Makes one ricotta cheese ball. Living in a time of great self-sufficiency, my great-grandma McCarter not only grew her own vegetables and fruits, but also raised chickens for eggs and a cow for milk. My mom recalls that when she was little, her grandma always had fresh-churned butter and buttermilk in her icebox. A plate of hot crusty cornbread, dish of homemade butter, and glass of cold milk were sometimes the only dishes on her supper table. However, the freshness and flavor of these dairy products transformed the simplest of meals into a gourmet’s delight. Yearning for that taste of homemade, I visited a local dairy to buy fresh milk and researched and experimented to make my own ricotta cheese. Although it doesn’t take long to make, I learned the hard way to give my full attention to the process, giving it a loving hand and a light touch of heat. The result is an incredibly soft, pillowy cheese, great as a spread on crostini or as an important ingredient in my Seasonal Arugula Salad (page 94). I think my great-grandma would be proud.
4 cups good-quality whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Combine the milk and buttermilk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the curds separate from the whey, 10 to 15 minutes, gently stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat.
Line a large sieve with cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl. Pour the milk mixture through, trapping the curds in the cheesecloth. Gently fold the salt into the curds. Let the cheese drain for 15 minutes. Bring the cheesecloth around the curds to form a ball and extract some of the liquid by gently squeezing. Discard the liquid.
Serve the ricotta cheese at room temperature or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes one ricotta cheese ball.