Photos: Bay Area’s artisan cheese making tradition
January 22, 2013
Marcia Barinaga proudly holds wheels of her trademark Baserri and Txiki sheep cheeses in the aging room of her Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 near Marshall, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
Marcia Barinaga weighs an order of Baserri cheese at her Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 near Marshall, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
Marcia Barinaga wraps an order of Baserri cheese at her Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 near Marshall, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
Marcia Barinaga visits with her sheep on the Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 above Tomales Bay near Marshall, Calif. Barinaga has been making artisan cheeses from her sheep's milk following Basque tradition. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
Marcia Barinaga visits with her sheep on the Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 near Marshall, Calif. Barinaga has been making artisan cheeses from her sheep's milk following Basque tradition. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
Marcia Barinaga visits with her sheep on the Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 near Marshall, Calif. Barinaga has been making artisan cheeses from her sheep's milk following Basque tradition. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
Marcia Barinaga wraps an order of Baserri cheese at her Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 near Marshall, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
A still life of drying wash rags is framed at a window Barinaga Ranch Farmstead Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 15, 2013 near Marshall, Calif. Marcia Barinaga has been creating artisan cheeses from her sheep ranch in the Basque tradition. (Karl Mondon/Staff)
Emilla Salazar, of Brentwood, cuts curd by hand inside a 300 gallon pasteurizing vat of milk at her families cheese business in Brentwood called Queso Salazar, where they make Oaxaca Mexican cheese in Brentwood, Calif., on Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Emilla Salazar, left, and her father Moises Salazar, right, both of Brentwood, cut curd by hand inside a 300-gallon pasteurizing vat of milk at their cheese business in Brentwood called Queso Salazar, where they make Oaxaco Mexican cheese in Brentwood, Calif., on Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Emilla Salazar of Brentwood, cuts curd by hand inside a 300 gallon pasteurizing vat of milk at her families cheese business in Brentwood called Queso Salazar, where they make Oaxaca Mexican cheese in Brentwood, Calif., on Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Moises Salazar, left, and Adelina Bargas, right, both of Brentwood, combine milk curd with hot water so they can mix with large wooden spoons to create Oaxaca Mexican cheese at their family business Queso Salazar in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday Jan. 18, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Emilia Salazar, left, and her father Moises Salazar, right, both of Brentwood, stretch cheese to make Oaxaca Mexican cheese at their family business Queso Salazar in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday Jan. 18, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Moises Salazar, left, and his daughter Emilis Salazar, right, both of Brentwood, take handfuls of curd out of a 300-gallon pasteurizing vat at Queso Salazar, where they are make Oaxaca Mexican cheese in Brentwood, Calif., on Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Steven Vasquez, left, and Adelina Bargas, right, both of Brentwood, stretch cheese to make Oaxaca Mexican cheese at Queso Salazar in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday Jan. 18, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Emilia Salazar of Brentwood, appiles salt to a section of stretched Oaxaca Mexican cheese at their family business Queso Salazar in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday Jan. 18, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Estela Salazar, left, and her daughter Emilia Salazar, right, prepare sections of stretched Oaxaca Mexican cheese to be rolled up into balls to set and cool overnight at their family business Queso Salazar in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday Jan. 18, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Two pounds of Oaxaca Mexican cheese sits on a scale to be weighed at Queso Salazar in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday Jan. 18, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Oaxaca Mexican cheese is set into plastic wrap where it will cool down overnight and get cut into rolls for string cheese the next day at Queso Salazar in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday Jan. 18, 2013. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff)
Beau Schoch, left, and his brother, Seth, with cheese wheels at their family's dairy farm in Salinas Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. The Schoch Dairy has started making artisan cheese after milk prices fell and now their hand-crafted cheeses are becoming so popular they are expanding their operation. (Patrick Tehan/Staff)
John Schoch milks cows at his family's dairy farm in Salinas Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. The Schoch Dairy has started making artisan cheese after milk prices fell and now their hand-crafted cheeses are becoming so popular they are expanding their operation. (Patrick Tehan/Staff)
Seth Schoch helps move cows from one field to another at his family's dairy farm in Salinas Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. The Schoch Dairy has started making artisan cheese after milk prices fell and now their hand-crafted cheeses are becoming so popular they are expanding their operation. (Patrick Tehan/Staff)
Cheeses stacked in an aging room at the Schoch Dairy in Salinas Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. The Schoch Dairy has started making artisan cheese after milk prices fell and now their hand-crafted cheeses are becoming so popular they are expanding their operation. (Patrick Tehan/Staff)
'Beau's Blend' a cheese made with a blend of cow and sheep milk, at the Schoch Dairy in Salinas Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. The Schoch Dairy has started making artisan cheese after milk prices fell and now their hand-crafted cheeses are becoming so popular they are expanding their operation. (Patrick Tehan/Staff)
Categories: Food and Wine, Lifestyles
Tags: photo