Homemade cheese might sound like a ridiculously scary undertaking, but it’s actually so easy that not only did I make it, but I made it while making a video about making it.  I’ve been using this super-simple recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s ‘World Vegetarian’ for a few years now, and it never fails. The resulting cheese is the perfect companion to late summer tomatoes, which we got in this week’s Golden Earthworm CSA share.  Without further ado, we bring you an easy (and, may I add, most impressive) homemade cheese recipe:

Homemade Cheese:

• 2 quarts of milk (I use whole, organic, pasture-raised)
• 4 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1. Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring so a film doesn’t form on the top, until the milk starts steaming and little bubbles appear on the sides on the pan. While the milk is heating, line a colander or strainer with a clean kitchen towel or 4 layers of cheese cloth and fit it over a large bowl. (You’ll want some space under the strainer so it can drain.)
2. Once the bubbles have appeared, turn the heat down to low and add the vinegar while continuing to stir.  You should immediately see the greenish liquid (whey) separate from the cheese (curds). Keep stirring for about 15-20 seconds to promote this process.
3. Pour the pot of separated milk into the colander; as the whey filters through the towel, and you continue to stir, the cheese will solidify and become cheesier.  You can let the cheese drain completely, or if you prefer, like I do, eat it warm and still a little moist. Note: the cheese is a little bland, so be sure to season or dress it any way you like! Tonight I served it with shallots, basil, and parsley, dressed with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper.

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I’ve written before about puttanesca sauce being the best pantry sauce (check HERE for the past post with recipe).  Tonight, since I had beautiful Tuscan kale lying around (how often can you say THAT?!), I decided to throw it in.

My go-to sauce is puttanesca, but no matter what sauce you like with your pasta, it’s imperative to have well-cooked pasta.  People think, “how hard can making pasta be?” but there are actually some pointers that make it a lot easier, quicker, and more delicious.

1. Use a very large pot and fill it with as much water as you can. I use THIS.  A lot of water helps prevent clumping and gumming of pasta for a number of reasons.  One, you want to minimize the time that the water stops boiling when the pasta is added. And two, lots of water means lots of space for the pasta to move around while it cooks.
2. Fill the pot with COLD water. There can be mineral build-up in hot water pipes, and it is safer to use cold water.  Plus, starting with warm water will not save you time.
3. Add plenty of salt to the water. This will raise the boiling temperature of the water, and make the pasta cook faster and more evenly. Don’t be stingy with the salt, the water should “taste of the sea”.
4. Adding olive oil to the water doesn’t make the pasta stick less. Using more water and adding salt to the water makes pasta stick less.
5. Use a timer. Set a timer for the lower number of the cooking range printed on the pasta box. When the timer goes off, drain (but don’t rinse) the pasta. Toss immediately with sauce.

How do you go about making perfectly cooked pasta?

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• Place washed lettuce in a storage (gallon) size zip lock bag
• With the bag 3/4 closed, press all the air out
• Then, with a straw inserted into the bag, suck all the extra air out, squeezing the bag the whole time. It will become very flat, and vacuum-packed-like.

Pushing the air out

Sucking out the extra air

Look how flat it gets!

Vacuum packed lettuce will last MUCH longer than lettuce thrown into the crisper drawer

This technique can be used with any washed and dried green including: kale, collard greens, herbs, etc.

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