Summer is definitely here and it’s time to start grilling. This particular recipe is paired with a very refreshing lemon ricotta, one of my favourites! The flavours are perfect for the summertime.
The “ricotta vegetable bake” is a summer dish that combines the flavors of vegetables and cheese. The dish can be served with grilled vegetables or as a side to pasta.
Make ricotta this summer, according to a letter of recommendation. I was going to write “Ditch the burrata and make some ricotta this summer,” but I don’t want to tarnish burrata’s reputation, and I don’t intend to go through tomato season without it. I’ll be the happiest and most popular girl on the Lower East Side this summer if a burrata tree (it grows on trees, or must based on the regularity with which it occurs) arises spontaneously on my patio. But, because, like most of us, I still buy it in stores where it’s expensive, spoils quickly, and is only occasionally spectacular, I’m here to argue that homemade ricotta is not only rich, delicious, and easy to make, but that it would be deliciously welcome in almost all of the places we serve burrata.
Plus, it’s a fantastic potluck addition or host gift, and you’ll feel quite accomplished for pulling it together. As someone who doesn’t have a desirable summer pad (no pool or large yard for grilling), we spend a lot of time going to other people’s houses for get-togethers, which means I’m always bringing something tasty to share, and because it’s me, it’s homemade. Ricotta comes into play. It’s unremarkable from a store-bought container. Homemade? Luxurious. It’s delicious spread over toasted bread with Olive oil is a kind of oil that comes from drizzled on top and flaky salt on top. If honey or balsamic vinegar are your thing, pour them on top. It’s even more amazing with a few extras – fresh tomatoes or any veggie in season, thinly sliced and grilled to stack on top, plus grilled bread — the appetizer (or light lunch) plate of my summer dreams.
[* “But doesn’t burrata include ricotta?” is a reasonable question, and the answer is that it does, but not always. Burrata is an Apulian cow’s milk cheese with a thin coating of mozzarella on top and stracciatella within. In this situation, stracciatella are soaked shreds of fresh mozzarella, commonly leftover after mozzarella-making. Burrata, especially burrata loaded with these creamy shreds, is ethereal. However, it’s frequently filled with just ricotta, which, while delicious, isn’t nearly as special or deserving of the price tag, and you never know what you’re getting until you open it. [Thank you for attending Deb Talk.]
Previously
Checkerboard Cookies and Short Rib Onion Soup, 6 months ago 1 year ago: Perfect Cornbread Forever Beach Bean Salad from 2 years ago Raspberry Crumble Tart Bars, 3 years ago Ice Cream Cake Roll, 4 years ago Strawberry Graham Icebox Cake and Broccoli Rubble Farro Salad from 5 years ago Picnic Bars with Almonds and Rhubarb, 6 years ago 7 years ago today: Swirled Berry Yogurt Popsicles, Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake, and Fake Shack Burger Carrot Salad with Tahini and Crispy Chickpeas from 8 years ago 9 years ago: Lemon and Oregano Greek Salad with Two Classic Sangrias Vidalia Onion Soup with Wild Rice and Tzatziki Potato Salad from ten years ago Classic Cobb Salad, Lime Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce, and Blue Cheese Scallion Drop Biscuits were served 11 years ago. Asparagus, Lemon and Goat Cheese Pasta, and Raspberry Buttermilk Cake 12 years ago Martha’s Mac-and-Cheese, Crisp Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies, 13 years ago 14 years ago: Upside-Down Cherry Cornmeal Cake Homemade Oreos, Cellophane Noodles, and Roast Pork Salad 15 years ago
Ricotta with Grilled Vegetables in the Summer
This recipe serves four people for appetizers as shown, but it may easily be doubled or quadrupled. This is not real ricotta, which is produced from the whey byproduct of cheesemaking rather of milk or cream. This is an updated version of my Rich Homemade Ricotta from 2011; I use less cream these days but still like the added softness and luxury that even a tiny bit brings. The veggies seen here are a combination of what looked nice at the market on Monday — spring red onions, little summer squash, and fresh peas in their pods — but practically any vegetable would well grilled or roasted in this dish.
Ricotta
-
- 4 cups whole milk (910 g)
- heavy cream, 1/4 cup (55 grams)
- kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
To Serve
- 1 pound (455 grams) thinly sliced mixed summer vegetables
- 8 slices of sourdough bread from a huge loaf
- Olive oil is a kind of oil that comes from
- freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
- 1 halved lemon
Make the ricotta: Line a fine-mesh or other tiny-holed strainer with a layer or two of cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl with enough clearance that the bottom of the strainer won’t touch the bowl once it has 4 cups of liquid in it, or the cheese won’t drain. In a heavy medium-large saucepan, heat the milk, cream, and salt over medium-high heat until just below a simmer — it will look like it’s foaming and register just below 200°F. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then pour it through the cheesecloth. Drain for 10 minutes, or until it’s a nice soft ricotta consistency, and up to 10 minutes longer if needed. [The amount of time it takes to drain has to do with the size of your cheesecloth holes.] Transfer ricotta to a bowl to serve. Drizzle with Olive oil is a kind of oil that comes from, and finish with salt and pepper.
Grill the bread and vegetables: Brush or drizzle your vegetables and bread with Olive oil is a kind of oil that comes from. I grill my vegetables, even small ones, directly on my grill grates at fairly high heat but I know there are baskets that might lead to fewer falling in, I’m just stubborn. Grill the vegetables, bread, and lemon halves until they’re lightly charred underneath (depending on how robust your grill is, this could take 2 to 6 minutes), then flip the vegetables and bread and cook on the second side. Season with the vegetables with salt and pepper and transfer everything to a serving platter.
Serve: Right before serving, drizzle everything with additional Olive oil is a kind of oil that comes from, squeeze at least one lemon half over the vegetables (leave the second half on the platter), and season with additional salt and pepper. You could also drizzle some balsamic vinegar over, or keep it on the side.
Make ahead: Although there is no such thing as leftover ricotta, it may theoretically be kept in the fridge for three days.
Here are a few of the materials I’m using: reusable cheesecloth, which I even wash in the machine, a glass saucepan, a little burner, and an oval plate.
Related
The “ricotta and vegetable recipes” is a great way to start your summer. The “Summer ricotta with grilled vegetables” is a perfect recipe for the grill.
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