Ricotta With Thyme, Olive Oil & Grilled Bread

A quick glance through the article led me to discover that this appetizer, described as “stupid simple” by the chef of A Voce at the time (2008) was the most popular appetizer on the menu.

With the task at hand long forgotten — I’ve always been a hopeless packer — I made my way to the kitchen, hoping to find cheesecloth and heavy cream, making ricotta the order of the hour. And thirty minutes later, the stupid simple appetizer had materialized: creamy curds seasoned with sea salt, fresh thyme, dried oregano, and a drizzling of olive oil.

Now, I know the last thing many of you need is yet another reminder of the delicacy that is fresh ricotta, but, as recipes don’t just fall into my lap every day, I’m going to take the risk of boring some of you hoping that many of you might appreciate a little refresher. I certainly did.

You see, I had forgotten how well fresh ricotta pairs with grilled bread — there’s something about the combination of cool and creamy with smoky and charred. And I had forgotten how much flavor a halved clove of garlic imparts when gently rubbed across the surface of slices of toasty bread. And I had never thought to season ricotta with fresh thyme, always favoring basil or chives or other more obvious summer herbs. And I never thought that fresh ricotta could benefit from the addition of more fat: a drizzling of olive oil.

But, all of these little embellishments go a long way, and if you’ve never tried any of them or haven’t yet tried making homemade ricotta, ’tis the season. Fire up your grill; pull out the cheesecloth; pick some herbs — stupid simple will never taste so good.

Description

Adapted from A Voce via The New York Times

Notes: Use this recipe as a guide. I had made fresh ricotta and so did not use any milk, so based on the texture of the ricotta you make or buy, use your judgement re using milk — you might not need any either. Also, I loved the flavor of the fresh thyme, but use whatever herbs you like best or have on hand.

• About 8 slices (about 3/4-inch thick) crusty bread
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Kosher or table salt, to taste
• 2 cups fresh ricotta , recipe below
• 1 cup whole milk (optional, see note above; I don’t use milk because homemade ricotta is so creamy on its own)
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or other herbs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or less — a sprinkling goes a long way)
• 2 large garlic cloves, halved

1. Heat a grill or broiler to very hot. If bread slices are very large, cut in half or thirds. Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with table or kosher salt.
2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a bowl, whisk ricotta and milk (if using) together until light and fluffy. Season with salt to taste and mix well. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Drizzle more olive oil on top, about a tablespoon or so.
3. Grill or broil the bread until toasted all over and lightly charred in places. Lightly rub each slice on one side with the cut side of a garlic clove. Serve hot, with ricotta mixture on the side.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Italian

Description

Adapted from A Voce via The New York Times

Notes: Use this recipe as a guide. I had made fresh ricotta and so did not use any milk, so based on the texture of the ricotta you make or buy, use your judgement re using milk — you might not need any either. Also, I loved the flavor of the fresh thyme, but use whatever herbs you like best or have on hand.

• About 8 slices (about 3/4-inch thick) crusty bread
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Kosher or table salt, to taste
• 2 cups fresh ricotta , recipe below
• 1 cup whole milk (optional, see note above; I don’t use milk because homemade ricotta is so creamy on its own)
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or other herbs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or less — a sprinkling goes a long way)
• 2 large garlic cloves, halved

1. Heat a grill or broiler to very hot. If bread slices are very large, cut in half or thirds. Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with table or kosher salt.
2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a bowl, whisk ricotta and milk (if using) together until light and fluffy. Season with salt to taste and mix well. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Drizzle more olive oil on top, about a tablespoon or so.
3. Grill or broil the bread until toasted all over and lightly charred in places. Lightly rub each slice on one side with the cut side of a garlic clove. Serve hot, with ricotta mixture on the side.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Italian

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2013/06/20/ricotta-with-thyme-olive-oil-grilled-bread/

I find myself living in a Potemkin village, my cookbooks — clutter! — hidden away, my stand mixer — clutter! — stashed in the hutch, my pots, pans, utensils, teapot — clutter! — boxed up in the garage. Staged by the realtors, our house has never looked cleaner, prettier, or more color coordinated. It also has never been more unlivable.

Even so, today I discovered that with little more than a knife, a cutting board, and a large bowl, a beautiful whole grain salad can materialize in no time. Determined not to eat takeout for the fourth night in a row, I made a big bowl of tabbouleh, a dish my mother made for us all summer long for as long as I can remember, a dish that feels at once light, satisfying and nourishing. With some warm pita and a block of feta, dinner was served.

Unlike many grains, bulgur requires nothing more than cold water — yes, cold! — to fluff up and become edible. You can’t mess it up. There are no grain-to-water ratios to remember; there are no cooking times to adhere to. After an hour of soaking, the cold water is drained and the bulgur is ready to be dressed in olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper.

I should note that this tabbouleh is not a traditional Lebanese tabbouleh in which parsley is the star and bulgur an accent. In this salad, the bulgur plays as much of a role as the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, scallions and herbs (parsley, chives and mint). Here, too, I’ve used extra-coarse bulgur (found at Greek, Middle Eastern and whole food markets), which is chewier than fine bulgur, tasting more like barley or farro than couscous or quinoa. Of course, any kind of bulgur can be used.

In this season of bbqs and potlucks when side dishes are always welcomed whether advertised or not, nothing could make a host happier. This tabbouleh is light and lemony, complementing anything from hot dogs to grilled vegetable kabobs, a dish enjoyed by meat eaters and vegans alike. What’s more, this bright and colorful salad is as delicious as it appears… if only our house could be the same. Fingers crossed for a quick sell. I miss my kitchen.

After a one-hour soak in cold water, the bulgur is ready to be drained:

If you like whole grain salads, you might like this quinoa salad and either of these farro salads.

Description

As always, use the amounts of veggies/herbs as a guide. I like a whole grain salad filled with vegetables and herbs, but add as many or as few as you would like. Also, while I don’t think it is necessary, a little feta cheese offers another dimension to this salad while not disturbing the salad’s wonderful crunchy texture.

• 1 cup bulgur, extra-coarse* if possible
• 1 red onion (to yield about a cup when finely diced)
• 5 to 6 scallions
• 1 small bunch of chives
• 1 English cucumber
• 1 to 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch parsley (to yield a heaping cup once chopped)
• mint (to yield about a quarter cup once minced)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 to 3 lemons, juiced to yield about 1/4 cup
• kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper*You can use whatever bulgur you like. My mother finds extra-coarse bulgur at her Greek market, which I love, but this might be hard to find in a regular grocery store.

1. Place bulgur in a large bowl. Cover with cold water. Let stand for one hour. Drain in a sieve (if you have one with a fine enough mesh) or use a pot cover to hold back the bulgur while you drain the water into the sink. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, finely dice the onion. Mince the white and light green portion of the scallions. Mince the chives. Small dice the cucumber. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes, depending on their size. Mince (roughly mince) the parsley. Mince the mint.
3. Spread the bulgur out in your bowl. Season evenly with kosher salt (I used a teaspoon) and freshly cracked pepper. Add all of the chopped vegetables and minced herbs. Pour in the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Category: Salad
• Method: Toss
• Cuisine: Greek