor of the milking shed was a few sheets of plywood. That was fine as long as you didn’t step off the plywood. Everything around the area was deep mud, made deeper by the weight of those cows.

Last year Scott moved the ShelterLogic Shed-in-a-box structure to higher ground and made a small animal loafing area to hold the cows while two were in the shed. It was level and he made sure the water would flow around it. We didn’t need the plywood floor. Or so we thought. There is always a lesson when using temporary structures. Afterall, we evolved our permanent structures based on each previous need.

The Concrete Pad in the Milking Shed

A few days ago, Scott poured a concrete pad under that shelter. It took him a day of very hard work. It’s beautiful and will serve us well this season. But why did we need it? Last year we milked one cow. This year we will be milking 5. Here are the basics of how that works.

Under the shed are two spaces for cows to be milked. They walk in and put their heads into a stanchion. We secure their heads which keeps us all safe during the milking process. The milk cows get two handfuls of a sweet treat during the milking season to keep their health at a maximum while they produce lots of milk. Once they finish that, they start working on the hay. Everybody stays calm and content. Once the milking is done, they return to the rest of the herd hanging out in a small pen just outside.

The Milking Process

So why did we need the concrete pad? One of the lovely things about having animals is their freedom to express themselves at any time and anywhere. The shear amount of feces and urine from 5 cows on that dirt floor would be overwhelming. The way it worked last year was that we might go days without one of the cows practicing the eliminating of waste with abandon. Then again, it may happen day after day, twice a day. We were putting down lime in large amounts.

So, the concrete pad, while taking way a day from Scott’s working on the creamery, was well worth the investment. I can’t imagine the mess 5 cows would have made had we done it the same way as last year. The concrete pad is slightly slanted. Scott being the genius that he is, also made sure of a path for washing away the mess. I feel blessed and can’t wait to give it a go. Last year I had to balance my stool on tree roots.

Calves and Other Animals

No news on when the birth of the first calf might be. We are watching and watching.

Other animal news, the two young goat kids spend a great deal of time outside of the fence. We don’t worry about that because they just go back in as needed. The flock of sheep, the herd of goats and two donkeys moved into the garden area to graze the grass down before the garden gets going and they are not allowed in there.

The Garden

We took the plastic covers off of the raised beds today. Yay, I can plant. Well, as soon as it warms up just a little bit more. We’re right on the edge. I’m ready. The plants I have started inside are ready. Come on weather. Get with it!

And that brings me to the topic of the day.

What Does it Mean to “Get in Touch with the Land”?

The first thing I want to talk about is the movement of the seasons. The extremes of the summer and winter solstice and the balance in the middle with the spring and fall equinox.

Winter

The force of nature is immense. The universe is immense. Everything about our world outside of the shelter of our homes is untamable and works on its own schedule. Let’s take a look at this past winter.

It has been a long and hard winter, not just for us, but for many throughout the country. Major snow, deep cold, and the flooding accompanying the interminable rains. Here in southwest Virginia we have been blessed with the first dry spell since August last year. It’s the first time since August that we haven’t had rain each and every week. Sometimes torrential rains for days on end. Heck, we had to alter the pathway we bring the cows to the barn. Their usual pathway went through the creek bed. Only the creek bed has been flooded countless times since late last summer. With seven 1,000-pound cows trudging through it day after day to get water, it became a quagmire of mud. Bringing them back and forth twice a day for milking looked like a nightmare in the making.

Yay It’s Dry!

We have been blessed with a week of dry weather. It’s not something we had any control over and we are grateful for the break. Many in the Plains states continue to suffer the ravages of the weather flooding their lands.

Why would anyone want to do this on purpose? Why would anyone do this knowing that nature was going to slap us hard from time to time. I can answer that in 5 words. It makes us feel alive. It’s all about life and death and the continuous cycle of the seasons. The continuous cycle of death and rebirth that gives us a deep appreciation for the life we have as well as the gifts of our family. We appreciate the gifts of our plants and animals.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

The seasons move on a rhythm and winter flowed toward spring. I commonly experience seasonal affective disorder. For me it usually begins some time in January. For others, it can start as early as late fall before the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year. The depths of darkness.

The season of winter is a time of everything shutting down. Outside the world becomes more immobile. The animals cluster together. The water freezes. The trees spend their time growing underground where the temperature is stable. Above the ground they look dead.

