Easy Cheesy Homemade Ricotta

Today’s post is by our resident farm foodie – Debra Dubief

There is an allure to cheesemaking that completely captivates me when I stop to think about it. I envision a magical process with highly skilled artisans turning fresh milk into a solid state before placing it in mystical aging rooms.

With all this in mind, I decided it was high time to try the recipe that has been bookmarked on my laptop for awhile now. There are many versions of fresh, homemade ricotta that I’d love to try, but for my first attempt at “cheesemaking,” I opted for the recipe on SmittenKitchen.com.

Let me tell you, this stuff is as wonderful as it is easy! I used the lesser amount of cream called for and still ended up with a deliciously rich, smooth cheese. I am sure the extra deliciousness was due to the high quality ingredients I used:  organic, fat pastueurized milk and cream from Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy – which I had added to my Green Grocery order. A small scoop made our pasta and tomato sauce seem ultra lux. Another spoonful added to a salad of farm greens, white peaches and fresh raspberries was so satisfying we didn’t even think about dessert. I am certain this would be wonderful atop pizza instead of fresh mozzarella or stuffed into a calzone. Spread on crostini and you have a fantastic base for appetizers that can be ready in a snap. Top with tomato slices, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil, thin slivers of fig and aged balsamic or chopped, grilled vegetables—perfect for an impromptu gathering. I’ll leave the real cheesemaking to others, but fresh ricotta is in my repertoire for good.