Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Cheese (need I say more?)

I received a very special gift last Friday. Tammy, a frequent reader and commenter, made some homemade mozzarella and ricotta cheese for me! How awesome is that!?

So in thanks to her, I'd like to showcase her dairy goodies. I have made a couple wonderful meals so far, including:
  • salad - tomato, basil, avocado, mozzarella chunks, and a light oil and vinegar dressing
  • stir fry - ribbons of italian squash, ribbons of red potato, onion, mushrooms, celery, and ricotta cheese
At Saturday's farmers market, Lois encouraged Tammy to sell her cheese as a vendor. But alas, with a full time job and a family, it's not in the cards at this time. All I know, Tammy, is your family is very lucky to enjoy your wonderful cheese on a regular basis. Thank you SO much for sharing!

--Heather

6 comments:

Green Bean said...

Making cheese is something I still haven't tried yet but I'm thinking I need to. Unless someone by Tammy is lurking out there who'd like to do it for me? ;-) Sounds delicious.

Unknown said...

I would love to have your friends recipe! Cheese making is something I've been interested in for a while, but I've never tried it.

ttammylynn said...

There are so many good sources for info...New England cheesemaking, Fankhauser's cheese page and sites like Leeners come to mind...the hard part is finding raw milk, www.realmilk.com is a good place to start for that. I just make the easy stuff-I've made mozzarella, riccotta, and I have made mascarpone to make tiramisu but I think it would be better if I had some baking skills too and actually made the lady fingers. Last time I made tiramisu, I put too much dark chocolate. Anyway, I also love making ice cream with fresh milk and honestly, I have made cheese and ice cream with cow's milk many times but I think it is more fun and a better product with goat's milk. It is so pretty, pure white. Cow's milk has a very slight yellow tint, if I ever retire, I want a couple of dairy goats.
I have everything I need to make other cheeses, almost any other kind of cheese, to be honest. I have a press, wax, wine refrigerator for aging, everything...except time...which I am currently trying to work on my garden in all my spare time, instead of my cheesemaking... but, one of these days.

hmd said...

green bean - I made yogurt cheese once, but that was the most I've ever done. Sounds like there are some good kits out there.

bobbi - Tammy commented just below yours with sources for cheesemaking. Hope that helps!

ttammylynn - I love making homemade ice cream too. I'm a big vanilla fan so the simple stuff is right up my alley. So what all do you have in your garden?

ttammylynn said...

So far, in the garden and whiskey barrels, I have planted a few tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, carrots, onions, and herbs. I hope to plant peas and snow peas(hopefully everything takes off). I may try to do more lettuce and spinach, some cabbage and cauliflower. I fully intend on getting strawberries in the ground either fall or spring. I will likely get onion sets when they come out in the nurseries, maybe potatoes, haven't decided. Did I tell you I have a couple of gardens? I want to get some pansies for the flower garden, too. They add color for wintertime(they are technically edible,too).
If I baby my trees this winter, I am hoping I might have some mulberries(which I get every year), pears, apples, pomagranites, peaches, seedless grapes and figs. I have about a tree of each. Last time with neglect, I got mulberries and a few grapes, one peach formed, a couple of pears and one tiny apple. I will also get some seedless kumquats from a tree I bought this year.
I have four acres of land to play with and I am trying to get it all back into shape for a little production...trouble is, there are some things I could use as much as I could ever grow, like broccoli, lol. Going to Farmer's Market keeps reminding me that I used to have a decent garden.

hmd said...

ttammylynn - what a wonderful spread you have, of your very own! You'll have your own CSA before long if you don't watch out :)