Dairy delights

But dairy farmers can not sell unpasteurised milk or cream to shops. You might ask, does this matter? After all, pasteurising milk and cream eliminates potentially harmful and dangerous bacteria. But the process wipes out many good bacteria too.

However, a farmer may sell his raw milk directly to the end user for personal use (this is known as a farm-gate sale). One enterprising farmer recently tried selling his raw milk in Selfridges from a vending machine, arguing that this was the equivalent of the public buying directly from his farm gate. The store was merely a host for the machine. The council disagreed but an interesting precedent was set. Is this the future?

In cooking, milk plays an important yet unsung role. We simmer vegetables in it before puree-ing both together for smooth, flavoursome results. We let down thick soups with it and of course it is always on hand for custards and ice creams. For the best cauliflower cheese ever, poach your florets in milk, using that same milk for the cheese sauce, reinforcing the flavour and making the most of our Scottish milk.

VANILLA MILK RICE PUDDING, WITH A DIFFERENCE

Recipes serve 4

Ingredients

170g carnaroli risotto rice

50g unsalted butter

500ml milk, plus possibly a bit more, as explained in step 4, below

2-3 dsstsp double cream

80g caster sugar, or to taste

Nutmeg to grate

A vanilla pod, or vanilla essence

Good quality jam to serve

Method

1. Swirl a dash of water around a pan, to coat the base, then tip it out. Place milk in the pan and halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scoop out the seeds and add seeds and pod to the milk. If using vanilla essence instead, add this at this point. Warm the milk for a few minutes then remove from the heat. Leave to stand for half an hour. Lift out the pod and reserve for other uses.

2. Heat a wide, non-stick saucepan, add three-quarters of the butter and allow to melt over a gentle to moderate heat. Don't let it brown or foam. Add rice and fry without colouring, stirring all the time for 7-8 minutes. Halfway through, add sugar and grate in a generous amount of nutmeg. Don't let the butter brown, or the rice take on any colour. The grains of rice should start to appear translucent at the edges after 6 or 7 minutes.

3. Add two-thirds of the vanilla milk to the rice pan and simmer gently, stirring very regularly to prevent sticking, and topping up the milk as needed. The rice will absorb the liquid, gradually becoming chalky to the bite until finally becoming comfortably tender but not soft like a nursery pudding. Once the rice is cooked, the consistency should be creamy and flowing but not soupy. You can cook to this stage in advance, spreading it out on a clean shallow tray to cool quickly before refrigerating until needed. Alternatively, if you wish to serve at once, go straight to step 4.

4. Add remaining butter; swirl in the cream, stirring to incorporate. If the pudding appears too thick and not creamy-textured, add a little more milk. Taste and adjust the nutmeg, sugar or vanilla as desired. You can add more cream or butter to enrich the pudding if you wish, or alternatively add a small squeeze of lemon juice. If reheating, you may need to add a little more milk at this point to loosen and reheat the rice, carefully stirring to prevent it sticking together. Adjust with the cream and add any further butter, nutmeg or sugar, to taste.

5. Divide the rice pudding between warmed serving bowls and finish with a dollop of your favourite jam in the middle; alternatively poached oranges in Drambuie or fruits poached in mulled wine are wonderful against the pale appearance and fragrant aroma of nutmeg and vanilla.

A VERY FINE CAULIFLOWER CHEESE

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into medium-sized florets

40g butter

40g plain flour

500ml milk

1 tsp English mustard

2 shallots, peeled and halved lengthways

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

100g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutmeg to grate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Place the milk into a saucepan and season very lightly with salt, a few grinds fresh black pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg. Press the cloves into the shallots and add them, along with the bay leaf, to the milk.

2. Wash the cauliflower thoroughly and place in the large saucepan with the milk. Bring to the boil and cook for 3-5 minutes, until almost tender but still fairly firm. Lift the cauliflower out into a colander with a slotted spoon and leave to drain. Do not tip the milk away. Discard shallots and bay leaf.

3. To make the sauce, melt butter in a medium, heavy-based pan and stir in the flour. Cook over a very gentle heat for one minute, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon or spatula. Remove pan from heat and gradually add the milk in which you cooked the cauliflower, stirring well between each addition. Return pan to a medium heat and bring mixture to the boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for two minutes, stirring regularly, then remove from the heat.

4. Stir in the mustard and two-thirds of the cheese then taste for seasoning. Arrange the cauliflower in an ovenproof baking dish. Carefully pour over the sauce, ensuring the cauliflower is completely covered. Scatter over the remaining cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and bubbling. Serve at once.

Geoffrey Smeddle is the chef patron of The Peat Inn by St Andrews, Fife, Ky15 5LH 01334 840206 www.thepeatinn.co.uk