enjoying the local flavor

this afternoon

our lunch was the flavors of the season

and

terroir of where we live

yesterday was warm and bright and a perfect day for our local farmer's market

we picked up some zucchini flowers which seem to be on my menus from spring to autumn every year

we love them

it seems

i am continually posting recipes of them on this blog

zucchini flowers

many of you may know we are in the process of starting a little dairy on our property

the process is long and costly

we are not there yet

luckily

we live among dairies and cheesemakers

one of which sells a beautiful cow's milk crescenza

briny and soft, it is perfect for 

stuffing fiori, melting on toast, or paired with just picked tomatoes

get yours here 

to round out the flavor

{i love salty-sweet}

i used a bit of my homemade membrillo

i packed it away this winter

our nearest neighbor has a large u-pick orchard

this year she gave me baskets of quince which i quickly turned into sweet treats

i am mesmerized how the hard, cream colored fruit transforms itself into a gooey treat of crimson

adventures in goat milk

we have goats

dairy goats

darling sweet girls

that will provide us with lots of milk

in the years to come

but for now

they are still growing

little doelings

while we wait

i have been practicing my recipes

with 

goat milk from a local dairy

today

i am trying out my cream separator for the first time

goat's milk is naturally homogenized

which means the cream does not automatically rise to the top

you have to spin it out

this is how you do it

i ran a half-gallon of fresh goat milk through

yielding about 1/2 cup of heavy cream

in order to get the best results

the milk needs to be warm as it goes through the separator

what to do with all that delicious warm frothy milk?

make delicious coffee drinks 

of course

honestly

fresh goat milk is delicious

it has a mild and sweet taste

virtually indistinguishable 

from

fresh cow's milk

delicious

best of all

it can be used to make

this

homemade yogurt

creme fraiche

ricotta

feta

homemade feta

making cheese

can be

labor intensive

but

not difficult

it requires

attention to detail

a super clean work area

few specialty ingredients

and

patience

feta cheese

is

aged in a brine

making it

salty and creamy

  

Feta Cheese

(printable recipe)

1 gallon pasterized goat's milk (do not use ultra-pasterized)

1/4 tsp aroma B mesophillic starter 

4 drops (double strength*) rennet

1/4 cup non-chlorinated (bottled) water

butter muslin

flake sea salt or kosher salt

for brine

8 cups water

1/2 cup kosher salt

heat the goat's milk slowly in a large heavy stock pot to74F. remove pot from the flame and burner (but leave on stove), and gently stir in the mesophillic starter. allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before moving on to the next step.

meanwhile, mix the rennet into the 1/4 cup water and after the wait time, gently stir into the milk pot.  do not scrape the sides or bottom of pan, but gently stir for about 2 minutes.  cover the pot and leave on the back of the stove undisturbed for 12 hours. (the objective is to keep the milk at the 74F for the entire time)

after 12 hours, gently ladle the curds into a muslin lined colander (over a bowl if you wish to keep the curds). allow it to sit uncovered for 1 hour

after 1 hour, tie the ends of the butter muslin to create a pouch that can be suspended or hung**.  i tie the pouch to my sink faucet and allow the curds to drain directly into the sink. it is also easy to run a wooden spoon through the knot and suspend the pouch over a deep pot.  

allow the curds to drain for a full 12 hours

open the pouch remove the curd mass (it should be fairly stable) and flip it over. return it to the butter muslin and suspend for an additional 12 hours.

**an alternative:  after you have drained the curds for the initial 1 hour, you can transfer the curds to a muslin lined plastic tomato basket, flipping every couple of hours.  this will give you a more uniform shape.

remove the curd, which should now be quite firm, from the cheesecloth and place on a draining mat, or surface that has small holes (cooling rack, pizza pan, bamboo mat).  cut the curds into desired size (about 1"x1" or larger for interesting presentation).  lightly salt all sides of the pieces and allow to dry for 3-5 days uncovered in your refrigerator. you are looking for the pieces to become a bit yellow on the edges.

prepare your brine with enough advance that it is cooled to approx 60F by the time you are ready to use it (you can store it in the refrigerator if made in advance).  to prepare the brine, simply boil the water and add the salt. stir to dissolve completely.

when ready to brine, place the dried cheese pieces in a glass jar, careful not to jam and pour the brine over. cover the jar and brine the feta for 2-3 weeks before enjoying.  you will notice the flavor builds as time progresses.  if stored properly, this will last about 6 months (although i dare say it is so delicious, it probably won't make it that long!)

