Since our recent herd share purchase, I've been on an odyssey of sorts, rediscovering the wonders of fermentation and classic American cooking. Back when people made butter on the farm, it was customary to collect cream for several days, letting it sit in the pail in a cool place until there was enough to churn. During this resting period, bacteria present in raw milk converts some of the lactose to lactic acid. Churning this slightly soured cream yields butter, and a byproduct, buttermilk.

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I gave this process a try with the cream from our first gallon of milk, skimming the cream from the top into a quart jar with a turkey baster. Days later, I used the baster a second time to dispense the milk from the bottom of the jar into my morning cereal. Then, I shook the jar for a few minutes. After rinsing the resulting butter grains, and working the residual buttermilk out with a fork, this yellow spread emerged.