Texas Veggie Recipe Series

Homemade Ricotta with Roasted Zucchini & Tomatoes

By Jill Holden, Sundance Garden
Summer 2023

Ingredients

Roasted Veggies

• 2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes (We like Mike Powell‘s mixed pints.)
• 2 Medium Zucchinis
• 1/2 Medium Onion, Peeled and Chopped into 1″ Pieces (We like Weathertop Farms onions.)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced (We like Cardo’s Rare Fruits and Vegetables elephant garlic.)
• 7 tbsp. Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
• 3 tbsp. Zaatar Seasoning
• 3-4 Spriggs of Thyme

Ricotta

• 6 Cups Milk (We like Jersey Girls’ raw or low-temp pasteurized.)
• 2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 3 tbsp. White Vinegar

To Serve

• 1 Cup Olives (We like Brother’s Products plain and spicy olives.)
• Handful Mixed Micro Greens (We like Cardo’s Rare Fruits and Vegetables micro green mix.)

• 1/2 Lemon

• Baguette. Sliced & Toasted (We like Scott’s Bake Shop.)

Tomatoes

1.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes, onion, and garlic with thyme and 3 tbsp. olive oil. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper to taste.

2.

Roast mixture for 15-25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are blistered. Stir tomatoes halfway through roasting for even cooking.

3.

Transfer finished tomato mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Zucchini

1.

Move oven rack to the top-most position, just beneath the broiler. Preheat oven broiler on highest heat setting. Cut away the zucchini stems and slice the vegetable into halves, lengthwise.

2.

Arrange the zucchini on a sheet pan, sliced side facing upwards. To draw excess moisture out, salt each zucchini, let them sit for 10 minutes, then blot the cut edge with a paper towel. Brush 1tsp olive oil on the zucchini surfaces.

3.

Broil until softened and charred, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut zucchinis into 1/2 inch slices. In a bowl, toss zucchini with 2 tsp. olive oil, zaatar seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.

1.

In a large pot, combine milk, cream, and salt. Over medium heat, slowly bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often. The simmering mixture should be foamy and steaming. When the mixture begins to boil, immediately remove the pot from heat.

2.

Upon removing from heat, pour in the vinegar and stir. Set mixture aside to cool for a few minutes and line a large colander with 3-4 layers of damp cheese cloth. The milk mixture should be separated into curds and whey.

3.

Place the cloth-lined colander in the sink and slowly pour the curds and whey into the colander. Allow the whey to drain for 15-20 minutes.

4.

Gather the edges of the cheesecloth, being careful that none of the ricotta falls out. Gently squeeze the bundle to drain remaining whey. Transfer about 3/4ths of the ricotta to a serving bowl and set aside the remainder for later consumption.