Comments on: Gourmet Keso

By: james1

james1 — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:09:35 +0000

the process of extracting extra virgin oil from the olive fruit is a little bit complicated as not properly doing so result in a bitter product. besides, succesfully growing olive trees that bear good fruit depends on the soil (dry and stony) and terrain (sloping). this basic info i learned from the president of the cooperative of olive plantation owners and extra virgin olive oil producers in poggio nativo, a little town in the province of rieti, italy during my recent business trip to rome, italy. i brought home 15 liters of the president’s father-in-law’s produce which has a very distinctive fruity/nutty flavor.

By: Zita

Zita — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:01:08 +0000

Thanks EJ. I’ll see if I can get my hands on them when I get the chance.

By: filet minion

filet minion — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:07:42 +0000

tygerius, wow thanks for the info! maybe we can simulate the winter season and put it in the freezer for a few days to bear fruit heehee. or how about growing it in baguio?
or maybe it might adapt to our climate on its own. i was told the ideal climate for sunflowers is at least 30 degrees less than our tropical weather but they somehow thrive in the GK Enchanted Farm. So hope springs eternal!

By: tygerius

tygerius — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:49:35 +0000

filet minion, we have an olive tree we brought as a seedling from greenhearts in quezon city. it is growing well in our backyard now but according to a seminar we had in greenhearts we are in zone 9 and for olives to bear fruit it has to go through the four seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall. the trees have to go through winter and then will bear fruit in spring. im researching on it too. i would also be happy if your project can produce your own olive oil in the future so everything would be self generated. :)

By: filet minion

filet minion — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:36:29 +0000

That sounds wonderful MP! Can’t wait for you to comeback! Sana this month na!!! This second phase of Gawad Kalinga for social entrprise development after it cultivated social justice in building communities has really been a Tony Meloto vision. And from the few months I’ve known him, it’s pretty scary how infectious he can be.
Incidentally, some of my suggested taglines/slogans for the GK Enchanted Farm to him is “sowing the seeds of hope” and/or “where good things grow…” And I think your olives from the Holyland will literally represent that.

James1, the Sunday market at Good Shepherd went on hiatus last week due to lack of transport, but will resume by September which coincides with the launch in St. Peter’s. They usually sell from 7am til noon, in between services. While you’re buying kesong puti, you might want to shop for your veggies there as well. Thanks again so much!

By: MP

MP — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:36:18 +0000

Hi Filet Minion. I will gather more information about growing olive trees and maybe even info about small-scale olive oil production. I will be home in December and would very much like to do whatever I can to contribute to your noble cause. I will bring seeds (or whatever is used to raise an olive tree) so the GK farmers can try planting them. I used to manage humanitarian/development programs (livelihood support programs but in other countries – sorry) so this is something I am very passionate about. Your efforts are truly commendable.

By: james1

james1 — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:40:22 +0000

brava, filet minion!!! please announce when your stall will open at st. peter’s and will gladly buy some of your cheese. what time is the sunday market at good shepherd?
MM, you deserve praise and commendation for promoting local artisans.

By: filet minion

filet minion — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:59:44 +0000

Thank you so much MM for the free advertising and for playing willing victim to the ambush! I’m sorry I only got to read this now after selling in Mercato as I didn’t have internet access in the GK Farm the past few days.

As for the price list,
feta in EVOO is P140; kesong puti from carabao’s milk in rattan basket (also made by GK community residents) P80; chevre in garlic and herbs P200; chevre with cashews and truffle salt P250; next week, we will also be selling ricotta P100 for 100g, plain chevre and pasteurized carabao’s milk in sterilized wine bottles.

And while I’m at it,
we very much welcome [actually prefer advance] orders/ supply your cheese at your private parties or what not, just give us a 5 day advance notice for the goat cheese and at least 3 days notice for the carabao cheese. You may email gourmet.keso@gmail.com.

Gej- we are pretty start-up and even a facebook page is a work in progress, so far you can purchase the cheese at Mercato on Sundays. And if you happen to see some french people manning the booth occasionally, they are volunteers/ interns at the GK Enchanted Farm site who happen to love cheese and to help out. But, this is also the perfect opportunity to do another shameless plug that GourmetKeso would be excited to partner with outlets, retailers/ distributors–
Have some chevre/ goat cheese in your wineshops/bars in lieu of the imported ones (it’s just as good anyway as the French’s)! Sell GK cheese in your delis, use feta/ kesong puti in your salads restos/ [m]hotels and we could even be part of your CSR!

As MM mentioned, I could get rather aggressive (in my defense, for a good cause:)
And while I’m at it– anyone interested to visit the GK Enchanted Farm, esp potential social entrepreneurs who might have sustainable livelihood ideas and really want to see to it their enterprise is executed, is most definitely welcome (like MM’s jams that use local produce, if not Zubuchon hint hint).
While it won’t officially open til October, day trips with Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto to the GK Enchnted Farm in Angat are usually on Wednesdays and Saturdays very early in the morning. If interested, pls contact GK Center for Social Innovation Head Frank Chiu 09175457225, say that there was this pesky kid who posted his number in marketmanila.com and you’re curious. He now trusts anything that emanates from marketmanila.com because MM gave one of the best talks ever!
Better yet, attend one of the CSI forums Tuesday nights at Ateneo School of Management Room 111 to best gather more info, lest MM block any other uber-verbose shameless plugs I might post.

Lava Bien and MP– We would love to use locally grown olive oil, do you know where I could get? Pls do have your olives grown in the GK Enchanted Farm! It’s a pilot site that would love to play guinea pig to “why not?!?” ideas.

Gerry- While I am not familiar of the carabao milk of yesteryear having been born 30yrs ago, I daresay that the carabao’s milk we get from Brgy. Encanto in Angat, Bulacan is pretty darn creamy, if not the creamiest (but I could be biased of course :)

Atbnorge and cumin- thank you for the kind words! Cumin, if you happen to live in the Commonwealth area, GK enchanted farm has had a Sunday market partnership with Good Shepherd church in Fairview and soon St. Peter’s. Look for the GawadKalinga tarp and you might consider purchasing your veggies there as well, but only our kesong puti is sold there. As for the less devout, hopefully with this review we can supply orders for the QC area.

Sister, if what seems misspelled is the “filet minion” in what ought to be mignon, I think MM knows that that was my very failed and painfully lame attempt at what I then thought was a clever pun of being a servant/ follower of great steak and yummy food ;) Indeed, it’s been more than half a decade (MM, when said like that, your blog sounds ancient), and I really should have outgrown it by now.

In case I missed anyone, thank you so much for supporting these endeavors! GK can’t be grateful enough MM for your support/ endorsement (well actually it can be, if we miraculously had Zubuchon in the GK Enchanted Farm. As an aside, Bulacan is known for being swine country, so it can supply all the eat-it-all best pork ever dishes you can concoct) Ok enough of the hardsell for now.

By: EJ

EJ — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:37:17 +0000

Zita, mozzarella di bufala campana is made from the milk of water buffaloes but is less salty than our kesong puti. Maybe you can try it and see if you like it?

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:05:21 +0000

Love the organic movement is starting to take shape in the Philippines and also the fact more people are becoming aware of “why” to buy organic foods over commercial goods. I do find it frustrating sometimes explaining things that many people don’t seem to understand, although would love to see Organic baby food starting to take shape here I was at a supermarket yesterday in a guarded sub-section of the grocery store that holds baby milk,tobacco and wines. I came across baby food and odd thing is only one flavour and it was banana! as if there is a shortage of bananas in the Philippines although no doubt organic bananas which haven’t been tainted with pesticides or fertilizers might be a bit harder to find.