Strawberries, Sheep’s Milk and a Tart

One of the things I miss the most about Spring time in the Basque Country is ewe’s milk. Every year around April or May, it was the time when my uncle’s ewes would give birth. We would go watch them in the afternoons as they grazed around the pastures behind his house.

This is the time we enjoyed fresh, raw milk for a few months. Jars of homemade mamia with honey were our dessert of choice. Maybe a little compote once in a while, but we mostly kept it plain.

And even to this day, years later, my uncle continues taking care of his sheep and every Spring, the same craving returns. I cannot stop thinking about fresh sheep’s milk.

I have been searching for a supplier in our area, but it seems like that is an impossible task. Perhaps Florida doesn’t have the grass and terrain needed to raise sheep. I wish I could drive up to New England or California and bring some back with me.

For those of you who have never had sheep’s milk, it is rich and contains more protein, more milk solids and yes, fat than cow or goat milk. It is creamy and sweet and in my opinion, milder than goat milk. Such a distinct flavor and I miss it terribly.

Our market does carry a brand of sheep’s milk yogurt, which is great and used it in this super simple strawberry and sheep’s milk frozen yogurt that I made with strawberries from our farmers market. Only four ingredients and the result is refreshing and so creamy.

The tarts were a last minute treat for the day my parent left to go back home. Strawberries with hazelnut frangipane and quinoa pate brisee.

My parents have been great house guests the last few weeks and I can’t wait until I see them again this summer. We will definitely miss them.Oh this summer, I can’t wait. So many travel plans and so little time.

Strawberry and Sheep’s Milk Frozen Yogurt

500 grams strawberries, hulled and sliced
125 grams sugar
Juice of half a lemon
350 grams sheep’s milk yogurt

Toss the sliced strawberries and sugar together in a bowl. Let the strawberries macerate in the refrigerator for s couple of hours or until the juices start to release and sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and puree the entire mixture. Whisk in the sheep’s milk yogurt and freeze in ice cream machine. Store in freezer.


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87 Responses to “Strawberries, Sheep’s Milk and a Tart”

  1. Maria says:

    Beautiful photos. I have never made yogurt with sheep’s milk. I am going to try it. Thanks!

  2. I’ve never tried sheep’s milk, but it sounds very nice. And these strawberries and tarts look delicious !

  3. Looks and sounds amazing…now to find someone with an icecream maker?

  4. Chaucee says:

    Oh that looks AND sounds delicious! I’ll have to try.

  5. Great tarts! Tempting!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  6. I join you in wishing that raw milk from sheep, cows and goats were more accessible. The flavor of raw milk is much more complex and rich.
    I like that picture of the baby sheep!

  7. This looks so delicious!
    We had sheep when I was little and I remember the milk too.
    Ahh, those sweet memories:)
    Cant wait to make some of this for my mom and dad, as I am home in Norway to visit.
    Thank you for such a wonderful post.

  8. Mandy says:

    beautiful tarts and sorbet! What a great use of the in-season strawberries. :) I have just made my first batch of strawberry jam and am thinking of incorporating some in tarts. Seeing your beautiful tarts propel me to make mine soon!

  9. Strawberries are so abundant at my local farmer’s market right now, and this is a great way to use some that are over ripe or bruised. I like adding a little zest from the lemon as well as vanilla bean to my strawberry ice cream base, am excited to try it with sheep’s milk as an alternative.

  10. Xanela Chic says:

    No te lo vas a creer, pero me acabo de enterar de que eres española… si es que soy lo peor…
    Mil bss preciosa… y como sp unas fotos maravillosas, ojalá fueran comestibles…

  11. m says:

    I confess, the thought of sheep milk scares me! But your pictures are beautiful as always.

  12. Lady Grey says:

    so beautiful! I’m completely in love with your work!

  13. Meg says:

    I remember a dessert I had in France, it was much like how you describe mamia and was served with chestnut honey – the most complex and flavourful honey I have ever had. And the combination was absolutely delightful. I believe it was cow’s milk though…I imagine it would be even more lovely with sheep’s milk. I love cheese made from sheep’s milk, but I have never seen the milk or yogurt for sale here – I hope somehow I can find some to try your recipe!

  14. Ta says:

    These tarts sound amazing.

  15. gorgeous aran, i am not sure why but it made me cry- i guess it is because it so lovely and sheeps milk reminds me of the time before my soy life when i was the only one drinking it! and also because i know how precious and comforting it was to have your parents
    with you.

