Thistle rennet.
Made from Cynara cardunculus, an enzyme found in the stamen of the thistle plant cleaves cheese proteins differently than animal-derived rennets most commonly used to make cheese.
Traditionally used in some Portugese sheep's milk cheeses, the result can be ooey gooey slightly bitter bliss (especially when using moisture curds in the contemporary style).
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/01/serious-cheese-creamy-thistle-rennet-cheeses.html
A few friends and I have been helping Chef Dano develop some cheese for a homemade cheeseplate to be unveiled this summer.
He wanted something unique, and thistle-renneted cheeses can't be any more unique for American cheese, let alone the Finger Lakes region.
With no obvious commercial sources of thistle rennet available online, I naturally did what I've been know to do: impulsively buy plants with some marginal nutritive value (e.g., my dwarf meyer lemon and dwarf Gran Nain trees.)
Las Saturday, I found a vendor of live Cardoon plants online and for about $20, became an impatient to-be owner of a 4.5 inch cardoon plant.
It came yesterday, surviving a most unpleasant late March snow/sleet storm in Ithaca.
Hope it will bloom this summer so we can make some CHEESE.
Uuu, grazus usniai!
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