As the winter wears on I become more lethargic, less active, and quite dull. This is an inner experience I’m describing. Outwardly, life goes on. Tasks are completed if more slowly. Stuff gets gone. Because, after all, the globe is still spinning on its axis and time keeps going. But as it goes on and on, each day I would feel a heavier load pressing down on me.

This year my perspective was different. I’m here “in touch with the land” and I think it made a difference. Even though I could feel the pressure of hunkering down, I was not quite as profoundly affected by it. And the day it changed was profound.

Spring Has Sprung

I woke up on Thursday morning, the day after the vernal equinox, and I felt great. For no particular reason, I felt great. And I knew it was over. Winter is over. The winds are blowing very strongly today on a day cooler than normal for this time of year. It doesn’t matter. My heart and soul know that the time of hibernation is over. Spring is here.

I don’t really know what it’s like for others that live farther south where the trees and flowers have been blooming for a week or two or more. Did they feel it all the way up to the first day of spring? I don’t know what its like for those farther north still in the depths of frozen snow and ice. Do they feel it? Even though they may not see it for weeks, do they feel it?

In truth, we have a week or two before we can expect truly spring-like weather. We could easily get another snow. But it doesn’t matter. The globe has turned in its endless journey around the sun. The moment when the center of the sun is directly above the equator is past. The hours of daylight continue to lengthen. The daffodils are blooming. Our peach, plum, and cherry trees are blooming in the orchard. We have starting the journey toward summer.

Summer

At the peak of summer, our tolerance for the heat has likely begun to wane. The extreme of the solstice will now take its toll. Will we get enough rain? Even though we were flooded for months and months, we will need rain during the summer to keep our animals and crops hydrated. The cycle of life and death is there in every season.

This is what it means to be in touch with the land. We are close to life and we are close to death every day. We are reminded daily of the wonder of life and the fragility of life. Isn’t that what we are all looking for? That connection with the natural cycle of life and death and the wonder that is creation. I strive to be filled with awe in every waking moment. It’s pretty easy in spring, summer and fall.

Getting in Touch with Modern Technology

Sure, I get distracted by Twitter and Facebook and the latest cooking gadget. These are great things that have made our lives easier. Each invention throughout history came to fulfill a need. And each one brings with it the opportunity make life easier, safer, more uniform. Today, in the US, the lowliest person has a better chance of surviving to old age than the average person of 100 years ago. In the early 1900s disease was still rampant and modern medicine was in its infancy. The nationwide transportation system had yet to be built. People were closer to their food source by necessity. You just couldn’t get fresh food as far across the country before it was no longer fresh. All of that changed rapidly throughout the 1900s.

The more we got mechanized, the less we had to worry about the fickleness of mother nature and the cycles of the calendar. And the more distance we placed between ourselves and death.

Nature is Ruthless and We are Humbled

Nature is hard. Nature is ruthless. Being in touch with the land and living close to that knowledge gives me the sense of my place in the world. I am such a small speck in the larger planet and universe. Isn’t that what it means to “get in touch with nature”? Isn’t that what we seek? When the facts of death are thrown in our face daily, it gives us the deepest respect for life. We know that we are alive. We are grateful to be alive. Obsession with our creature comforts and personal issues becomes small and petty. We are focused on something much greater than ourselves.

It’s taking that thought into the activities of our daily lives that makes the difference. You know, we spend a lot of time creating food here. In that process, we experience a great deal of love for our animals and we put in a lot of work hours into supporting them. We care for their lives. These are domesticated animals. Their lives are in our hands. We work hard for them. The amount of effort we put into providing the best possible environment for them is worth the effort we put forth. Our investment of blood, sweat and tears is what makes us all more human.

Support Local Farmers

As we share our stories, the opportunity for you or anyone else to participate abounds. You don’t have to be the one putting in the effort required to make it all work. But you can be the one that supports the ideal of nurturing ourselves via nurtured plants and animals. It doesn’t have to be all factory farming and monocropping. Your support for the local farmers in your area brings a little bit of peace to the world.

Sometimes we feel like we don’t make a difference. It’s easy to change that. It’s easy to teach your kids to know they make a difference in the world. Connect with your local farmers. Visit their farms when they offer tours. Make sure your kids can play in the dirt of a farm garden. Let them pet the smaller animals and watch with awe from a safe distance the larger animals grazing peacefully. Let your children know that these are not just beautiful plants and animals, but the sustenance that keeps us all alive. What an awesome responsibility we have in caring for our plants and animals so they may feed and take care of us.