  16. Chandelle says:

    Thanks for the link to Belweather. I live about an hour north of their farm. It’s always wonderful to find a great local company. My family is part of a goatshare, so we get raw goat’s milk once a week, but I’d love to try sheep’s cheese. Beautiful photos, as always.

  17. Honestly I’m not sure if I’ve had sheep’s milk before. I’ve had goat milk yogurt and I love it.

  18. Niki says:

    Sheeps milk yoghurt is delicious!

    I just wanted to say thank you for putting your blog together so beautifully – I’m always really delighted to see that you have posted something new; knowing that it will be beautiful (and delicious)!

    x

  19. Woow, this post tells me how adorable strawberries are! Thanks for sharing :)

  20. I never had sheep’s milk. Curious to try it. Can you use sheep’s milk for caramel too? Great pictures Aran! And I love the addition of quinoa to your pate brisee!

  21. NINA says:

    Love the photos and everything looks so delicious!

  22. Paula says:

    I absolutely love your pics!

  23. That tart looks delicious. I had a very similar one last weekend and look forward to finding the recipe

  24. Joanie says:

    You must really love strawberries and i think all the berries out there.

    A good summer food. Good post from you. It’s nice to go back to your blog and look forward to what is next :)

  25. ibb says:

    Gatzatua edo mamia…zelako saporea…famili bazkaritako postrea, izeko pastelera sartu baino lehen. Amak egiten du oraindik noizean behin etxean…eta bazkari luze horietako postre hoberena.
    Hemendik dena dau hain berdea.

    Uda laister iritsiko da…lasai…eta honuntz bazatoz…mila plan izanen dituzu..fijo..baina Gasteizen lagun bat dezula gogoratu, ok?

    Patxo haundi bat.

  26. Hi Aran, these look gorgeous. This is the second fabulous recipe you’ve posted that requires an icecream maker. I don’t have one but would really like to try the recipes but does just freezing in the freezer cause ice crystals to form? Is there a way around this? Thanks, Jane

  27. cutlex says:

    I always loved strawberry. Not just because it’s girly and pink but it’s tasty and very healthy too. I don’t get to eat strawberries in the flesh here as Philippines is a tropical country. But I’m a bit contented with the yogurt.

    You are so talented in the kitchen Aran. You inspire me to excel in baking and to mark the kitchen as my domain.

  28. Dajda says:

    Sheep are wonderful creatures, aren’t they? I’ve never had ewe’s milk but sheep cheese is a traditional food in the Polish mountain region, and I love it.

  29. Onde99 says:

    Here in Italy it is often difficult to find even goat’s milk and sheep’s milk is almost unknown (though we have all sorts of sheep’s cheese). I do love your photos, they suggest a very romantic atmosphere!

  30. I am in love with your work xx

  31. I’m so curious about sheeps milk now! I’m going to search for it. And the frozen yogurt looks wonderful.

  32. Asha @ FSK says:

    simple and beautiful! I know what you mean about fresh milk. When I was growing up, we always got buffalo and cow milk directly from the cow herd.. fresh, creamy and thick.. it indeed has a special taste.. sigh.. no more cow herds these days..just processed cartons :(

  33. I’m brand new to your beautiful blog — thanks for the delicious and beautiful images! My comment is …….. yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm ;)

  34. Kathy- you mean using sheep’s milk instead of cream for caramel sauce? I have never tried it but it might not have enough fat. Not sure.

    Amiable Peculiarities- you could try freezing it and every 30 min to an hour scrape it and give it a turn to incorporate some air into it. You could also try to mix it by hand over an ice and salt bath for about 30 minutes like it used to be done in the old days but it’s quite tiring. My ice cream machine costs about $50 so for me worth the investment.

    Thank you everyone!

  35. Susan says:

    Nummy!! Can’t wait to try replicating the pastry! Some of the strawberries look like little hearts. How cute!

  36. Gaëlle says:

    Your photos are so beautiful! I am discovering your blog with pleasure!
    Nice recipes, I LOVE strawberries whatever the way we cook them.

    Gaelle

  37. RamblingTart says:

    So beautiful yet earthy and wholesome. :-) I also really enjoyed your Food Photography interview. It’s so lovely to get to know the people behind the beautiful art they create. :-)

  38. julia says:

    Hi!
    cakes looks so good as well! Can you share the recipe? I would really love to know!