i find the brine a bit salty, so i quickly rinse my feta in non-chlorinated water, and gently dry with a paper towel before eating

it is delicious & beautifully presented with strong black olives, a bit of hot pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

poblano macaroni and cheese {cooking from the homesick texan}

i grew up in

a waspy neighborhood

too rude?

perhaps i should say

well heeled

cotillion on tuesday

types

how we landed there

i 

do 

not 

know

a

bronx bred
italian family

moving in

must have been quite the shocker

a very dark man

(my father)

doing his own landscaping

seemed to be

equally disturbing

i tell you this

so you'd understand

it wasn't until my thirteenth year

that i discovered macaroni and cheese

while babysitting

mrs. ran me through the schedule

bath, bedtime

no tv

no prank calls

and for dinner?
i queried

pointing to

a little blue box on the counter

she said

the girls love macaroni and cheese

...out it came

in my not so soft voice

lilting to a question

is that what is in the box?

to which

i got the look

it made me feel

unamerican

it. is. true.

i didn't know

macaroni and cheese

came in a blue box

to me

macaroni

was a big plate of pasta

meatballs and sausage

cheese came in wheels, grated tableside

i think she felt sorry for me

fast forward more than 30 years

in of which

i have eaten 

many a mac n' cheese

boxed 

from scratch

scroxed

none being

a healthy eat

this one

however

uses

the fresh bite of citrus and cilantro

combined with the warmth

of 

poblano and cayenne

to cut through the dull sludge

of

gobs of  gooey dairy

which most macaroni and cheese recipes

hide behind

thus

wrapping this fabulous meal

in the illusion

of 

spa food

  *This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef

  poblano macaroni and cheese

8 servings

(printable recipe)

2 poblano chiles

8 oz (2 cups) elbow macaroni

2 Tbs unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic--minced

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp lime zest

1/2 cup cilantro--chopped

salt and black pepper to taste

4 cups (12 oz) grated white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cojita cheese--for serving

roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side.  place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.  take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. remove stem and seeds and chop the chiles into 1" long pieces

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta.  cook according to your package's directions and then drain the pasta.  (you want the pasta to be cooked but not mushy; i cook my pasta 5 minutes.)

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  grease a large baking dish or cast iron skillet, and pour the drained pasta into the dish.

in a pot (you can use the pot the pasta cooked in or you can do this while the pasta boils), on low heat melt the butter. add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. whisk in the flour and cook until a light brown, toasty paste is formed, about 1 minute.  whisk in the milk and stir until it's thickened a bit but still fluid, about 1 to 2 minutes. remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro and chopped poblano chiles. adjust seasonings and add salt and black pepper.

slowly add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it's melted and well combined into the sauce.  (if the sauce has cooled too much and the cheese won't melt, return the pot to low heat on the stove.  if, however, the sauce gets too thick, like a custard, you can then thin it by stirring in milk, a teaspoon at a time.)  pour sauce over pasta and top with the remaining half of the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling. sprinkle with cojita cheese, and serve immediately.

fresh ricotta

homemade ricotta 

is nothing like

what you find in the supermarket

packed tightly into tubs

with expiry dates a month long

it is naturally sweet

with creamy curds

and

only lasts a few days

that is the good news

it is a bit time consuming

uses quite a bit of milk

and can be a bit of a mess

last week

cannoli was on my mind

so i whipped up a pot of fresh ricotta

and when i say whipped

i mean

spent an entire day

preparing, cooking, skimming

and draining

for my birthday

my friend gave me a beautiful cookbook

"my calabria"

by rosetta costantino

rosetta shares a family recipe for ricotta

using

 a combination of milk and cream

it produces a large yield

perfect for 

eating with a spoon

whipped into lemon pancakes

stuffed into cannoli shells

or sharing with friends

ricotta

(printable recipe)

*from my calabria

1 gallon whole milk

3/4 cup cream

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp rennet

1/4 cup cold water

place the milk and cream in heavy pan and stir to mix well. warm over heat to 200-210F.  remove from heat and add the salt. stir to dissolve.  let the milk to cool to 100F. skim any foam or skin that forms on top of the milk.  in a small bowl, mix the rennet with cold water. stir the diluted rennet into the pot of milk, then leave undisturbed until the milk has visibly thickened, about 10 minutes.

cut a large "cross" in the milk.  stir quickly with a wooden spoon for 15-20 seconds to break up the coagulated milk. using a perforated metal skimmer immersed in the milk,slowly and gently stir in one direction, so slowly that it takes about 20 seconds to make one revolution.  milk will begin to separate into curds and whey.

