Homemade Cheese

Ricotta, sort of. There are tons of blog posts on the subject (here are two I particularly like) and even a New York Times article. With all the recipes floating around I just kept it simple. Half a gallon of whole milk (it was ultra pasteurized--gasp!), juice from 1 1/2 lemons, and some salt all went into a stainless steel sauce pan. I heated and stirred until the milk barely reached boiling. As for when it's time to pull it off the heat, you'll know when it's there, it's remarkably obvious. Then a quick strain though several layers of cheese cloth. When it was done draining I stirred in some more salt, thyme, and lemon zest for good measure.

This would have been a great use for the raw milk I picked up yesterday, but the cheese was destined for a noodle-free lasagna for work--I guess that's just a vegetable casserole. I'm pretty sure the co-workers don't do the raw, even though it was cooked in the cheese making process. Maybe two people would have tried it, and one won't be there. Sad, really.

As for the lasagna . . . it's enough to say I learned my lesson on the Japanese mandoline. Those things cut through squash, eggplant, and thumbs like a warm knife though butter. I'd like to say it won't happen again, but, unfortunately, I know it will.