New Zealand is world-renowned for its creamy, wholesome dairy products, but how many of us actually get the chance to make our own cheese?
Wellington wine and food events company Feast and Vine is giving food lovers the opportunity to turn some of that rich Kiwi milk into ricotta and mozzarella at a tutored, hands-on class on Sunday, May 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Getting down and dirty with the curds and whey is just part of the action, however. Participants will be able to make — and eat — their own pizza, garnished with cheese lovingly crafted by their own hands, with wine pairings to boot.
For a little post-pizza dessert, there will be a range of quirky, hand-crafted ice creams such as goat cheese and baklava, Zinfandel chocolate and strawberry and triple bean vanilla, all made from local Zany Zeus organic milk. Scoop them up into an orange or lemon zest cone or a salty pretzel one.
Inducting participants into the finer arts of cheese-making will be renowned chef Shannon O’Dowda, the head chef at Ohariu Farm whose passion for all things queso has been a common factor in her 20 years in the hospitality sector. From working with a company to create its make-your-own-cheese kits to traveling across New Zealand and Australia teaching cheese making courses, what O’Dowda doesn’t know about cheese isn’t worth knowing.
The action takes place at Ohariu Farm, a working sheep farm, about 30 minutes from Wellington’s central business district. There are few places in the world where you can enjoy the full rural experience so close to a capital city, and even fewer that deliver such spectacular scenery.
For more information, visit Feast and Vine’s website.
Photos courtesy of Sharon Stephenson