slowly pour off the whey through a cheesecloth lined colander, set over a bowl to drain. let stand at room temperature until whey stops dripping from the sieve.  alternately, if you have ricotta baskets, you can use those to drain the curds.  

the ricotta should be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator. it is best used within 2-3 days.

this makes about 2 lbs

* i don't throw the whey out...i use it. hubster and i use it in our smoothies and i give the dogs a bit of it in their kibble. it helps with a shiny coat. i can't say the same for us humans.

buffalo springfield

today i picked what appears NOT to  be 

the last of our tomatoes

our plants are going strong

and southern california

seems to be hanging on

to warm days

like i hang on to the blonde
of my youth

hubster

has renamed

caprese salad

buffalo springfield

and i play along

because he loves it

and eats it

and lycopene 

is a good thing

selfishly,
it gives me the opportunity
to work on my
cheese making
obsession
which may never
become a craft
but alas,
i try

Buffalo Springfield
aka
Caprese Salad
(printable recipe)
the best tomatoes you can get your hands on
fresh mozzarella packed in water
fresh basil, chiffonade
extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic--smashed
kosher or sea salt
"marinate" the garlic clove in the olive oil.  you can lightly warm the oil to speed the process. the objective is to give the olive oil a little taste of garlic, not overwhelm it.  remove the clove before dressing the salad.  slice the tomatoes and layer on serving platter or plates.  sprinkle with salt.  generously top with basil and place the cheese on top. alternately, you can slice the cheese and layer it between the tomato slices and basil.  drizzle the infused oil over the top.  i sometimes give it a just a small hit with aged balsamic too.
for the record--the band, buffalo springfield, is every bit as good as this salad

Tuesday Night Supper Club- Tortelli with Butter and Sage

i'm on a bit of a pasta jag lately

i can't really explain it

except that dishes like this 

are magic in the food pyramid department

protein check

carb check

dairy check

add a salad and you are golden

this is not an easy recipe

i admit it

unless you buy pasta sheets

or use wonton wrappers

(giada does, why shouldn't you?)

but it is really good

cheesy and fresh

Tortelli with Buttery Sage Sauce

modified from mario batali

(printable recipe)

1 1/2 lbs pasta dough

8 oz fresh ricotta**

(or store bought if you are not an obsessive person like i am quickly becoming)

1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1/4 cup finely chopped italian parsley

zest from 1 lemon grated on a microplane

salt and pepper

4 Tbs unsalted butter

8 fresh sage leaves

4 Tbs cream 

divide pasta into 4 pieces, roll each one out through the thinnest setting a pasta machine.  lay the sheets on a lightly floured work surface and cover with a damp kitchen towel. 

make the filling:  in a large bowl combine the ricotta, 1 cup of parmesan, the eggs, nutmeg, lemon zest and parsley and mix until thoroughly blended.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  

cut the pasta into 3" squares, cutting only 4 or 5 at a time. place a generous teaspoon of the filling in the center of each and fold the dough to form a triangle.  press the edges together to seal. bring the two bottom points together and pinch to seal. transfer to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. 

bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously.  

meanwhile, make the sauce.  In a saute pan, melt the butter, add the sage leaves and let the butter get a little brown..do not let it burn. add the cream and let simmer just to thicken slightly. 

cook the pasta in briskly boiling water for about 3-4 minutes. using a slotted spoon, drain the pasta well and transfer to the butter sauce.  toss to coat and add the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan and cook over low heat until the pasta is well coated.  serve immediately.

**i sometimes find that regular grocery store ricotta can be a bit watery...i usually drain it for a few hours or overnight in cheesecloth, a colander or coffee filter.

EAT UP!

a little piece of cheese

i have been talking about making cheese for months now

and today

was the day

and i am not so excited 

about the result

first of all

what is up with starting with a gallon of milk

and ending with a 1/2 cup of cheese?

huh?

bogus

good news is

it tastes good

although 

it isn't as soft and supple

as i would like

i'm just a bundle of negatives

i know

but it was my first 

mozzarella

but not

my last

because i am going to do this

until i get it right

now

what i need

 is a 

cow

Fresh Mozzarella
(printable recipe)
1 gallon whole milk

1 1/2 tsp citric acid

1 cup cool water

1/4 tsp rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool water just before using

thermometer

heat the milk and citric acid--diluted in the 1 cup cool water in a large pot to 90F.  Remove from heat and slowly stir in the rennet/water mixture.  Cover and let sit 5-10 minutes.  a nice medium firm layer of curds should form on the top. it will look like custard.  Cut it in cubes with a knife and using a colander, separate from the whey.  Reserve the whey to make ricotta (my next project!).  Place the curds in a microwave safe bowl.  You will heat this in the microwave until the curds melt and are just about too hot to handle.  Remove from the microwave and begin kneading and pulling, much like you would taffy.  If it gets too hard to stretch, pop it back in the microwave and start again.  You will notice that it will stretch and pull and become a bit glossy.  Form into a ball by folding and tucking. Eat right away or store in the fridge.