Keep your ears peeled for when we offer farm tours. It’s coming.

We are all just small specks in the enormity of the universe. And we are all integral specks in the creation and maintenance of it all.  Well, I just went on waxing poetically there. Let’s get down to brass tacks and talk about today’s recipe. How about an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

If you’re going to enjoy cheese, I can think of no better way than melted on some toasted bread slathered with butter. A grilled cheese sandwich is simple to make but improvements can always be made. This recipe will give you the confidence to make your grilled cheese sandwich spectacular. Here are some tips for making that perfect grilled cheese sandwich.

4 Tips for the Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Tip #1: Use a really great bread. I have some great bread recipes that will be coming along shortly. For now, you might want to visit your local farmer’s market. I don’t think I’ve seen one in a long time that didn’t have some local lady making some awesome bread. You can experiment with whole grain varieties, sourdough, or pumpernickel. Experiment to your hearts content. Just make sure its not sliced too thick and doesn’t have a lot of holes. Otherwise you either don’t have enough cheese to bread ratio or the cheese leaks out. Yikes.

Tip #2: Using butter is great but have you tried mayo? Usually we use butter on the outsides for sure. Sometimes we butter the insides as well. But what if we used mayo on the outside and butter on the inside – or vise versa? Mayo is basically oil, eggs, and a splash of vinegar. The oil browns the bread really nicely when used on the outside and the vinegar adds a bit of tang.

Tip #3: Use the right cheese. American cheese melts really well, but man o man is it boring compared to other choices. You definitely want a cheese that melts well. Just about any aged cheese will work well, with the exception of really hard cheeses like parmesan. So, gouda, cheddar, gruyere, fontina, and so on. Look for availability of our Clau d’ ville Aged Cheddar, Ararat Legend washed-curd cheese and Pinnacle alpine-style cheeses this summer at the Farmer’s market in Wytheville.

Tip #4: Cook it slow. Keep the heat in the medium to medium-low range. You want the bread to toast at the same rate the cheese melts. You definitely don’t want to burn the bread before the cheese is fully melted. Press is firmly with a spatula. You can even put a heavy pan on top of it while it cooks. That pressure is going to give you that super crispy crust.

What You Need

1/3 cup (3 oz) of cheese per sandwich, sliced or grated

2 slices of bread per sandwich

1 Tbs Butter per sandwich

1 Tbs Mayonnaise per sandwich

What to do

1. Apply butter or mayo to one side of the bread. Flip it over and apply butter or mayo to the other side. Lay it on a plate. Lay the cheese on top of the bread. Lay the cheese on top of the bread. Apply butter and mayo in the same way on the second slice of bread. Lay it on top to complete the sandwich. Repeat to assemble all sandwiches.
2. Heat your grill or frying pan to medium-low. You can raise the temperature to medium if your cheese is melting rapidly enough.
3. Place the sandwiches in the pan. Grill until lightly browned and flip over. Continue grilling until cheese is melted and bread is browned on the second side. Press down with a spatula to get a crispy panini bread crust.

Final Thoughts

No matter the size of your household, you can get in touch with the land. From container gardens of herbs on your balcony to a full-blown backyard garden, from a great relationship with your family and pets to a backyard chicken coop and goat pen, there are opportunities to view nature in all her glory. Take the time to just gaze with awe and remember how small we are in the larger scheme of things. Use that awe to inspire you to do something for someone else. Use random acts of kindness to show appreciation for the wonder of life that exists all around us, every day. All we have to do is look.

I hope you’ll take time to enjoy that grilled cheese sandwich with close friends and family. You’ll find the recipe on our website. www.peacefulheartfarm.com Sign up for our email list. I send out a newsletter each week with easy links to the recipes. Included will be the link to the latest podcast. You’ll also find links to articles about cheese in the news.

Remember, getting in touch with the land by making a huge investment in a homestead is not required. Simply get in touch with someone who is in touch with the land. Listen to their story. Embrace their story. Live vicariously through them. Make their story your own via your friendship and custom. Understand what it takes to be close to the land. Understand the immensity of nature. Your farmer will share that with you. In that sharing lies your connection to the land.

As always, I’m here to help you “taste the traditional touch.”

Thank you so much for listening and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

Recipe Link

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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