The beginning:

Perennially disappointed with commercially available dairy free cheeses, I am always excited at the possibility of finding the vegan holy grail: a vegan cheese that is properly and satisfyingly cheesy. So, reading on Vegan reddit of Miyoko Schinner's book Artisan Vegan Cheese, my curiosity was stirred: people who had tried making her recipes were waxing lyrical about how tasty it was. So I thought I would see what the fuss was about.

Book in hand for my first effort, I found the individual stages remarkably easy, mostly it just requires time for each process, and a warm enough ambient temperature for the rejuvelac culture to get going. I made a Brie but was slightly disappointed with the coconut oil taste and the non-melty consistency (a chilly spring probably didn't help).

But the next batch I made was a revelation. I split a batch of 'basic cashew cheese', reserving half as it was: "Very like cottage cheese" I was told, and made a 'boursin' with the rest. Well, this was the start of something beautiful. Flavourful, tangy, with a cheesy mouth-feel and after taste, I was ecstatic and the dairy-eating-one was similarly impressed.

Spring arrived, chives were suddenly tall enough to cut, so I had a go at 'pub cheddar with chives'. Mere words cannot describe the jubilation in our household at the results, this was a fabulous creation. Too good to keep to ourselves, this cheese made from nuts packs a fearsome cheddary punch and if any vegan cheese is going to make the crossover into mainstream eating it's this one. So here goes: my second attempt at this wonderfood!

Start by soaking a cup of wholegrains for 8 - 12 hours. Drain the excess water and keep lightly moistened in a warm place out of direct sunlight till they sprout: around 1-3 days.

These barley grains sprouted in a day so now I'm adding 6 cups of water to make the rejuvelac (culturing liquid).

The rejuvelac.

The basic cashew nut cheese,  tastes a bit like cottage cheese and is the starter for a lot of other cheeses.