I think where i went wrong was my milk got a bit too hot before i added the rennet....and I didn't get a nice thick firm layer of curd.  I was able, however, to manipulate what i did have to make a fine tasting ball of mozzarella...but i really want it to be softer.

I am letting the whey sit for a bit before using it for ricotta cheese. I have read that it should sit for 12-14 hours. We'll see.

cheese glorious cheese

The lovely people and when I say people, I mean I was contacted by one person and got a note from another...so technically its people, at Sartori Foods sent me a package of cheese. A variety of ten to be exact.

They are wondering what I think

and I told them I would taste and play and let them know

so here I am

but first

a complete and total disclaimer

because it isn't like someone at Sartori Foods was cruising the internet and happened upon this blog and thought...I like her....let me send some cheese.

I have a connection

several actually

My MIL and her husband both retired from Sartori, my husband worked there when he was in high school, I have been at social events with the Sartori family. Okay FTC? You happy...full and total disclaimer.

that being said

Sartori Foods did not ask me to review, comment, discuss, endorse, in any shape or form, on my blog. I am doing it of my own accord

But they did give me free cheese.

and now we can get back to what this is all about.

I went to the farmer's market the other day and picked up a bunch of beets. I heart beets. I heart beets even though some stupid blood sugar or blood type diet tells me I shouldn't eat them.  Who am I to turn down loads of vitamin C and the earthy delights of such a beautiful orb?

Today for lunch, I shaved a beet

...hmmm that doesn't sound right.

I made beet ribbons with a vegetable peeler and made a nice little salad using Sartori Gorgonzola for a nice creamy and briny component.

The salad was perfect for a nice light meal, and I think would be delicious perched atop a pan roasted chicken paillard, or even a thinly sliced, medium-rare, cooked over an open flame---flank steak.

Oh yum!

Or

add poached pears and some watercress to the salad making it a bit more rounded

and composed.

Beet Ribbons with Gorgonzola
(printable recipe)

1 large raw beet--scrubbed clean

4-5 walnut halves--sliced into delicate bits

red wine vinegar

olive oil

black pepper

2 or 3 chives--chopped

gorgonzola cheese

Using a vegetable peeler, make fine ribbons from the beet.  Add just a bit of vinegar and let sit while you finely slice the walnuts (the reason I do this is so they match the delicate-ness of the beet ribbons.  If you prefer a nice big crunch from the walnut, leave them as is...it isn't critical to the recipe). Toss together the beets, the chives and then a bit of olive oil, just to make it glisten.  Add black pepper to taste and then pile the beet onto the serving plate or platter.  Top with walnuts and a generous slice of gorgonzola cheese. I do not add salt to this recipe as the gorgonzola is quite salty and carries enough brininess for the salad.

So What About The Cheese?

The gorgonzola is salty...but not offensively so.  As a matter of taste, I prefer my cheese to have impact on my palate.  It is also quite creamy, and I love that when I sliced a wedge for my salad it stayed intact. While it is my first instinct to not let food items stand alone...i immediately look for pairing opportunities...this gorgonzola can stand quite nicely by itself. As well, it would be scrumptious with a nice fig jam, some apple slices or a nice glass of port.

More Cheese Please

I did not grow up in a rural community.  So, to me, fresh milk was an unopened carton at the local Alta Dena market.  My mom used to go to the drive through and that was about as close to a dairy as I ever got. Then I married a guy who is from dairy land and I, along with about a hundred 3 year olds,  milked a mechanical cow, at the Sheboygan County Fair.  So, I  kinda understand the process.
But ---
When we drove into the Caseificio Boscheto Vecchio Cheese Factory, I was amazed.  If you can only imagine, a property essentially split in two.  On one side is the cheese factory and shop, and the other the cows.  The same hour the cows are milked, the process of making cheese starts. It is incredible.  The factory makes one type of cheese each day, and they make a total of 14 different kinds.

