West Cork, the area stretching (west to east) from the Beara Peninsula to Kinsale, is filled to the brim with candy-colored villages, rugged landscapes, deserted beaches, small harbors, lush gardens, artisan producers, wonderful food, Michelin stars, and (for the last decade) buffaloes — yes, buffaloes— who happily relocated from Italy to farmlands near Macroom. These gentle giants are currently responsible for producing Ireland’s most delicious buffalo milk cheese.
An Irish friend told me about the buffalo farm a few months ago, so I made arrangements with affable farmer Johnny Lynch to tour his Macroom Buffalo Farm when I visited Ireland in September. I wasn’t disappointed.
My first question (and perhaps yours as well): “Why buffaloes?”
As Lynch described it, they’re here because of St. Patrick’s Day — but not necessarily in honor of the holiday itself. As he tells it, he was out celebrating with friends, and when the discussion turned to the decline in the dairy market and what might be viable alternatives, one of them suggested he add some buffaloes to his current herd of milking cows. Lots of laughter followed until the next day when, on second thought, Lynch said, “It might not be such a bad idea.”
Fast forward a few months — more consideration and a visit to Italy — and in 2009 Lynch imported 31 buffaloes and set up the first milking herd of buffaloes in Ireland. He realized that every other type of cheese was being made there from sheep, goat, and cow’s milk, but nobody was making buffalo cheese. He now has more than 700 animals happily grazing on his farm based in Kilnamartyra, near Macroom, supplying the milk for the cheeses that include buffalo ricotta, mozzarella, burrata, bocconcini, halloumi (a Cypriot-style grilling cheese), and a Greek-style feta.
Lynch says, “Each day we take fresh, water buffalo milk straight from the herd and produce fresh cheese right here in this state-of-the-art facility on our family farm — all Irish, all vegetarian, natural, and free from any artificial additives, coloring, or preservatives.”
In a little more than a decade, Macroom buffalo cheese has become one of Ireland’s most popular cheeses, appearing on menus from Nico’s in Schull to The Bulman in Kinsale and Paradiso in Cork City.
I was lucky to get a personal tour of the farm from Lynch himself, but you can book a formal tour from O’Tuama Tours, where the delightful Dorothy O’Tuama leads visitors on a leisurely walk through the farm (petting the very friendly buffalo is encouraged) and eventually to the milking parlor and tasting room for samples. (For details on touring, visit otuamatours.ie). One of her special recipes is this tart featuring Lynch’s cheese (use your favorite ricotta in its place).
Macroom Buffalo Ricotta Caprese at Nico's Gastropub, Schull.
BUFFALO RICOTTA & BERRY TART
Serves 4 to 6
This ricotta tart is a delicious example and one that you can enjoy as a traditional cheesecake or as a single-serve parfait-like dessert. For the parfait version, press the crumbs into the bottom of stem glasses and pipe or spoon the filling on top; drizzle the sauce over the filling.
For the Berry Sauce
6 ounces mixed berries, frozen or fresh
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1. In a medium saucepan, cook the berries over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until they begin to soften. (If using fresh berries, add 1 tablespoon water.) Stir in the sugar and lemon juice; mix well.
2. Pass the berries through a fine sieve over a bowl to remove the seeds. Refrigerate.
For the Base
8 to 10 digestive biscuits or shortbread cookies, crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1. In a small bowl, combine the crushed biscuits or cookies with the butter. Press into the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan.
2. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or until set.
For the Filling
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 ounces ricotta cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, cream, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in the ricotta and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Transfer to the prepared pan; smooth the top. Drizzle the sauce over the top. With a toothpick or wooden skewer, swirl the sauce decoratively through the cake (alternately, spoon the sauce over the slices at serving time). Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
3. To serve, cut the cheesecake into slices.
Margaret Johnson’s “Recipes” page now includes “Ireland Hopping: Adventures in Food, Drink, and Travel.” For further details on her work, including how to order her cookbooks, visit irishcook.com.
