HOMEMADE RICOTTA (VERSION 1)

1 gallon whole milk 1 quart buttermilk

HOMEMADE RICOTTA (VERSION 2)

2 quarts whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or distilled vinegar

Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. ( I usually unfold mine from the package, then fold it on itself twice or three times.) Combine both milks into a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pot, but make sure its not touching the pot. Heat, stirring occasionally to scrape the bottom of the pot and avoid scorching. You will start to see curds rise and come to the surface. Stop stirring, but run a wooden spoon or rubber spatula along the bottom of the pot occasionally to free up any stuck curds. When the mixture reaches about 175 degrees F, you will see the curds and whey seperate. The curds are the clumpy white mass. Now, remove the pan from heat, and use a mesh seive to ladle curds into the prepared colander. Pull up on the sides of the cheesecloth to drain off any extra liquid, but resist pressing on the curds. Gather the edges of the cloth, tie or fasten them into a knot and allow them to drain for another 15 minutes. Taste the cheese and season if you like. I usually give mine a whirr in the food processor to make it extra smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate; use within a couple of days.

Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. ( I usually unfold mine from the package, then fold it on itself twice or three times.) Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice or vinegar, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. Discard the liquid (or use it for something else, see below). Chill the ricotta, covered; it will keep in the refrigerator 2 days.

You can drain the ricotta in the refrigerator overnight to make queso blanco. You can also use lime juicefor the acid! You can also add herbs to the original milk mixture. The flavor will be subtle, but youll notice a difference.

HOMEMADE GOAT CHEESE

1 gallon goats milk (unpasteurized) 1 quart buttermilk 1 tablet rennet or 3/4 teaspoon rennet liquid (available at Whole Foods) Salt Pepper

HOMEMADE MOZZARELLA
1 gallon raw or whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized) 2 tsp citric acid 1/4 tsp liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup water 1 Tbsp sea salt

In a large non-reactive saucepan, combine the goats milk, buttermilk, and rennet. Heat over low heat to 180 degrees. Remove from the heat and allow to sit, covered, until curd and whey separate. Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and ladle curds into colander. Discard whey. Fold cheesecloth over top of curd and allow to drain overnight, refrigerated. Remove from cheesecloth and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the milk into a large pot, put on the stove on low/medmed heat. Add citric acid to the milk and mix well. Stir in the diluted rennet with an up and down motion. Continue heating until the temperature reaches 105F. Turn off the heat and let the curd set for 5-8 minutes. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon (or strain them with a fine mesh strainer) and put them into a large heatresistant bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible into a bowl. Reserve the whey. Pour the whey back into the pot and heat it to at least 175F degrees. Add salt to the whey and stir. Ladle the hot whey over the curd in the bowl (just to cover) , then knead the curd with 2 wooden spoons or your hands until the curd is smooth and pliable. The internal temperature of the curd needs to reach around 165 degrees to become pliable and stretchy. If the curd breaks, it needs to be reheated (by pouring more hot whey over the top). Pick the curd up with your hands and quickly squeeze into a ball, tucking the ends under to make smooth. Go fast, will set immediately.

GREAT, SO IVE MADE THIS CHEESE. WHAT DO I DO WITH IT? Use it on crostini with proscuitto and arugula. Use it to make a ricotta cheesecake (theres a recipe for one in here). Make ravioli with wonton wrappers. (Ill tell you how!) Scoop it into jars and give as gifts. (People freak when you tell them you made cheese.)

WHEY BREAD (from chickensintheroad.com)

Makes 2 loaves 3 cups warm whey 1 tablespoon yeast (1 packet) 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 7 cups all-purpose flour In a large bowl, combine the whey, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit five minutes. Stir in the first three cups of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. Add a little more flour and begin kneading. The amount of flour is approximateyour mileage may vary! Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually, about an hour.) Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead again before dividing in half. With floured hands, shape dough into loaves and place in two greased loaf pans. Tear off two pieces of waxed paper and grease with baking spray (to prevent it from sticking to the loaves as they rise) and cover loaf pans. Let rise till loaves are tall and beautiful! (About an hour, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.) Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden and a loaf sounds hollow when you thump the bottom.

AND WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THIS GROSS GREY WATERY STUFF? Make whey bread. (Ive given you a recipe!) Feed it to your pets (my dog loooooves whey). Use it on your plants. Use it on your hair and skin as a rinse.

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
1 cup sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 pounds fresh ricotta 1 teaspoon orange zest 6 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt

HOMEMADE CHEESE RAVIOLI

1 lb ricotta cheese 1 lb grated mozzarella cheese 1 egg 2 cloves garlic, crushed Fresh herbs, minced Wonton wrappers In a large mixing bowl mix everything but the wontons (duh).

Set one of the oven racksr in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-2-inch springform pan and tap out excess flour. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. In a medium bowl, sift together the sugar and flour. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and zest and whisk until smooth. Add the sugar and flour mixture and fold in to combine. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and whisk to combine. Add the vanilla and salt. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for about 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm (shouldnt jiggle when you shake it*) and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator until chilled, at least 2 hours.

Lay out a wrapper, and spoon about a tablespoon of the filling on it. Wet the edges of the won ton wrapper with either water or beaten egg. Top with another won ton and seal the edges tightly together. Place the filled won tons on a plate, separating each layer with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the ravioli for at least 30 minutes or freeze them. Cook the ravioli in batches in boiling salted water. Remove them from the water just when they floatdont let them cook too long, or theyll burst.

You could also make your own pasta if you have a pasta machine! Other fun things to add to the filling: Roasted and finely diced beets Walnuts Fresh or frozen peas or asparagus Pesto Olives Shredded prosciutto

*dirty!

RESOURCES!!!

WEBSITES
cheesemaking.com Fias Co Farm fiascofarm.com Murrays Cheese murrayscheese.com Saxelby Cheese saxelbycheese.com Artisanal artisanalcheese.com

TEXAS cheesemakers!

The Mozzarella Company mozzco.com Veldhuizen Texas Farmstead Cheese veldhuizencheese.com Cheesy Girl cheesygirl.com Pure Luck purelucktexas.com

BOOKS
Artisan Cheese Making at Home: Techniques & Recipes for Mastering World-Class CheesesMary Karlin Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses Ricki Carroll The Murray's Cheese Handbook: A Guide to More Than 300 of the World's Best Cheeses Rob Kaufelt The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide: Over 150 Recipes with Instructions on How to Buy, Store, and Serve All Your Favorite Cheeses Paula Lambert Homemade Cheese: Recipes for 50 Cheeses from Artisan CheesemakersJanet Hurst

Brazos Valley Cheese brazosvalleycheese.com Cheesy Girl cheesygirl.com CKC Farms (and im sure theres a ton more of all of these.)