Philotrophie at Groves Yard: Tasty ways to eat our sheep milk yoghurt
I discovered sheep milk yoghurt after marrying my husband five years ago. He grew up on sheep milk and sheep milk products in Greece and found our cows’ milk products here in the UK difficult to digest. So, last year we sourced sheep milk here… with some difficulty ... and created Philotrophie – a sheep milk yoghurt that is decant in taste while being so good for you.
Having a pot of Philotrophie yoghurt feels like an indulgent dessert, its thick and creamy texture akin to pannacotta, and the crust on top is like something you’d expect from a pot of clotted cream. Add to that the beautiful, traditional terracotta pot our yoghurt is set within, and you’ve got a healthy dish which would not look out of place on any high-end restaurant breakfast or dessert menu.
The tanginess of our yoghurt is certainly something one has to adjust one’s palette to, but it is this tanginess, this strength of natural flavour that so many of our customers enjoy – and it’s packed full of good fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals and is more easily digestible than cow milk. Many prefer to eat it on its own – au natural – but there are a few delicious suggestions we love that are so delicious.
· Our favourite way of enjoying our yoghurt, and the simplest, is to drizzle it with a good strong honey, and top it with walnuts. The walnuts end up being almost caramalised within the honey, which provides the most satisfying crunch accompanied with a mouthful of creamy yoghurt. Plus, the tanginess of the yoghurt balances the honey.
· There are obviously many versions of toppings you can add to it: granola, berries, nuts and seeds, warm caramelised plums or figs, or stewed rhubarb. And of course, the options can differ with the seasons. Warm spiced apple in the winter; frozen berries in the summer. The possibilities end only with one’s imagination.
· One recipe that is a particular favourite of mine is tzatziki. I use 1 pot of the 250g yoghurt and blend in half a mashed or pureed garlic clove. Then grate a half or more of cucumber into the bowl, add a good splash of olive oil, we love Honest Toil, and a good grating of black pepper with a touch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice. It will definitely be the best tzatziki you’ve ever tasted!
If you’d like to try our yogurt you can purchase it on our website www.philotrophie.com, at retail stores like Ascott Village Shop and Daylesford, or even find it on the menu at Rise & Flour Artisan Café in Milton under Wychwood.