Category Archives: Strauss

Straus Family Farm & Creamery Chef’s Tour, Part I: The Farm

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Oh to be a Straus cow, what a lovely life!

We arrived bright and early with only a few unexpected navigational hiccups and one coordinational mishap (not surprisingly mine) on our way from San Francisco to Marshall in West Marin, California to see for ourselves why the dairy products from the first certified organic farm west of the Mississippi are so incredibly outstanding.

After rendezvous’ing with the other participants in Straus Family Creamery’s twice-yearly Chef’s Tour, we all piled into six cars to head up to the beautifully situated dairy farm on Northern California’s picturesque Tomales Bay.

Overlooking Tomales Bay, CA

Bay Area Fog... Just because you can't see Tomales Bay, doesn't mean it's not there and stunning behind its shroud.

After a nice foot bath on the way onto the property to prevent any outside contaminants and germs, the first thing we saw on our walk up was the “maternity ward,” a large fenced yard speckled with a small collection of the most pregnant cows in the herd.

Pregnant Cows Enjoying Some Delicious Fodder

Cows, like humans, gestate their offspring for nine months.  Straus cows spend the last two months of pregnancy off of the milking line, relaxin’… just making a baby cow and noshing on fresh grass in the pastures all day.  The last few weeks of their pregnancies are spent together, close to home, awaiting the big day when their calves are born.

Momma Cow in the "Maternity Ward"

At Straus, 100% of the calves they add to their herd of approximately 600 cows are bred and born right on the Farm.  They are a mix of Jerseys and Holsteins, some pure bred and some mixed. In the herd there are also a few Swiss Brown cows[i] for diversity.

As we continued on the tour, we learned the reason for the mixed herd.  Holsteins produce a greater volume of milk with a lower fat to water ratio, meaning they produce a less creamy milk.  Jerseys, on the other hand, produce a lesser volume of milk with a higher fat to water content, meaning they produce a smaller amount of creamier milk. The diversity of the herd makes for a richer milk product when it is combined at the Creamery.

Back in the 1940s, Bill Straus, a German Jew who escaped Nazi Germany, started this herd with 23 Jersey cows, all named for various friends and relatives.  The herd is now nearly 600 healthy, organic cows strong, 275 of which are milking cows.  “The Girls” are given lots of space and live in an environment that is “as stress free as possible.”  This is not only important for their general well-being and happiness but it also keeps them all in excellent health and as a result there is a very low incidence of illness in the herd.

How do you give a herd of cows an environment that is as stress free as possible you might wonder?  Well, in addition to basic comforts like sleeping in a warm barn full of foam mattresses covered in rice hulls, at Straus the cows spend a good amount of their time grazing on fresh grass in the pastures.  Due to erosion concerns and the health of the herd, they spend their time out there when the weather permits, mostly from April to November, with the exception of very wet conditions.  To supplement their pasture diet, the Farm purchases 100% organic, vegetarian feed from a local mill and also throws in some nutrient rich silage that is fermented right there on the Farm with fodder from local, organic cover crops like alfalfa.  (I tried some, it was delightful!)  An interesting factoid related to the feed at Straus is that they are the first dairy product company to be non-GMO Project Verified!  Trust us, this is NO small feat and we commend their tireless efforts to this cause.  Not surprisingly, they are also Animal Welfare Approved.

Our wonderful Tour Guide showing off some of the ingredients in the organic, vegetarian feed.

Silage, a fermented fodder densely packed with nutrients from local, organic cover crops.

We then moved on to my favorite part of the tour.  I don’t think too much discussion on the subject is required so so just sit back and  enjoy this adorable intermission with a BABY COW PHOTO MONTAGE!!!

Baby Bertha is so sleeepppyyyyy....

Are you enamored?  We were!

As we were walking down the hill from the calf barn, I noticed there was something amiss…  Ever driven down I-5 or through an area with lots of dairy or cattle farms?  What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?  The acrid smell of animal waste, right?  Well, I was shocked when it suddenly occurred to me that all the time we had been on the farm discussing organic practices and taste testing probiotic cow fodder, I had yet to smell poop!  “What is this witchcraft?!?” I wondered to myself.  As we got closer everything was revealed; the answer is kind of magical, as it turns out…

Two words: METHANE DIGESTER.

View of the Methane Digester overlooking Tomales Bay.

Sounds pretty badass, right?  Well, it is.  Read on.

