Empowering ricotta. I made cheese!

Big Bar Figs and Plums.

I hit a turning point this weekend. I feel empowered! I made three batches of ricotta cheese and now I feel like I can make anything! Anything.

I smeared it on a garden veggie lasagna. I spread it on whole wheat toast. I mixed chopped rosemary into the final batch and used it to top off some roasted figs. Dave and I devoured these delights. They melt in your mouth. I had small pieces of bacon on the figs too. I had a couple sans meat and they were delectable. So delectable that I made more for my coworkers today.

Tip: Make the ricotta and reduction a day or two ahead of time.

Roasted Figs with Rosemary Ricotta and Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

♥ 12 figs, sliced in half

♥ 1 tablespoon brown sugar

♥ 1 sprig rosemary

♥ 3/4 cup Fresh Homemade Ricotta Cheese (recipe below)

♥ Kosher salt (I’ve fallen in love with crunchy, Kosher salt)

♥ Balsamic Reduction (recipe below)

♥♥♥ Optional yumminess: Cook up some bacon and place small pieces in between the figs and ricotta. 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Arrange halved figs on a baking sheet or roasting pan and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until soft.
2. Remove rosemary needles from sprigs and chop finely. Fold into ricotta and set aside.
3. Top roasted figs with rosemary ricotta and drizzle with Balsamic reduction. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Fresh Homemade Ricotta Cheese

(Makes around 1 cup)

Ingredients:

♥ 4 cups whole milk

♥ 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or other coarse salt

♥ 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Tools:

♥ Candy/fryer thermometer

♥ Cheese Cloth

Method:

1. Heat milk and salt in a medium-sized pot. Stir occasionally to avoid scalded milk at the bottom of the pan. When the milk reaches 190º, remove from heat. Add lemon juice and gently stir a couple of times. Let sit for five minutes.
2. Line a colander with two or three layers of cheese cloth and place over a medium-sized bowl. Pour mixture into the colander and let strain for one hour. Scrape into a container, cover and refrigerate.

The ricotta should keep for a few days–mine never lasts more than two the way I eat it on everything!

Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

♥ 1 cup Balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Bring vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Turn heat to low and reduce to 1/2 cup–or when vinegar lightly coats a spoon. Vinegar will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a container (I like small canning jars) and refrigerate.