Milky Memories
Today someone gave me a unique gift. We were backstage, in between performances at the show when one of my fellow cast members started talking about the goats she raises. I grew up on a farm and spent many of my formative years around them. As we swapped stories she asked if I would like some fresh milk and cheese from her herd. Living now in the city, I have not had the pleasure of raw goat’s milk for many years. I eagerly accepted her generous offer.

The next morning as we all assembled before actor’s call, she hands me a jug. With a smile she tells me that this is from last night’s milking and must be kept very cold. I accept the ice cold container and eagerly unscrew the cap. Inhaling the faint aroma of grass and cream I drink deeply. In a moment a thousand memories come rushing back.

I am 5 years old again, my bare feet run along the well worn path to the pens. Inside several goats wait patiently for me. They know this ritual well for we have been doing it for years. They know the order and wait their turn at the milking stalls. I take the first, a rich black Nubian named Gypsy, my sister’s favorite and begin to lead her up to the stalls where my brother and sister wait, milk buckets in hand. The creature knows this route better than I so with arms wrapped around her neck I am half carried and drug up to the stalls. Once relived of it’s creamy goodness I am drug back to the pen where the next goat eager awaits it’s turn. We repeat this ritual every day, rain or shine.

As I close my eyes and relish the flavors that caress my tongue, I smile and take another drink.

I’m 8 and prepping my first show goat for the local 4H fair. She is a silver grey toggenberg named “Princess Liea”. Yeah it was 1978 and I was heavily influenced by a certain science fiction film released the year before. She had a unique skill for escaping even the best made pens. It was while re-enforcing her pen that my older brother convinced me to “go ahead, I dare you to pee on the electric fence….”


I drink again, deeply, little rivets of milk run down my chin.

The forest is ablaze, the summer heat has sparked another fire. The smoke filled air burns my lungs as I dash for the barns, a terrified 10 year old boy. A tree explodes as waves of heat distort the sky. Somewhere in the distance I can hear the fire chopper, carrying it’s load of water that will soon douse the blaze. First I must free the terrified animals from their pens before they kill themselves in a mad attempt to flee the inferno that is raging at the borders of the farm. As soon as I reach the gate and pull the pins to open it, the animals surge out through the opening. Caught off guard by the up swell of panicked animals, I’m knocked to the ground. The animals rush past me, over me and the fallen gate. I cry in pain as the barbwire fence pierces the skin of my back. I struggle out from under the fence, bloodied, and reach into the pen to retrieve one of the stragglers, injured in the mad dash.

I tear up as I wipe the milk from my chin. The scar I still carry on my back burns with memory.

In addition to the fresh milk and wonderful memories, she also gave me a round of fresh goat cheese. Unsalted it looks and tastes much like really fresh mozzarella. I am substituting the goat cheese for mozzarella in this recipe. Tonight I am going to make this dish for my friend to say thank you for the memories.

Tomato-Mozzarella Salad with Spiked Pine Nuts and Basil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch hot red pepper flakes
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tablespoon currants
Salt to taste
2 tightly-packed tablespoons fresh basil, torn
7 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Tomatoes and Mozzarella:
6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, sliced
vertically about 1/2-inch thick
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, packed in liquid,
sliced 1/2-inch thick
About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, the two peppers, onion, currants and
salt to taste. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes. Just before assembling the dish, stir
in the basil, and all but 1/2 teaspoon or so of the pine nuts.
2. Alternate slices of tomato and cheese on a plate, lightly seasoning each tomato slice with a little salt. Sprinkle each mozzarella slice with a teaspoon or so of the onion ixture and sprinkle it with about 1/2 teaspoon pine nuts.

Sprinkle the entire dish with the olive oil, and any leftover pine nuts and onion mixture. Serve at room temperature