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I just couldn't seem to find my way here this past weekend. It must have something to do with the heatwave we are having! That and the nasty sunburn I managed to get in under an hour last Saturday. You would think I would know better....after all I come from a long line of pasty white Brits. Ah well. Here we are a few days later and at least now I can have an inkling of warmth in my shower and my back no longer appears radioactive. Lesson learned. Again. So about this heatwave. It started last Sunday and we are still in the thick of it. The Belfast-born, big, burly man I call my husband doesn't tolerate the heat very well and on that note declared the oven off-limits the last few days. We have been living off the bbq and consuming alarmingly large amounts of salad to avoid any real cooking. We are all quite fed up with it and looking forward to the promised balmy 26 degrees this Sunday. That will be considerable cooler than today's fiery 43 degrees! So with barely an appetite amongst us last weekend I decided to make an appetizer for dinner that wouldn't require much time at the stove or bbq. I made ricotta cheese from scratch. Who knew it was so easy to make cheese at home in no time at all? You will never buy store bought again once you have made this. Imagine it in your favourite lasagna....oh my. I added chopped herbs and a bit of green onion to it and spread it on toasted baguette slices. Divine. My husband suggested sliced cherry tomatoes or roasted red peppers on it. Next time. Oh yes. There will be a next time. It was too good not to make again....and again...and try different toppers. The variations are endless! Promise me Dear Reader you will try this! Homemade Herbed Ricotta Adapted from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten 4 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy cream ( I used 35% whipping cream) 1 tsp salt 3 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 tbsp fresh dill 1 tbsp fresh chives 2 green onions, sliced salt and pepper to taste Pour the milk and cream into pot and add the salt. Stir mixture and bring to boil over medium heat. You will see it start to thicken and coat the sides of the pot a bit. Once full boil has been reached, turn off the heat and stir in the white wine vinegar. Let stand for a minute or two while it curdles. You will see the texture change and separate into thick lumpy parts and milky whey. While you're waiting the minute for the cheese to curdle, line a colander with dampened cheesecloth (you can find this at the dollar store or any decent grocer). Place the colander over a deep bowl. Pour the curdled mixture into the cheesecloth lined colander and allow to drain. This should take about 20 minutes or so depending on how dry you want the ricotta to be. I like to be able to spread it so 20 minutes worked well. It you like a crumbly feta-like texture let it go for 25 minutes. So once it had drained to a nice spreadable consistency, I added the chopped dill, chives and green onions and mixed it all together really well. Season well with salt and pepper. It needs salt...don't be afraid. I sliced up a crusty baguette and brushed each slice with olive oil. I had my husband toast them on the bbq because in my house, anything to do with the fire breathing dragon in the backyard is what I call a "boy job". I'm a bit afraid of the bbq....one bad experience lighting it that involved eyebrows and arm hair. Enough said. Once they were toasted, I rubbed each slice with a clove of garlic then spread the ricotta onto each piece. It was a perfect respite in the heat. Crunchy baguette, creamy ricotta, fresh herbs....a symphony of texture and taste in a few bites! This Saturday I am dragging my darling to a farmer's market in Orangeville. I am also going to see the "Art Walk of Tree Sculptures" while there. There are 58 tree sculptures.....I can't wait to see the Kiltie up close! I hope to have lots to share with you on Sunday!
1 Comment
debbie barlow
7/24/2013 04:05:10 am
i cannot wait to make some ricotta cheese. the whole meal looks terrifc and tastey....you are very creative Sharon., go for it.....
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