The Mini Co-op Idea

I'm getting obsessed with making cheese. Obsessed might not even be a strong enough word. I'm currently hashing a plan to acquire free weights and build my own cheese press to speed the aging process! But I'm making too much for me to eat on my lonesome before it goes bad.

So here's my new and brilliant idea: starting an informal mini co-op with my friends here in Boulder. I know one couple who is trying to brew beer at their house and has a kick-ass herb garden. I have another friend who had perfected the No-Knead Bread Recipe that's been taking the food blog world by storm. Yet another friend gets milk delivered from the local Longmont Dairy (which I'd love to do, but I don't drink enough to justify the delivery charge.) SO: friend three gives me the milk, I make the cheese and distrubite to friends 1, 2, and 3. Friends 1 and 2 pay me in beer, herbs and bread. How perfect is that?

We've also been doing some informal recipe exchange stuff that I'm really liking. I'm planning on teaching my friend from India how to make Italian food and in return she will de-mystify Saag for me. Woohoo!

My overall point here is that in days of yore, people shared knowledge and expertise. One was great at pie, another at roofing. Put the two together and you have a house and dessert to boot! I like the idea of having a reciprocal relationship between neighbors and friends: it causes less waste, is essentially "free" and creates more community. Everyone's good at something! -Even if it's not food related.