CHEESE MAKING - Inspired by a wonderful GARDENING & COOKING blog

A Favorite blog of mine originates in the same general area where I live, the Pacific Northwest part the of the evergreen state, Washington.

Check out NWEdible life http://www.nwedible.com/  Blogger Erica is a chef, homemaker, gardener and extremely entertaining writer.  She has inspired my gardening and cooking.  She gives advise on growing your own food and how to cook it in ways that are creative and delicious.  I starting to follow her blog when I realized that OMG… I’m growing food that I’ve never enjoyed eating and cooking before, like kale and brussel sprouts, but I can’t let this bounty go to waste so I started looking for recipe inspiration…. what I found this time wasn’t what I was looking for but WOW is it wonderful.  There will be time for brussel sprout recipes later……  hmmmm…. I wonder how Lemon Ricotta and mint would taste on brussel sprouts???

This photo and the link is from her blog, check it out.  It’s great.

This is the photo that drew me in.

http://www.nwedible.com/2012/08/figs-lemon-ricotta-mint.html

I tried the cheese making part of this recipe.  It required patience but turned out great!     I put it on crackers and topped it with raspberries that I had picked and frozen this summer.  YUM!

Thanks Erica,  for a great recipe, a way to use a few sprigs of the mint that grows so well in the herb garden and for a reason to learn something new.  Cheesemaking, another skill in the journey toward increased self-reliance.  The photo is so appetizing, more like art than food!  I will make this cheese again and serve it with the figs.   I will make it for guests, I will take it to parties.   We will enjoy it at home ‘just because’.

Where Erica gardens is a zone warmer and several weeks ahead of where we are.  I’m incredibly jealous of the figs she can grow.  We tried a fig tree but our single digit temperatures in the winter caused the tree to die back more than was reasonable.  It’s gone now and in its place is the columnar apple.   The apple is doing great and doesn’t mind the cold winters.

PS:  check out Erica’s jam and jelly recipes.  There are some really amazing combinations.  Far from the ordinary!  http://www.nwedible.com/2012/08/create-your-own-signature-jam-by-mixing-and-matching-flavors.html

 

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