On the day we arrived, they were making calciocavallo.  Actually, it was just one person, the owner, making the cheese.  She was continually immersing her bare hands into very hot water, lifting out the cheese and shaping it into a sphere that resembled a balloon. She then hung it in a vat of cold water to set.  This process continues all day, until the desired number of items are completed.  Prior to getting machinery, she would have to "knead" the cheese to the right consistency.  Now she has assistance from technology....which speeds the process along a bit. But it is still hand measured and hand formed. A read artisinal operation.
View a short video of the process here...making calciocavallo

We decided to purchase a bit of cheese, so the woman who was making it, took off her apron and steered us towards the shop.   She then proceeded to cut pieces of cheese for us to try.
Busy lady.
The cheese here is amazing...like nothing you have ever tasted.

ever seen mozzerella in a large rectangular package?...this is what it is supposed to look like

the same product, shaped differently and aged in leaves of a walnut tree

with a nice showing of mold

fresh,fresh,fresh

calciocavallo after being brined and aged

I can't forget to tell you that they also sell fresh milk.  The kind you have never tasted unless you grew up on a farm, or you currently own dairy cows, or you are really lucky.  This milk has the cream on top.  Simply to die for. Although we had gorged ourselves on cheese samples, we bought some to bring home with us.  Hopefully the customs officers will appreciate my supporting the local economy.

It is my understanding that we are able to bring cheese back as long as it is aged and is in a vacuum sealed bag.  Hopefully this is correct.  I know that it is not possible to bring back any of the cured meats, fresh vegetables-fruits or seeds...so I would never dream of trying to get those across the border in my luggage.

After the cheese factory, our day was only still half done. Our guide on our adventures Bluone had originally planned for us to go to a local workshop where they make pottery. That was something that we were not interested in, having overdosed on italian pottery in years prior.  I have lugged my fair share of beautifully designed pottery across the globe and didn't want that experience again.  If I am going to fill my suitcases on this trip with heavy items, I want them to edible.

Marcello was extremely accommodating and suggested since we were close to Ravenna, that we stop there for lunch and to see the mosaics.

I had been to Ravenna before, but the mosaics are so beautiful, that I was up for seeing them again.  Actually making  numerous trips doesn't seem superfluous.  Ravenna was quite crowded with tourists and seeing everything on a tight schedule was challenging.

We had a light lunch in an Osteria in Ravenna. It was filled with locals...and served a lovely meal.  I enjoyed a steaming hot bowl of pasta fagioli and my mom had a beautiful piece of fish. Elizabeth had grilled vegetables that wasn't all that exciting.

pasta fagioli

The mosaics in Ravenna are amazing, but I suggest that you buy a book or do a little research before you go.  Otherwise, you are looking at something beautiful, but you don't know what it is all about.  I got a few good photos..but the church was dark and I couldn't hold steady.  So my best pictures are in the book we bought, not in my camera.

We gathered outside the church to talk a bit about what we had just seen, and have a coffee.  Having a coffee, seems to be a national pastime here. But the coffee is not a big mug or a 20 oz bohemith of caffeine. Its a shot of strong coffee and it has a purpose.  And I like the purpose. However it was about 85 outside and I  was dressed for fall.  I was warm, to say the least.  My sister wondered out loud if it would be possible to get an iced coffee.  I balked.  Ice? I rolled my eyes and inquired.  And the adorable girl behind the counter made a cha-cha-cha type of movement and said...shacheratta? And I said, si...due.  And so now I have a new drink.  You wouldn't believe it.  The coffee is well shaken in a martini shaker with ice.  Just coffee, a lungo...so not a short expresso, but about 4 or 5 oz of strong coffee.  The coffee gets poured through a shaker into the glass, then...you strain the foam on top. It looks and tastes like milk foam...but it isn't.  Genius I tell you.  Don't tell Starbucks!

Then we wandered about town for a bit and I found an absolutely charming candy truck on the edge of the main square. Imagine...a truck with all sorts of lollies and sweets...a darling candy man behind the counter, and children on bikes lined up to buy their choice. It was a real movie moment. I loved it! I bought a bombe, which was essentially a malomar and shared it with my mom.

If you can believe it, our day was not over.  In the afternoon we were welcomed by Nicola in his restaurant.  He is very quick in the kitchen and passed on some amazing tricks.  I want to tell you all about it, and I have some videos to share as well.  Look for the next blog coming soon....

teaser...a recipe for pasta with prosciutto and arugula.  Delicious!

Ciao