The dairy

Eggs, milk, cream, butter and cheese have always been important to the countryman. Milk fresh from the cow has been used for a variety of puddings, notably, in the past, for junkets, ‘creams’ and syllabubs. The milk from a newly-calved cow, called beestings, was once used in many areas to make curds and cheesecakes (although, today, we usually make the latter with cottage cheese). Buttermilk was used likewise, and whey had many uses.

Soured milk was often made into the local cheese, either soft or semi-firm. In poorer households, a piece of cheese and slab of bread was often the complete meal; since butchered meat was too costly to obtain, eggs and cheese might well be the only protein food available. These farmhouse cheeses were matured for a long time, and developed rich, strong flavours; so they were also used to make many nourishing, tasty dishes.