Photo by Jenny McQueen
As summer winds down and we head into the fall, I am feeling the pull to make homemade cheese. My herb garden is in its last chapter for the year and I am readying my kitchen for harvesting and drying fragrant bouquets, which always makes me feel like I am living in a fairy tale. As we begin the transition from summer to fall, fresh herbed farmer’s cheese spread on baguette and accompanied by crisp white wine is September perfection.
Thanks to a culinary introduction from Little Miss Muffet herself, we can easily classify the two protein components we are working with when making fresh cheese: curds and whey. The more whey you strain or press out of the curds, the firmer your cheese will be.
Ricotta, farmer’s cheese and Indian paneer all have the same basic building blocks: They are fresh cheeses made by warming milk and separating curds via acid or bacteria. Fresh cheeses offer a variety of textures: ricotta is the softest, often silky enough to be ladled or used in place of sauce, whereas paneer is at the other end of the spectrum, with the curds being pressed overnight to shape a sliceable block. Farmer’s cheese sits in the middle with a spreadable texture akin to firm chèvre or cream cheese.
This farmer’s cheese recipe combines natural bacteria found in buttermilk with citric acid to form a firm and flavorful fresh fromage. The addition of dill, parsley, chives, lemon and garlic makes this spread a true delight. You could also substitute rosemary and sage for the herbs for a more robust flavor profile. Take a gander at the fresh herbs in your garden or at the market, and get creative.
In addition to citric acid (a powder readily available online or anywhere cheesemaking supplies are sold), you will need a kitchen thermometer, cheesecloth and twine for this recipe.
Photo by Jenny McQueen
Herbed Farmer’s Cheese
Yield: 6 servings
¾ teaspoon citric acid
¼ cup warm water
4 cups whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 Tablespoon each of fresh dill, parsley and chives
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 large garlic clove, extremely finely minced or pressed
½ teaspoon salt
Dissolve the citric acid in the water and set aside.
Add the milk to a large pot and heat to 130 degrees. Remove from heat and add in the buttermilk.
Add the citric acid mixture and stir gently and quickly with a wire whisk. You will notice the curds start to form immediately.
Add your herbs, zest and garlic.
Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, up to 2 hours, allowing the curds to fully separate.
Scoop the curds into a strainer lined with cheesecloth, placed over a bowl to catch the whey.
After about 15 minutes, most of the whey will have been strained out. Gently twist the cheesecloth and use baker’s twine to tie the cloth to a wooden spoon. Set the spoon over the bowl and allow to drain for an additional 15 minutes before placing the entire contraption in the fridge to chill.
Keeping the cheese in the cloth as it chills will result in a beautifully round ball of farmer’s cheese.
Serve, spread and enjoy!
September 16, 2020 at 08:37PM
https://ift.tt/2E6RVrx
Give your herb garden a last hurrah with fresh, fragrant farmer's cheese - Chesterfield Observer
https://ift.tt/3eCf9lu
Herb
No comments:
Post a Comment