Marty with her drunken Asiago in front of her 1910 Hotpoint electric stove. 6 burners 2 ovens – all still work!
Marty’s Story
My husband, Greg and I live on a lake in the woods about an hour from Columbus, Ohio.
Our home on Lake of Four Seasons
My husband with his father in 2017. Greg is a master carpenter who creates handmade cutting boards and log slab tables in his spare time from working at Blanchard Construction.
I’m a retired teacher of Physical Education and Health (K-8). I taught for 30 years. I taught some cooking classes also. I showed my students lost skills like churning butter, cider making and how to use a hand can opener 😂.
The perfect combination – My drunken Asiago with my husband’s handmade cutting board
Normally, being retired and staying home is not difficult for me but now, with the pandemic, not seeing my family is tough. Still, I’m enjoying spending my quarantine time making cheese when I can find milk. Some stores have limits but that will get better. Meanwhile, I enjoy reading your articles about cheese makers around the world.
Line of cars in Hide-A-Way Hills waiting to pick up pizzas to support a local restaurant in Lancaster. We are doing a group order from different places every week during this shutdown – 70 pizzas!!
I have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. They all love to cook and enjoy my cheese.
My son Casey with grandkids – Owen and Chloe. Casey is the manager of Villa Nova Restaurant in Columbus.
Son Ben, daughter-in-law Kelli and grandson Ashton. Ben is the Vice President of Cavalier Craft Beer Distributing.
Daughter, Megan with her fiance Miguel. Megan is head teller at Huntington National Bank.
I enjoy gardening, canning, and cooking. So, when I saw Ricki’s book (Home Cheese Making), 8 years ago, I just had to try it. Since then, I have made about 20 different kinds of cheese.
Curds on the stove
Lately, I’ve been busy making Swiss, cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack and a drunken Asiago – all 4 gallon batches. I’m addicted to this gratifying hobby.
Drunken Asiago, soaked in Cabernet and Swiss.
Cheddar
Swiss
Muenster
Asiago Pressato
My favorites to make are Gouda and and any hard cheese that I can add caraway! Feta also, because of the immediate gratification to eat.
Chloe helping me make Feta
My husband and I love blue cheese and we’ve paid $50/lb for the finest. We went to France for our honeymoon in 2000, drank wine and ate cheeses from all over the country. My blue cheese was good although difficult. My first was too dry, my second was oozing, my third was great. I’m still not sure why!! Blue is another reason I vacuum seal my other cheeses – so not to contaminate them with blue mold while aging.
Blue
A friend gave me a Euro Cave to age in, originally used for wine. I choose to vacuum seal because I can’t keep up with the mold. I tried waxing but lost too many cheeses because of mold getting in also.
My cheese cave
Greg made molds from 4 inch PVC pipe so I didn’t have to invest a lot until I knew I wanted to continue. I now use an antique sausage press for my 4 gallon batches.
I gave a class 5 years ago to some ladies who were very interested in learning the process. I held the cheese class in my home. 5 ladies attended and we made Feta. I had some made for them ahead of time to take home. I had the milk with culture and rennet ready to be cut and drained by them to reduce the time of waiting during those steps.
My hobby was the inspiration for our annual Garden Fest where many of the talented people here sell their creations.
The festival is held at our Organic Garden where members of Hide-A-Way Hills can have a plot to grow their own vegetables, flowers, asparagus and raspberries. It’s held every July. Artisans sell pottery, soap, paintings, quilts, birdhouse gourds, spices and my husband’s cutting boards, log slab tables and Adirondack chairs.
At the first garden fest in 2013
Our booth, 2015
At the festival, I call my cheese Fromage Gossett, after my husband’s French heritage.
Our wonderful friends and neighbors are always asking for my cheese. I share with them and sell only at the garden festival.
My advice for beginners:
First buy the book!! Gather the equipment, pick a beginner recipe, then order the ingredients. Buy the milk after receiving the ingredients.
I think feta is good to start with because a press is not needed for a one gallon batch.
Feta, made for the Garden Fest