  39. Julia- when you say cakes did you mean tarts? I linked to all the recipes of the different components that are alredy on my blog. Fill tart mold with rolled dough. Pipe hazelnut frangipane on top. Place sliced strawberries on top. Bake at 350F until golden, about 20-25 min.

    Thanks!

  40. julia says:

    thank you
    i’ll try to bake it on my friend’s birthday this week!

  41. Tammie Lee says:

    your posts have me leaning in, to treasure your photos and the scrumptious appearance of the food. I also enjoy your tales. Thank you.

  42. indiefree says:

    I can not wait until our strawberries are ripe next month!
    I’m salivating over the ice cream.
    Just an amazing blog!! Thanks!

  43. Beautiful photos! We lived near la forêt de Fontainebleau and these photos brought me back in time; love sheep yogurt and make a cheese with it and love what you did with the berries; in short, I love everything about your site and have just subscribed.

  44. Tara says:

    Lovely tarts! We’ve got lots of farms around here selling raw cow’s milk (and cream – delicious!), but I haven’t seen any sheep’s milk. Which is odd, because we’ve also got lots of farms in the area making excellent sheep’s milk cheese and yogurt . . . maybe I’m just not looking in the right places. Thanks for the challenge!

  45. natsu says:

    Hi,the tarts look amazing!!!
    and the color of your pictures!!!
    i love them!

  46. Bea says:

    Comme d’habitude – superbes photos!

    Et quant aux produits de brebis, je dois avouer que j’ai pas mal de chance, car même dans des supermarchés on peut trouver ici (Suisse) du lait de brebis bio ainsi que des youghourts et des fromages; dans un autre magasin plus spécialisé j’ai trouvé même de la crème et du séré de brebis! En plus, à la ferme où je fais mes achats,on peut acheter d’excellents produits de brebis (surtout des fromages et des yoghourts) d’alpage, directement du producteur. Leur goût est absolument incomparable! Je les apprécie surtout maintenant, car depuis peu je suis allergique aux oeufs et aux produits laitiers de vache :/ Je tolère mieux ceux de chèvre et de brebis, mais en petite quantité malheureusement.

    La pâte au quinoa me tente beaucoup; pourrais-je utiliser uniquement de l’huile d’olive? ou c’est mieux que je prenne une sorte de margarine quand même?

    Meilleures salutations :)

  47. Rowaida says:

    Yummy great Tart! Beautiful photos as always Aran!

  48. Bea- I don’t think you can use olive oil. It won’t make a flaky pastry. Use butter, non hydrogenated shortening or margarine or lard, you need a solid fat. And I know the beautiful dairy available over there. Makes me jealous.

    Thank you everyone!

  49. Bea says:

    Merci de ta réponse; je prendrai donc de la margarine (je ne peux plus utiliser de beurre à cause de l’allergie :/ ).

  50. Mmmm,so nice yummy post! :P

  51. Anonymous says:

    “mamia” gipuzkoan eta “gatzatua” gure Bizkaia maitean.

    Moxuak denoi
    anauri

  52. pity says:

    que preciosidad, ademas como apetecen estar tartitas…las fotos….que te voy a decir ya! el otro dia encontre fresas blancas, (pineberies) me enamoré! las compre y las devore, no he probado nada igual en mi vida, hay por alla? son algo dificiles de encontras, pero son una delicia, besitos desde londres!

  53. Aran,

    These are so beautiful…the tarts look divine! I have never tried sheep or goat’s milk… perhaps I fear the unknown!? I would love to make my own frozen yogurt though even though I won’t be able to eat it! :)

    I really love the engraved fork in your photos above! So cool!

  54. maria says:

    Beautiful pictures!!!!!! thank you

  55. i love the way you write about where you’re from and your memories. it makes me yearn to live a life like that!!

  56. Jennifer says:

    Oh, this looks so luscious and wonderful! We just had the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I would imagine their are people that have sheep’s milk through that but Maryland is not local to Fl. either. My family lived in NJ and we loved almond paste to make several Dutch recipes my two son’s grandmother used to make. I finally found a place in NJ that will ship it to us and my mom in Fl. I’ll be back to visit and I hope you will stop in to see me at jennsthreegraces. Jennifer

  57. Lovely photos. So bright and airy.
    Suzanne

  58. Alex Erynn says:

    Thank you so much for this recipe. I have a dairy allergy and I’ve been trying to find ways to make a good homemade icecream/frozen yogurt!

