Visit to Redwood Hill Farm: Caramelized Pineapple

-Caramelized pineapple over goat's milk yogurt.-

This last weekend Stephanie and I were invited up to Redwood Hill Farm in Sebastopol, Sonoma County. We came into contact with Scott and Jennifer who run the farm, through their PR Maven, Kathleen. We were invited up to come see their beautiful dairy where they care for about 300+ goats as we wanted some pictures of a dairy for the cookbook.

-Yogurt from start to finish.-

Right now the farm is in the middle of the birthing season so the place is cacophonous in the sound of newborn kids braying and crying for pettings, food, and play. The kids, as you can guess, are abso-freakin-adorable.

-BABY GOATS!-

-Four days old and ready to snuggle (and perhaps eat your shirt if you don't pay attention).-

The dairy, though, is impressive itself. The whole place is solar powered and Scott and Jennifer feed themselves from their orchard and truly epic garden that has almost any and every fruit and vegetable a person could want for.

-New best friends for Steph.-

-A pioneer of American cheese and dairy.-

The goats are milked on site twice a day, about 2 gallons every day. From 300 goats that's a lot of milk. The milk eventually travels a few miles down the road to a location where the milk is turned into dreamy cheeses such as smoked goat cheddar, a variety of piquant kefirs, and some rather snappy yogurts.

-The milking station.-

-Three hundred of these girls who get to eat the best tress, grass, hay, and blackberry shrubs. Or Scott, if he gets between them and any of the above.-

Redwood Hill Farm yogurt is worth hunting down if you haven't had it. It's not goaty, but creamy, smooth, and it has a forceful lactic tang. Personally, I love to dress it simply. A bit of pineapple caramelized with brown sugar, tequila, and vanilla.

Bright, smart, and simple. Just as it should be with a quality yogurt.

Caramelized Pineapple
1 cup diced pineapple
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon tequila
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar has cooked down almost completely into a thick sticky syrup and deftly adheres to the pineapple. Serve with cheese, over yogurt, or with ice cream.