With a grant to help them get started, the Farm was able to put in an amazing piece of equipment that allows them to take the liquid waste[ii] from the cows as well as the waste water from the Creamery and through an anabolic process that separates the methane gasses, they create RENEWABLE ENERGY that powers everything on the farm, even some of the vehicles.  Read that sentence again if the amazingness hasn’t sunk in yet.  Not only does this drastically reduce their carbon footprint by negating their emissions, it also allows them to put the would-be detrimental by-products of raising milking cows to a very good use.  The system hasn’t just been environmentally beneficial, the Farm saves ~$4,000 a month in energy costs and the whole system paid for itself in only four years from the time it was installed.  I’m no financial guru but talk about a good ROI!!  That’s not just smart business, it’s environmentally responsible business that is paying off in every way.

Looking out towards the pastures...

You might be thinking that it’s impossible to beat that kind of eco-friendly cred!  Well, you’d be wrong.  Bill Straus wasn’t the only California pioneer and champion of responsible farming.  His wife, Ellen Straus was green waaaaay before it was hip!  She co-founded our country’s first agricultural land trust, the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, which can be credited with protecting and preserving the farming way of life in west Marin County, making it possible for the thriving, organic community of farmers that cultivate there today.   Albert Straus, their son, took on their legacy and converted the Straus farm to organic in 1994, the same year he founded the first 100% certified organic creamery in the US.  Talk about legit!

As we piled back into our cars to head to the Creamery, I have to admit I got a little verklempt ruminating on what a beautiful, holistic system the Straus Family and their colleagues have built in that place.  I truly admire the legacy that environmentalists Bill and Ellen Straus began and that their son Albert is now continuing to build.  I’m so tremendously grateful we have access to a product not only outstanding in flavor and quality but surpassing in environmental responsibility, not just for our candy products but for my personal use as well.  If I wasn’t a hardcore devotee to the line of Straus products before, I would be now.

To be continued at the Creamery….

Love,
Sugar

***Photos courtesy of the amazing Cap’n Rob!!***

[i] See what I did right there?  I made you recite the phrase “How now brown cow?” involuntarily in your head.
[ii] The solid waste is turned into organic fertilizer!  Nothing goes to, ahem, waste around here. Pun intended.

Caramel Fondue Recipe

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There’s about as many different modern versions of fondue as there are Swiss people in Switzerland.  (Which is about 7.5 million in case you were wondering.) I mean, it’s obvious why that is, right?

 “Let’s dip delicious stuff into warm delicious sauce!”

Genius.  But here’s a better question: why should cheese and chocolate get to have all the fun!?

Formula 79, to the rescue!  Our newest (and possibly dreamiest) caramel treat is a salted vanilla bean caramel sauce.  Named for the atomic weight of gold, it’s rich and buttery with a subtle sweetness and soft creaminess.  We cook it in small batches using our flavorful, unique sugars, rich Strauss cream, freshly scraped vanilla beans, and a hint of Balinese Sea Salt.

Like all of our delectable caramel treats, we don’t use corn syrup, refined white sugar, butter, preservatives, or anything artificial.  In fact, we only use sustainably farmed, organic, ultra premium ingredients like minimally processed sugars that add complex, layered flavors and nutritional value while also being lower glycemic and gluten free.

How perfect is it then, that the fondue world was crying out for a new medium to dip all those yummy cookies, breads, pretzels, and fruits in?  Is there a prize for solving important problems such as these?  If so, we accept.

Barbary Brix's Formula 79 caramel fondue

For our super simple recipe below, we selected some local, organic strawberries and Pink Lady apples, cooked up some Applegate bacon, toasted some organic mini waffles, and got our hands on Annie’s Organic Pretzel Bunnies and Mary’s Gone Crackers’ Pretzel Sticks. You can pretty much use anything you think would taste good with warm, dreamy caramel sauce all over it.

Here’s the step by step:

  1. Prep the things you want to dip.
  2. Pour jar of Formula 79 into sauce pan.
  3. Warm on low heat until desired temperature.  We suggest, slightly warm.
  4. Pour into fondue pot or bowl.
  5. Dip your treats!
  6. Enjoy.
  7. Repeat.

Don’t forget the bubbly!  All of our caramels pair exquisitely with the sparking white wines but none as wonderfully as the Formula 79.  It’s like they were made for each other (tres romantique!) and if we at BBx have strong convictions about anything it’s that you never need a “special” occasion to pop open a bottle of the champ-fun!

Cheers!
Sugar + The Cap’n

PS  We understand if you’re too excited to wait for the caramel sauce to warm up to fondue temperatures.  So, we’ll just make sure and mention that this sauce is smooth, dip-able, and spreadable, even when it’s cold.

PPS It really took a lot of self control to not title this post: “Fondue me, baby!!”  Don’t judge.

BBx Caramel Bread Puddin’ Recipe!! Try it today if you want to be popular.

