recipes

This is that weird time when the climate’s not quite caught up with the changing light. Still, longer days bring that hope of spring and new beginnings. Food-wise, comforting soups and stews give way to salads and lighter dishes made with seasonal ingredients.

Now, I don’t eat a huge amount of dairy, mainly because of an intolerance to cow’s milk, but I am quite partial to a little bit of cheese, particularly goat or ewe. For me, there’s nothing that adds more zing to a bright salad of ripe-to-bursting chilled tomatoes with a tiny bit of za’atar or a bowl of spiced cannellini beans with wilted lemony spinach than some flavoursome, freshly made soft goat’s cheese. Ok, I can almost hear you yelling, ‘Why bother? I can buy it at the shop?’ Well, once you taste it, I promise, you’ll understand.

ZINGY SOFT GOAT’S CHEESE

Ingredients
Goats milk, 1 litre
Vegetarian rennet, 2 tbsp
Lemon juice, 2 tbsp
Salt, to taste
Optional: herbs, spices

Method
1. In a pan, heat the goat’s milk over a medium heat until it reaches 25 degrees Celsius.
2. Take off the heat, stir in the vegetarian rennet and lemon juice and leave in a covered bowl to cool for an hour at room temperature. The whey and curds will separate.
3. Place a fine cloth (a clean J-cloth will do!) in a colander over a bowl and strain until only the curds remain. Put the protein-rich whey to one side as it can be used later for stocks, baking, shakes/smoothies, among other things.
4. Tie the cloth ends together and hang the curd from a tap or doorknob (yes, really) over a bowl. Leave for at least an hour. Longer if you prefer a thicker consistency and skin.
5. Carefully remove from cloth. You should now have a soft ricotta-like cheese. Season to taste.

Yum.

Music to break bread to: The Bees, ‘A Minha Menina‘; Bill Withers, ‘Ain’t No Sunshine‘; Jackie Mittoo, ‘Macka Fat‘

Credit: Goaty boy © The Literary Shed 2018.

Also of interest: ‘Fava me with love – breaking bread with friends’; ‘Soup love – all about my mother’; ‘Cooking lesson – Master of Hammer Vincent Price makes a daring curry‘

A version of this recipe appears in HIP, 23 March 2017 issue.

This article/recipe is © 2018 by The Literary Shed. All rights reserved. All opinions are our own. We welcome your feedback and comments. If you wish to reproduce this piece, please do request permission. Thank you so much.