A hard ewes' mllk cheese, Millstone is made near Shepton Mallet by Wooton Organic Dairy, aka James and David Bartlett. Compared to the more cheddar-esque quality of Somerset Rambler or Fosseway Fleece, this is a harder, drier, crumblier thing - similar in texture to the types produced in the Pyrenean mountains. Matured for at least 4 1/2 months, it will gain in flavour if left to mature.
Vegetarian, Organic, Unpasteurised
More about Wootton Organic Dairy
Campaigners for 'real cheese' in the 1990s were looking above all for unpasteurised cheese, with its greater depth and complexity of flavour. They also pointed out that there was a shortage of organic cheeses. Today, in the hamlet of North Wootton near Shepton Mallet in Somerset, brothers David and James Bartlett make four great cheeses which tick both of these boxes.
On the family farm, with its slopes looking across to Glastonbury Tor, they initially produced organic ewes' milk for sale, before taking over a cheese recipe from renowned maker Mary Holbrook. This was the small mould-ripened (and unpasteurised) Little Ryding. Wootton Organic Dairy was born.
Later, cheese no. 2 was brought in. Old Burford is another soft cheese - with the same downy white rind - but this time made with bought-in organic Jersey cows' milk. The specially creamy quality of that milk makes lovely cheese (as anyone who has tried Sharpham Rustic will know).
The most recent additions, around 2004, were two hard cheeses, Millstone (ewe) and Ringwell (cow - Jersey milk again). Made using an essentially similar recipe, these are hard-ish, dry-ish, and crumbly - in the case of the former. They mature for about 5 months and feature especially beautiful rinds, in terms of both texture and colour.
The Bartletts haven't gone the obvious route. Unpasteurised, organic ewes' milk cheese could be described as a niche within a niche within a niche! But when I visited in October 2009, David told me there was more interest all the time, so the no-compromise approach was obviously paying off. Sometimes you just have to go with your instincts!
Millstone, Rocket & Potato Tart
Serves 4-6
23cm (9”) diameter x 5cm (2”) deep loose-based round tin.
Pre-heat oven to 190c/375f/G5.
Pastry:
225g plain flour
150g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
1 large egg yolk
or …
1 packet of ready-made shortcrust pastry
Filling:
250g Millstone, rind removed
60gm rocket
225g new potatoes, peeled and cooked
25g unsalted butter
1 large Red onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
3 large eggs
225ml double cream
large pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper
Sieve flour and add chopped butter with a pinch of salt into a bowl, rub the butter in until it resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of cold water and add to the crumb mix to form a ball then wrap in clingfilm and put in fridge for 1/2hr to rest. Take out of fridge, bring it to room temperature the roll out on a floured surface. Grease the tin, then line it with pastry, putting back in the fridge for 10 minutes. If using pre-prepared pastry, line the tin with pastry and rest in fridge for 1/2hr.
Line the chilled pastry case with greaseproof paper, add baking beans – to weight it down - and bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, then remove the beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a pan and add the onions and garlic, frying gently for approx 10 minutes until soft. Add the rocket and toss around for 1 minute, take off heat and leave to cool. Beat the eggs with the cream until well mixed, seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Chop the Millstone and cooked potatoes into small chunks.
Take pastry case and spread the onion and rocket mixture over the bottom, then dot with potato and Millstone chunks. Finally pour over the cream mixture and put back in the oven on a baking tray. Decorate with spare rocket leaves. Bake for 35 minutes until the custard has just set and the tart is nicely browned. Leave in tin to cool for 15 minutes.
