If you want to see how goats cheese is made, go to a goat farm. If you go to a goat farm, you might as well go to one in the "upcountry" of Maui, Hawaii.

My trip to the Surfing Goat Dairy Farm in Hawaii was a great education and a fun day. The goats are treated very well, and their milk is treated even better. Plus, I found out there’s 50 females to one male goat on the farm. Not baaaaaaad. (sorry)

I’m always curious to find out exactly where my food comes from and a trip to a local farm is the way to do it. I’m a big fan of goat cheese, or chevre, because of its soft, spreadable texture, creamy but sharp flavor, but mostly for its melting abilities.

I often use goat cheese as a thickener for sauces. My "South of France" chicken video that the members of WebCookingClasses enjoy is a perfect illustration how goat cheese can add flavor and texture to pan sauces.

The South of France Chicken starts with a basic sauté procedure. Pan hot first. A little bit of water in the pan evaporates so I know it’s at least 212f. Then, I add a very small amount of olive oil, and let that heat until convection begins. This is an indicator that the oil is just about to smoke. A chicken breast is cooked 75% on one side, watching the coagulation of proteins, then finished on the other side.

After sautéing shallots and mushrooms in the resulting pan fond, the pan is deglazed with white wine, and then mounted with goat cheese and whole grain mustard.

When you return the chicken to the pan, it bathes in a creamy white sauce that didn’t need roux or a slurry to make it stick to your fork.

Visiting the goat farm in Hawaii was a great inside look at what great care our local farmers are taking to provide the most wholesome ingredients for us to enjoy.