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Making bread pudding is like cheating at culinary skills!  It’s SO easy and SO satisfying.  We created a super simple caramel-inspired recipe that anyone can master on the first try.  Promise.  Impress your friends with amazing cooking skills you never knew you had!  You’ll be the most popular kid in the book club (or whatever club)!  We won’t tell anyone how easy it was if you won’t…
The recipe instructions are in the text below but check out this video for the step-by-step…

Quick notes:



We highly recommend you use a “Good” sugar!  You know, an organic one that isn’t over processed so you get all the nutrients and enzymes your body needs to digest it well.  For example: coconut palm nectar, evaporated cane juice, honey, brown rice syrup, agave, etc. Keep in mind, depending on the type of sugar you use, it may be more or less sweet.  You can change the quantity of the GRANULATED sugars in the recipe to your liking without affecting the way the dish turns out but be careful with the SYRUPs – they add more liquid.  If you substitute with one of the syrups, we recommend you use ~1 cup of syrup and use ½ c LESS of either cream or milk.

You can use ANY of our delicious caramel chews in this recipe.  Just remember, if you are using a variation with vanilla bean, chocolate, nuts and/or spices, you might want to omit one of those ingredients below.

Now, let’s do this thing!

Ingredients:
1 loaf fresh, soft bread (like brioche or challah) cut into ¾” – 1” cubes
3 Eggs
4 Egg yolks
¾  c. Sugar
3 c. Cream + 2 c. Milk (or 5 c. Whole Milk if you’re skimping on fat)
4 T. Sweet butter (aka unsalted), melted
¾ t. Salt
1 Vanilla Bean Pod, scraped (optional)
1 t. Ground Cinnamon (optional)
10-15 Salty Dog caramel chews cut into quarters
½ c. Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
½ c. Chocolate chips (optional)
Lots of LOVE (Mom’s secret ingredient; works like magic.)

Equipment:
Small saucepan
Cutting board + knife
Baking sheet(s)
Medium mixing bowl
Large prep bowl
Electric beater or wire whisk
Greased 9×13 Baking Pan

Directions:
Gettings Started..
  1. Preheat oven to 325°.

  2. Spread your bread cubes out in a single layer on one or a couple of baking sheets.

  3. Bake for 15 minutes to dry them out a bit.

  4. Remove from oven and let cool.  Set aside in large prep bowl.

  5. In small saucepan, melt your sweet butter and set aside.

  6. Use small amount of melted butter to grease your baking pan and set aside.

  7. Scrape your Vanilla Bean!  Not sure how?  Watch Sugar demonstrate or just cut it open the long way and fold it out flat.  Then use the back part of your knife to scrape the tiny little “seeds” out and set them aside.  The skin is potent so don’t throw it away!  Add it to a jar or bag of sugar and in no time at all you’ll have yummy Vanilla Sugar.  No vanilla bean pods??  Substitute with 2 t. Vanilla Extract.

  8. Unwrap  your caramel pieces and cut them into smaller pieces by quartering them.  Set aside for later.

Now for the custard! 
  1. Separate  your eggs!  Not sure how??  Check out Sugar’s video demonstration or google it!  It’s easy.  You can save the remaining egg whites in the fridge for up to FOUR days to use in other things or just cook with a little salt and pepper for breakfast.

  2. In medium mixing bowl, beat egg, egg yolks and sugar until a little bit frothy, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

  3. Add in the cream and milk to your eggs as you mix.

  4. Add vanilla bean (or extract), salt and cinnamon and mix until combined. 

  5. (Just be nice to your custard and don’t over-beat it!)

The final pre-cookin’ steps!
  1. In your large prep bowl, drizzle melted butter over your bread cubes and toss with your hands to get them all good and coated.  You can do this in stages, drizzling a bit then tossing, then drizzling some more, and so on.

  2. Add caramel pieces, nuts and chocolate chips and continue tossing with your hands to coat as well.

  3. Transfer your bread and goodies to your baking pan, making sure the goodies don’t all fall to the bottom of the pan but are evenly dispersed throughout the bread.

  4. Pour your custard evenly over the top of the bread mixture, smooshing it in there nice and good with your hands.  The bread is going to act like a custard sponge so make sure they all soak plenty up!

  5. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or up to a day).

Cook it up!
  1. When you’re ready to cook it up, take your puddin’ out of the fridge while you preheat your oven to 350° and cook for 30-45 minutes or until it is cooked through (custard should be “set” or not runny) and golden brown on top.

  2. Serve warm!  You can even add a scoop of your favorite ice cream or any dessert sauce if that suits your fancy.

  3. Enjoy!  :)