Five years ago, with her children grown and her motherly instincts still strong, Lisa Schwartz bought two American Alpine goats. In short order, her herd grew from 2 to 36. Standing in her milking barn on a recent spring day, with nanny goats stuttering and butting heads and their kids bleating incessantly, Ms. Schwartz cradled a newborn in her arms and said, “A psychologist could have a field day with me.”
When she saw that she was on her way to becoming a farmer, Ms. Schwartz and her husband, Mark, established Rainbeau Ridge Farm, in Bedford Hills, which includes a dairy operation, a large market garden and an education center. Ms. Schwartz, who studied cheesemaking in France, is something of a perfectionist, and her delicate, hand-ladled cheeses show it.
She makes Chevre Lait, a pure, fresh round; Spreadable, a versatile creamy curd (flavored varieties include cranberry-walnut and mixed herb); Meridien, a mild, earthy cheese with a lemon-lime zing and a vein of ash rippling through it; and Li’l Bloom, a round cylinder with a slightly bloomy rind.
But my favorite is the Mont Vivant, a three-inch ash-coated pyramid. Dense and delicious when released at two weeks, it becomes a thing of beauty if held in the refrigerator for a few more: the rind thickens and a wonderfully oozy layer forms beneath, while the snow-white heart keeps its chalky firmness. Spread on whole-wheat toast and served with black coffee and fresh strawberries, it inspires a perfect springtime breakfast.
Rainbeau Ridge goat cheeses ($20 to $30 a pound) are sold at Bedford Gourmet, in Bedford; Mount Kisco Seafood, in Mount Kisco; Blue Hill Cafe, in Pocantico Hills; and Darien Cheese & Fine Foods, in Darien, Conn. For more information, and to catch a glimpse of the goats on the “barn cam,” go to rainbeauridge.com.
