Homemade Cheese with Ease…

No matter the day job, anyone can don an apron and moonlight after hours making artisan cheese — at home. Armed with little more than milk and a few lemons, you’re on your way in less than an hour to turning out fresh cheese without fuss, the way home cooks around the world have done for hundreds of years. Unlike aged varieties crafted in dank cellars using peculiar, mold-nurturing science across weeks or months, fresh cheese is simple to produce and ready to eat almost immediately — no arcane technique or delayed gratification involved. We’re talking about some famous national treasures: Italian ricotta, Mexican queso blanco and Indian paneer.

Chances are you have the necessary equipment sitting right in the cupboard. Choose a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pot for even heating without scorching. It’s helpful to have a food thermometer, though you can make do without — cooks have for eons. The colander used for pasta is just right for draining cheese too, lined with lengths of ordinary cheesecloth found at the supermarket, if you don’t have any tucked in a drawer.

Fresh cheese seduces with its milky-sweet presence, reminding us of the dairy goodness poured into the pot. Use the highest quality milk you can buy; you’ll taste it in the cheese. If you feel inclined, seek out pasture-grazed, local dairy.

Ready to start? Heat the milk slowly, to the point just before it boils: look for tiny bubbles forming at the edges of the pot and steam starting to rise from the liquid. Add a coagulant such as lemon juice or vinegar, which causes milk solids to separate from the liquid — now called whey — and form floating, custard-like masses known as curds. Spoon the soft curds onto cheesecloth and drain, controlling the consistency of the cheese by varying the draining time. Creamy ricotta is drained for 5 to 10 minutes, while a cheesecloth sack of crumbly queso blanco may hang for several hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The draining is done at room temperature and the finished cheese can be eaten right away; leftovers can be wrapped and stored for a day or two in the fridge.

Unripened cheese assumes various forms throughout the world. In India paneer (cheese in Hindi) is pressed with a weight creating a firm product that is cut into cubes and added to curries (famously, with leafy greens in Saag paneer) or pan-fried. In Italy velvety ricotta is smeared on crusty bread or used in any number of pasta fillings or toppings. Dry queso blanco (Spanish for white cheese) is crumbled on top of saucy Mexican enchiladas or garlic-laced refried beans.

If you’re drawn to the calling there’s a wealth of books on the subject, including Artisan Cheese Making at Home by Mary Karlin. Moonlight your way around the world creating fresh cheese as you go. Next stop Greece, for salty feta or France, for mild fromage blanc. Try it. Rubbery cheese from a plastic tub may never seem adequate again.

Recipes for the Week:

Fresh Whole Milk Cheese in three variations

Try these favorite recipes with fresh cheese:

Saag Paneer (Indian Sautéed Greens with Fresh Cheese)

Easy Ravioli with Chard and Fresh Ricotta Filling

Fresh Tips:

Toss cooked and drained fettucine noodles with fresh or store-bought tomato sauce, sautéed chard and dollops of fresh ricotta on top.

For quick roasted beets, peel and cut roots into 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch dice. Lightly toss with olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 400 ° F until tender. Toss a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and sliced, peeled oranges, toasted walnuts, and a bit of feathery chopped dill. Add beets on top with some cubed feta or goat cheese.

Add shaved (or very thinly sliced), peeled raw turnips to any green salad. You’ll love the mild flavor and crunchy texture. If the roots are larger, first cut them into manageable pieces before shaving. If they’re young ones just shave them whole.

Don’t discard the chard stems. Chop them, then sauté with diced onion, minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the chopped leaves, and sauté for a few more minutes. Toss with cooked whole-grain farro or brown rice, lemon juice (and zest), a drizzle of excellent olive oil, salt and pepper.

Or spread some fresh ricotta on toasted bread and top with the sautéed greens and/or roasted beets. Why not add a few chopped kalamata olives while you’re at it?

Mix up a fresh egg salad with Glaum Ranch eggs. Substitute yogurt for some of the mayo and add a healthy dollop of Dijon mustard. Snip some dill and add to the mix along with lots of chopped celery. Serve over lettuce, on a slice of Alpine bread or chewy Bialy.

Broccoli makes a great mid-winter pesto when fresh herbs like basil are scarce. Stir into prepared minestrone soup, spread on a sandwich or toss with cooked beans or pasta for a quick meal. Freeze leftovers in small plastic containers for later use.

What’s going on in your Kitchen and Garden? We welcome tips, ideas and comments, too — especially for using fresh cheese.

 

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