I am so excited about this. I know people have been doing this for years, probably, but it is the first time I have ever made my own cheese. It is sooooo easy and so good in this recipe. I will be able to post pictures next week, because I just froze it until our big Easter dinner.
Ricotta Cheese
- 1 gal. whole milk
- 3 cups Buttermilk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- pinch of salt
Put all the ingredients into a very large pot and bring to the simmer. Stir often to break up the curds as it reaches the simmer. When at the simmer, remove from the heat and pour through cheesecloth over a bowl. Make sure to secure the cheesecloth with a rubber band or tape so it doesn’t cave in. When drained, measure 3 cups out and put into a large bowl. This will make a little more than you need. **
Cheese Cake
- 3 cups of the ricotta cheese
- 6 eggs, separated
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- zest from large lemon
Mix the cheese, yolks, sugar, flour and zest together and set aside.
Now take the egg whites and whisk together 6 tbsp. of sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time to ensure incorporated. When soft peaks form, add 1/4 tsp. salt and mix well to combine. Carefully fold into the egg yolk mixture and pour into prepared pan, smoothing the top. But first try this. With a 9 ” pan with removable bottom, turn the bottom inside out to allow for much easier removable when sliced.
Butter, very generously the cake pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 1 hour until golden. It could be really wiggly when removing, and that is okay. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge. Cool completely.
**I was so scared that it wouldn’t taste right, we cut a sliver from the cake and it is better that you could ever hope for. So delicious and no cream cheese used. The extra can be used any way you wish – cakes, savory dishes, pasta as in lasagne. It is good.
Figure out what kind of topping you wish to put on top when serving and you now have a hit on your hands.
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Crab Ravioli With Lemon Butter
I love all kinds of pasta and I love Crab. Together they are a winning combination. Add a salad, roll, glass of wine and Mama Mia you have a wonderful, tasty dinner.
Filling
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1 cup lump crabmeat
- coarse salt and pepper
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 pkg. wonton wrappers (90 pieces required)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Mix together the ricotta, crabneat, pinch of salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Lightly flour a baking sheet and arrange 45 wrappers on a work surface. Keep the remaining 45 wrappers under a damp towel so they won’t dry out. Mound 1 tsp. of the crabmeat in the center. Brush the edges with eggwash and put the remaining wrappers on top. Press the edges to seal. Cut out the circles with a 2 1/4 inch cookie cutter.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a few of ravioli at a time, cooking until they rise to the top (about 3 minutes).
Sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Melt 4 tbsp. of butter in a skillet. Add the ravioli as well as 2 tbsp. of the boiling water. Add the lemon zest and peel and stir to cover.
Serve with a salad, roll and a glass of Chardonnay – well chilled, of course.
Seconds anyone?
Lemon Cream Dessert
This recipe is from the Bakers at Lake Village Bakery in Osoyoos. I absolutely love it. It is like eating pure silk.
This can be a dessert, or if having several dinner courses and you want to have a palate cleanser, use this.
It can’t be simpler. Three ingredients, but do it exactly or it won’t set.
- 3/4 cups heavy cream
- meagre 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/2 oz. sugar (weigh this out on your kitchen scale)
- zest from 1 1/2 lemons
In a pot over medium heat, pour in the cream and cook for 6-10 minutes (until the bubbles start to form around the edges and is hot). Remove from the heat and pour in the sugar, stirring with a rubber spatula until the sugar is totally melted.
Add the lemon juice (keep stirring so not to curdle) and the lemon zest. Let this sit for about 10 -15 minutes and then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
This will set completely when put into the refrigerator, so don’t be concerned.
Pour into your desired dishes and you will not believe how wonderful this is. I made French Madeleines this morning and they will be teemed together to tease our guests with this lovely confection..
Blueberry Buckle
You are relaxing and the phone rings….unexpected company coming in an hour. What to do? Try this, it is fast and delicious.
Makes 10 inch round cake
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp almond extract (or lemon)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 5 cups fresh berries or frozen, if you picked fresh in the summer
(Just don’t use wild frozen berries, too small)
Spray cake pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt well together. In another bowl cream, butter and sugar until light and fluffy (four-five minutes). Reduce speed and add the egg and flavouring.
Alternate by adding the milk and flour mixture, finishing with the flour. Remove from the mixer and gently add the blueberries.
Add the Streusel topping (below) and bake from sixty-seventy minutes until tests done. Leave in the pan to cool. Serve this at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream flavoured with either almond or lemon extract.
Streusel topping
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup pack brown sugar
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 6-7 tbsp. room temperature butter
Mix together and then with your hands mix the butter in until fine crumbs form. Sprinkle over the top of the cake before putting into the oven.
Lemon Scones
Sometimes we wrack our brains trying to find something different, either for breakfast or afternoon tea, and this might just hit the spot. They are not difficult and will raise a few eyebrows when they take that first bite.
You will need:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. each of allspice and cloves
- pinch of salt
- 8 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup yellow raisins
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
- 2/3 cup milk.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly stir the flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl. With a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until butter is blended into small granules. Add the raisins, sugar and lemon. Now add the milk and stir to form a soft ball.
On a lightly floured board turn out the dough and knead about 10-12 times. Form into a ball and lightly flatten out on a cookie sheet that has parchment paper on it. Score with a sharp knife so that 8-10 triangles are marked. Bake about 15 minutes (watching it doesn’t get too brown) and cool on a wire rack.
When ready to serve, cut in half and put a generous spoon of lemon curd inside and replace the top. Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy.
This is just one of the treats served at the B & B.
Potato and Bacon Chowder
I love chowders and this one has a lemony taste to it. Give it a try!
You will need:
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 garlic clove
- 3-4 large gold potatoes
- 2 sticks of celery, ribs peeled,
- 1 small carrot, chopped small
- pinch of salt/pepper
- zest from one lemon
- 5-6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 2 cups whole kernal corn (off cob or drained canned corn)
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- fresh dill, chopped
- Cook bacon until crisp and crumble. Set aside.
In a large pot combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes (until tender) and liquid has reduced and thickened a little. Add the lemon zest and cream, continuing to simmer for about 5 minutes. At this point do not bring to a full boil.
Serve in a pretty bowl and garnish with the bacon and a touch of fresh dill.
