Lebaneh- She Goes Both Ways, Sweet or Savory!

What in the world is Labaneh?  ​

I get asked this question almost every day. It's actually a loaded question when you want to get down to the
root of what this really is.
The real answer to the question goes very deep into our roots and for us has become a very important part of our process for the new Creamery.   To get down to it you must 1st understand that raw milk has been drunk by our ancestors For Ages without the luxury of refrigeration.
Can you imagine producing just a few gallons of milk every day with no cold storage? OMG! ​

  You must also understand that raw milk is a living food that has to turn (& under warm/hot environmental conditions it turns quickly) into the ultimate destination of a transformation into curds and whey. 
Thus this living food - raw milk was placed into a process to store by our ancestors and what we have coined as "TURN" for the signature raw milk produced here at Slak Market Farm.

Curds & Whey
@SlakMarketFarm

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Basically for the ancestors on day 1- they drank fresh milk, and by day 2- they made "Leban" aka Yogurt, and then the next few days the yogurt is turned into ​

LEBANEH

 Labaneh (aka labane, lebni, labne, or lebnah) is made by straining yogurt past the point of even what you know as Greek yogurt, just until it is thick and spreadable, and sometimes appropriately called "yogurt cheese." Most often made from our cow's milk ( but sometimes raw goat milk is added in as well), the texture is usually somewhere between mascarpone (or cream cheese) and fresh chevre, although it can also be strained even more, then rolled into (golf balls size) balls, and preserved in olive oil for several months without refrigeration. It can just be set inside your pantry, for snacking on at any time.  ​

 Therefore, the quick answer to the question is that lebaneh is a shelf-stable pantry staple that was used by our nomadic ancestors of African/Arabian origins as a storage solution for thier raw milk production. 
 It is also the same solution for us today, especially in times of milk overloads.
I mean seriously- What else are we to do with all the extra gallons of raw milk that didn't get picked up by a herdshare owner,
or better yet not picked up by you- if you haven't taken the next step to sign up for your share of this nutritious milk!

​Our signature Lebaneh is the best and most
delicious way for us to "TURN" milk and still
have a nutrient-dense product that we all enjoy. 

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 So what did I mean by- She Goes Both Ways?
It's the truth, Lebaneh can pair with anything.  It goes both Sweet or Savery!

​At my house, it is traditionally on the breakfast/lunch table drizzled with olive oil, dusted with za'atar spice, and served with warm, triangles of fresh pita bread. We also serve it with a well-made fruit preserve jam. The combination of lush, cream-cheese yogurt, garnished with rich oil, fragrant spice, and crusty bread is simply "The Best"!

It is a very versatile product that can only be limited by imagination.
Here are a few ideas to get you started...

• Blend it with roasted red peppers to turn it into a flavorful sauce to serve alongside grilled or roasted meat.
• Swap it out for mascarpone or cream cheese in your favorite cheesecake recipe—the resulting cake will be tangier, which is phenomenal news if you like to pair your cheesecake with sweet, fruity toppings.
• Stir in a flavoring such as honey or a sweet syrup. Combining it with some of the juice in the arils of pomegranates makes a refreshing labneh with honey and pomegranate breakfast. 

 Of course, you could also serve it up as we do here at our house, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with spice. * Just make sure you have plenty of warm pita bread—crusty, chewy, or otherwise—for scooping it up!

​Here is an Awesome Recipe You will make again and again...

Labneh Cheesecake with Honeyed Figs

A little tangier than what you'd get with cream cheese but the perfect foil for the candy-like honeyed figs. Sweet -Tart- and Addictive... Enjoy!

Yes, Please Give me this recipe!

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