Lindsay Gay's farm in Moruga provides a fresh supply of goat's milk every week. These come to me in two-litre bottles, and last for a long time in my refrigerator.
In an experimental mood the other week, I consulted recipes which I found on epicurious.com to make fresh ricotta from whole milk. I then used the ricotta to make a cheese cake with some passionfruit juice.
Here's what I did, and how it turned out.
TO MAKE THE RICOTTA
Goat's milk, two litres
Salt, one teaspoon
Lime juice from one or two limes, approximately three tablespoons
Bring milk to the boil in a large pot. Add salt. When the milk is bubbling, add lime juice. Stir and allow to simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat. When the milk has curdled, pour over a clean cotton cloth set over a strainer. Allow the whey to collect in a bowl; set it aside to be used for bread-making.
When the liquid has drained away from the curds, refrigerate the curds for up to a day or two. This recipe gives you approximately two cups of curds and six cups of whey.
PASSIONFRUIT CHEESECAKE
Ricotta, almost two cups
Cream cheese, two 8-ounce blocks*
Sugar, one cup
Passionfruit juice, half cup
Eggs, two or three
Wheat germ, half cup
Butter for pans
Preheat oven to 425C.
Butter the bottoms of two 8-inch springform cake pans; and sprinkle with wheat germ making sure that some wheat germ is in the crease. (Wheat germ is used over buttered pans, instead of cookie crumbs.)
Beat cream cheese, ricotta, sugar and passionfruit juice until smooth. Add eggs one at a time until well-incorporated.
Pour batter into the two pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are puffed and no longer wobbly.
Cool in the pans. Chill in the refrigerator overnight until cold.
* I've made this cheesecake with one 8-ounce block of cream cheese and a bit more than two cups ricotta; and baked them in single serving pots. It's not so firm, but still delicious - the passionfruit flavour is intense.
In an experimental mood the other week, I consulted recipes which I found on epicurious.com to make fresh ricotta from whole milk. I then used the ricotta to make a cheese cake with some passionfruit juice.
Here's what I did, and how it turned out.
 |
| Passionfruit cheescake, made with goat's milk ricotta |
TO MAKE THE RICOTTA
Goat's milk, two litres
Salt, one teaspoon
Lime juice from one or two limes, approximately three tablespoons
Bring milk to the boil in a large pot. Add salt. When the milk is bubbling, add lime juice. Stir and allow to simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat. When the milk has curdled, pour over a clean cotton cloth set over a strainer. Allow the whey to collect in a bowl; set it aside to be used for bread-making.
When the liquid has drained away from the curds, refrigerate the curds for up to a day or two. This recipe gives you approximately two cups of curds and six cups of whey.
 |
| The curds from fresh goat's milk may be lighter and more tender than cow's milk |
 |
| Refrigerate the curds, use within the next day if possible |
PASSIONFRUIT CHEESECAKE
Ricotta, almost two cups
Cream cheese, two 8-ounce blocks*
Sugar, one cup
Passionfruit juice, half cup
Eggs, two or three
Wheat germ, half cup
Butter for pans
Preheat oven to 425C.
Butter the bottoms of two 8-inch springform cake pans; and sprinkle with wheat germ making sure that some wheat germ is in the crease. (Wheat germ is used over buttered pans, instead of cookie crumbs.)
Beat cream cheese, ricotta, sugar and passionfruit juice until smooth. Add eggs one at a time until well-incorporated.
Pour batter into the two pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are puffed and no longer wobbly.
Cool in the pans. Chill in the refrigerator overnight until cold.
* I've made this cheesecake with one 8-ounce block of cream cheese and a bit more than two cups ricotta; and baked them in single serving pots. It's not so firm, but still delicious - the passionfruit flavour is intense.
 |
| Cooled, this cheesecake will shrink to a compact cake. |
Fresh ricotta may be enjoyed in many ways. You may use it to complement a fresh green salad; as a dessert cheese with fresh berries; or the cheese in lasagna or manicotti. These dishes will be lifted from the ordinary to extraordinary when you use homemade ricotta. Fresh cow's milk may have a little more heft. Goat's milk ricotta is lighter. Be careful not to burn the milk when you are boiling it.
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