Hilary Biller succeeds in her quest to find proper, additive-free yoghurt

'IT all started when I was 12. I spent a year on my aunt's dairy farm in Montagu in the Western Cape. I knew, then, that one day I would love to make cheese," said Hester Hoogendijk. We were standing in the small Hijke Cheese factory on the family's Doornkraal farm, 20km from OR Tambo International Airport.

"My son Gus built ALL of this," said Hoogendijk, gesturing to the array of gleaming, stainless-steel equipment. Gus, a doctor, joined the business three years ago.

Hijke Cheese is very much a family business - daughter-in-law Kari has worked alongside Hoogendijk for four years.

In one corner of the operation, heads of freshly made cheese were being secured in a press. In an adjacent room vats of thick, plain yoghurt were being decanted into buckets, and feta and cottage cheese packed into containers.

In 1997 Hoogendijk bought three cows: "The money came from doing flowers for functions at weekends. I was determined to do it myself. I milked by hand and started with just 20litres of milk each day.

"When my herd grew to 50 they were producing more than 2000litres of milk a day. I had way too much milk and would take a bakkie to Tembisa station every day and sell the milk there."

So she decided to make it her business to learn how to make cheese - and worked in a cheese factory for eight months.

The dairy farm has since been sold. "There is no short cut (to dairy farming) and one must do it exactly right or not at all," said Hoogendijk.

Hijke Cheese now buys Jersey milk from a farmer 60km away. The key is in the quality of the milk, said Hoogendijk. It comes down to the cows getting the right feed - and treating them correctly. "Our supplier, a female farmer, even plays music to her cows."

Although Hoogendijk started out making cheese, the core of the family business is its yoghurt. It is delectably thick and creamy with a tang.

"It is all completely natural made with live cultures. We don't add any stabilisers, sugar or artificial flavourants," said Hoogendijk.

The original recipe came from a Greek woman and they make seven different flavours with natural fruit. Rhubarb is their top seller.

Sky Chefs has chosen Hijke yoghurt for their first- and business-class passengers. Emperors Palace Hotel has been buying yoghurt from the farm for the past six years. Hoogendijk still has a stand at the Farmers' Market in Pretoria each Saturday.

Their secret? "It is all about honesty. Honesty to oneself, honesty to the client and honesty to the product," she said.

Hoogendijk is an excellent cook and shared two of her favourite recipes, using their yoghurt.

For more information visit www.hijkecheese.co.za

RECIPES

HESTER'S YOGHURT MOUSSE

(Makes a special starter or served as a light meal with a salad. Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

20ml (4 tsp) gelatine

60ml (4 tbsp) water

1 litre quality plain yoghurt

125ml (½ cup) thick cream

10ml (2 tsp) salt

White pepper

Avocado filling:

250ml (1 cup) mashed avocado

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

125ml (½ cup) tomato, seeded, chopped and well drained

A large handful of chives

Sauce:

60ml (4 tbsp) runny honey

2.5ml (½ tsp) salt

1 small clove of garlic, crushed

5ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard

20ml (4 tsp) lemon juice

60ml (4 tbsp) olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Start by making the avocado filling by combining the avocado, lemon juice and seasoning together. Prepare the tomato. Chop the chives finely.

For the mousse, sprinkle the gelatine over the water and set aside to thicken. Dissolve in the microwave on medium for 1-2 minutes. Pour in a thin stream into the yoghurt adding the cream and seasoning.

Spray a medium loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour half the yoghurt mixture into the pan. Top with the avocado, tomato and chopped chives. Pour over remaining yoghurt. Cover and set in the refrigerator overnight.

Serve cut into thin slices, on a plate and pour over honey sauce.

For the sauce combine the honey, salt and garlic together. Using a hand whisk, add the mustard and lemon juice. Add the olive oil slowly as one would for a mayonnaise. Season with black pepper. If it is too oily add salt and whisk.

YOGHURT CAKE

Ingredients:

125g butter

190ml sugar

2 extra-large egg yolks

125ml (½ cup) plain yoghurt

2.5ml (½ tsp) bicarbonate of soda

2.5ml baking powder

250ml (1 cup) cake flour

Pinch of salt

3 extra-large egg whites

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

50g dark chocolate

30ml (2 tbsp) milk

Topping:

60ml (4 tbsp) butter

125ml (½ cup) sugar

45ml (3 tbsp) cream

125ml (½ cup) coconut

2,5ml (½ tsp) vanilla essence

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Mix the yoghurt and bicarbonate of soda together. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the yoghurt mixture. Whisk the egg whites till stiff and fold into the mixture with the vanilla essence. Spray a 20cm springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour in the cake mixture.

Melt the chocolate and add the milk. Stir well. Pour over cake batter. Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 40 minutes.

Make topping by combining the butter, sugar and cream together in a small pan. Cook together for 2 minutes. Add the coconut and vanilla essence. Pour over cake as it comes out of the oven and place under a preheated grill until golden brown.