I love making fresh, homemade ricotta cheese for this summer salad. It’s much easier to make than most people realize and, once you taste it, you’ll understand why I make it from scratch. If you don’t have the time, try goat cheese instead. The number of tomatoes is up to the cook, and depends on the number of guests being served!
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ⅓ cup fresh orange, lemon and/or lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sweetener (sugar, agave or honey)
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 ears fresh corn, shucked and lightly oiled
- 1 loaf crusty French bread, cut in ¼-inch slices and brushed lightly with olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mixed fresh basil and mint (or your favorite), chopped, plus more for plating
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Large heirloom and cherry tomatoes, sliced
- Local honey
Preparation
For the ricotta, mix the cream, milk and buttermilk in a saucepan, stirring a few times gently over medium-high heat until it reaches 170°F (using a candy thermometer). You should see the milk solids form, separating from the whey (liquid). Remove from heat and rest 5 minutes. Scoop into cheesecloth set in a strainer over a large bowl and let sit until slightly cool and no longer dripping. Remove ricotta to a clean bowl. Season with sea salt. (You can refrigerate the ricotta in a lidded container for 3 days.)
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat or prepare coals. Meanwhile, add mustard powder, juice, sweetener, orange zest into a bowl and whisk together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until vinaigrette has emulsified. (You can otherwise use a blender.)
Grill corn and then remove kernels. Grill bread until golden brown on each side. Pour vinaigrette over corn and add herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, plate the tomatoes, top with vinaigrette and a dollop of ricotta. Drizzle some honey around on the plate and serve with bread. Serves 6 or more.
