#95 – YOGURT from MILK THISTLE ORGANIC DAIRY FARM

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

I do quite a bit of explaining (lecturing?) on this blog about ethnic dishes and the like, but I think we can all agree that the term yogurt does not need much explanation. Except after trying one of TONY’s list items, I think it might.

Let’s turn to our old friend Merriam-Webster (remember her?). Yogurt is defined as “a fermented slightly acid often-flavored semisolid food, made of milk and milk solids to which cultures of two bacteria have been added.” Those are a lot of big technical terms, but the word “semisolid” is what I’m most interested in.

See, when I purchased and brought home the quart of yogurt from the Milk Thistle stand at the Union Square Greenmarket, I was surprised that what I had bought was indeed yogurt and not just some of their farm-fresh milk. I think I even said out loud, “This isn’t yogurt!”

I tend to think of yogurt more like a custard, with some body to it. This was very watery. After my first sample, I decided to shake the glass bottle and that helped solidify things a bit.

I’m not much of a milk drinker, never have been, but when that milk is flavored or whipped or thickened, I’m happy to indulge in the lactose.

On its own, this yogurt is a little too watery and bland for my taste. It has a very subtle hint of sourness, but is much more mild and milky than any yogurt I’ve ever had. Yet when I added some fresh berries (also from the market) and granola (from a spectacular meal at Blue Hill), I was practically licking the bowl clean.

And after I cleared things up by consulting the dictionary, this is in fact yogurt. And it’s fresh and quality yogurt at that. No question it comes straight from the farm. It’s just a little too close to the texture and bland flavor of milk for my tastes. Did I explain all that properly?

Would Milk Thistle Organic Dairy Farm’s Yogurt make my Top 100 of the year? 7 out of 10 does not hint at its freshness, but rather that I prefer my yogurt more rich and tart.