Manning's Milk, good to drink or to make HOMEMADE RICOTTA

Inspired by our latest trip to SummerHouse Grill, I was in a serious craving for some good milk/cheese...dairy. I LOVE the feeling of cold air slapping me in the face as soon as I walk into Manning's Ice Cream on a hot hot summer day. And that distinct smell of freshly churned ice cream = summer. On my latest trip to Manning's (conveniently located a few blocks from my house...danger zone) I felt creative and yes, a bit ambitious; therefore instead of ordering my usual "single dip of vanilla with rainbow sprinkles" (boooring I know..but it's my fav. don't hate) I bought a half gallon of fresh northeaster PA milk. What did I do with this milk?? I made homemade ricotta for the first time! Ricotta literally means "recooked" in Italian, and is made by heating milk with an acid (in this case..buttermilk). What's there to lose...$1.75 I paid for the half gallon?...please - challenge: accepted (and it was totally worth it)!!

Ingredients:

Half gallon 2% milk

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Heat

Cheese cloth

Now...I'll admit, I consulted good old youtube to view the art of cheese making where I found "Betty Rocker" who taught me just how easy it is to make homemade ricotta. Before I came home from work I ran into the grocery store to pick up some buttermilk and cheesecloth, but completely forgot to buy a thermometer. No worries, this is evidence you could still make fabulous ricotta without the use of a thermometer.

All you do is: pour the milk and buttermilk together in a large pot (a pot you would boil spaghetti in) and heat it over medium heat until curds form (stir the milk every now and again). After about 12-15 minutes you'll see curds forming on the top, and the whey separate from the milk solids. At this point pull the pot off the stove, and skim the curds from the whey. Place the skimmed curds (sounds appetizing, right?...no but it is!) in a colander lined with a layered piece of cheese cloth. Let curds drain for at least 20 minutes and squeeze the excess water out. You could eat immediately (which I recommend) or chill for at least 2 hours. If you have a thermometer, Betty Rocker recommends that you cook the milk until 170 degrees F (stirring occasionally) then stop stirring until milk comes to 190 degrees, pull the pot off the stove and skim away. (This makes about 2 cups of ricotta)

Tonight, my roommate (Jenna) and I enjoyed the fresh ricotta with homemade pesto, and warmed pita. As a child, my mother use to make "ricotta toast" for me, which is just that...toast with ricotta sprinkled with sugar. Looks like my breakfast is planned for tomorrow. Regardless of the way you enjoy your ricotta (lasagna, eggplant rollatini, ravioli, baked ziti, cannoli, etc) the homemade stuff is completely worth it. Fresh, light, CLEAN.

Manning's never fails...whether it is for providing the freshest milk or the BEST ice cream. You know my favorite flavor...but they have over 50 concoctions including seasonal specialties (like pumpkin spice in the fall). Their 75 milking cows (located in Dalton, PA) are milked twice a day because..."they're happy cows." No hormones added and low temperature vat pasteurization make this milk taste so fresh and clean. Good thing 2 out of their 5 Manning's Ice Cream shops are located only minutes from my lovely Scranton home. Check out our link section for their website!

Now the only down side...I think Jenna has a sliiiight lactose allergy. Oops.