Cashew Goat Cheese

Traditional goat cheese is of course made with goat milk, either raw or pasteurized and is warmed up so that way a starter culture can be added to begin fermenting the milk then rennet is used to help the coagulation of the cheese. Sometimes the cheese is eaten fresh when it is still soft however it is common for goat cheese to go through a more extensive process of ripening that can take anywhere from a week to a year depending on the flavor that is trying to be achieved.

Luckily to make a plant-based version we do not have to do all that however we do have to make something called rejuvelac. Rejuvelac is a non alcoholic fermented liquid made from sprouted grains like wheat berries or quinoa. It is used as a culturing agent for many plant-based cheeses. To make rejuvelac at home it will take 24 hours for quinoa and 48 hours for wheatberries.

Blood orange salad with cashew goat cheese and crushed pistachios

Ingredients - Rejuvelac

1 cup wheatberries or uncooked quinoa

12 cups filtered water

( do not use tap water, tap water contains traces of chlorine that will prevent fermentation )

Ingredients - Goat Cheese

2 cups raw cashews, soaked and rinsed

1/2 cup rejuvelac

1/4 cup coconut or olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Step 1

Place all your ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth. A vitamix or nutribullet I find works the best for blending nuts smoothly.

Transfer your mixture into a glass container, cover and leave out on the counter in room temperature for 24 hours to allow the cultures to develope.

Step 2

Store your cheese in the fridge. Makes about 1 pound and will last anywhere from 1 - 2 weeks.