  59. Justin says:

    i guess i’d say the same thing for all of your posts, but wow, those are some amazing photos

  60. Fiona says:

    I love your blog and I always enjoy the pics.They make me wish the food was right here with me.You have an amazing range of beautiful dishes and serving pieces.Are there any places you can recommend?

  61. Elena says:

    Dear Aran,
    I came to see your blog because of your wonderful photography. I am a photographer myself and food is one of my subjects. Great work! But then I started to read the recipes and trying them out – and they are as wonderful as your photos! Especially I like the that you use healthy and diverse ingredients.
    And I made the frozen yogurt in my new KitchenAid mixer ice-cream attachment, was able to find sheep’s milk yogurt in our local health store. YUMMY!!! Sheep’s yogurt makes it very special. I put half amount of sugar in it, still worked great.

  62. Fiona- I have been collecting props for a long time. It’s the one thing that I love. There is not one particularly spot but I do love anthropologie very much. They always have colorful and unique dishes. I also like to mix vintage pieces with more modern ones like mud Australia.

    Elena- that makes me so happy! Alhough I obviously love photography and it’s an important part of this blog, the recipes are always my focus and all of them have been tried by me several times so great to hear when readers actually try them.

    Thank you everyone for taking the time to read and leave a comment. I appreciate it very much.

  63. Siii,el verano ya esta cerca!!! Yo tambien tengo ganas de ver a toda mi familia y dejar atras el calor de Florida.
    Me encantan tus recetas, muchas gracias!!

  64. Totchie says:

    Great pictures, great recipes : What can be negative with all your marvellous recipes that you make us enjoy.

  65. Deeba PAB says:

    Every season is a celebration here Aran… one more spectacular than the other! Gorgeous post!

  66. Jill P says:

    I finally made one of your beautiful recipes – and the strawberry yogurt was a hit! I live in San Francisco and used the Bellweather farms yogurt (thanks for the link!) and perfect strawberries from a farm in Petaluma. It was so good. I might never make ice cream again and just stick to yogurt :) Thanks for the recipe!

  67. We can find sheep’s milk yogurt rather easily, in France … I’ll try your ice cream very soon … and your tart too … I can’t wait to taste this quinoa pâte brisée ! ;o)
    Have a ood day !

  68. innBrooklyn says:

    i saw some sheep’s milk at the market yesterday – though i didn’t buy it then i will have to do so next time i see it, your description makes it sound so good! i can’t wait to try it

  69. Gitte says:

    J’aime tellement ces photos !!

    Come to see mine :-)

    http://alamodedegitte.over-blog.com/

  70. Giuky says:

    sono tartine veramente squisite!!:)
    davvero bravissima!!:)

  71. Des says:

    Wow, this looks delicious.

  72. Fefi says:

    Aran, Can’t wait to try the froyo recipe! Im smitten with that heart handle container, is that part of your icecream maker or simply a pretty storage container for when the icecream is ready? oh do tell where it’s from!

    Thanks

  73. Fefi- that’s a Charlotte mold that you can find at specialty baking supply shops. Thank you!

  74. Tienes un blog espectacular!!!!!! me encantan tus rectas y tus fotografías! felicidades

  75. Bella Mills says:

    Oh I just love the pink in these pictures. Pink and red and everything inbetween. Lovely!
    How I wish the tart was in front of me now :o)

  76. tiens says:

    straw straw straw i love them and the way you have presented them in your meal.keep on.
    web:www.tienshealth.co.uk
    http://www.tiensshop.co.uk

  77. Anis says:

    regarding the tartelette recipe how do you keep the strawberries on top of the frangipane do you coat them in flour before arranging them on the top? and in your recipe of pistachio frangipane can I replace the raw pistachio by pistachio paste? thank you for your answer

  78. Anis- You just place the strawberries on top. They will not sink. The frangipane might rise around them in the oven but that’s fine. Pistachio paste is different so I wouldn’t use it in the frangipane. Most of the pastes have sugar and other additives. I like using ground up nuts. Thanks.

  79. Anis says:

    thank you for your answer Aran

  80. Oh I just love the pink in these pictures. Pink and red and everything inbetween. Lovely!
    How I wish the tart was in front of me now

  81. Eleanor says:

    Hi Aran,
    I went to look at your recipe for homemade mamia, but it seems the link is broken as I was directed back to your homepage. So excited to try more of these sheep’s milk recipes, after discovering I’m intolerant to cow’s milk as well as gluten.
    Thanks for putting together such a personal and beautiful blog.
    Eleanor

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