Fromage Blanc

Due to a hankering for Fromage Blanc, I decided to make more.

Ingredients

1 gallon whole milk
1/4 teaspoon MA 4000 cheese culture
1/4 cup water [unfluoridated]
4 drops rennet (either vegetarian or veal)
Onion
Garlic
Dried chives


Equipment

Digital thermometer
5 quart pot and lid
Mixing spoon
Measuring cup
Measuring spoon
Flour bag cloth
Colander
Large pot and lid
Salad spinner basket
Two cheese molds
Two loosely-woven napkins or linen handkerchiefs 

FROMAGE BLANC

Step One

Put four drops of rennet into 1/4 cup of water.

Pour the gallon of milk into the pot.

 

Turn the burner on high and heat the milk until it's 75 degrees F, stirring all the while.

Remove the pot from the heat, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of culture on top of the milk and let it sit for four minutes, then stir the milk 20 times, top to bottom, with a spoon. Pour in the water and rennet mixture.

Cover the pot

and let the pot stand on the counter. Check the pot daily, waiting until the whey separates from the curd. This can take up to three days.

 Step Two

Place a colander in the sink and line it with flour sack cloth. Empty the contents of the colander.

Gather the ends of the cloth up, trapping the curds inside. Squeeze the whey from the cloth-wrapped curds, being careful not to let any of the curds escape. Return the curds to the pot.

Chop an onion

And add it, cloves of pressed garlic, and chives to the pot.

 

Stir the contents until blended.

 

Place the basket of a salad spinner upside down in the bottom of the tall pot.

Set the cheese molds on top of the salad spinner basket,

 

Line the molds with the small cloths.

 

Ladle the curds onto the molds.

As the whey drains,

 the level in the molds will gradually go down.

Continue to ladle more curds into the molds until all of the curds from the pot are in the molds.

More whey will collect in the bottom of the pot.

This process can take three days.


Step Three

Take one of the molds from the pot and turn it upside down on a plate.

Remove the mold

then gently remove the cloth.

Repeat the process with the second cheese mold.

This cheese is wonderful on bagels, fresh baked bread, on top of pasta, or even added to pasta to make a cheese sauce.


Note:

The recipe for Fromage Blanc is from Barbara Skapa of Echo Ridge Organic Cheese. If you ever have the opportunity to take a cheesemaking class from her, do so! Her cheese is wonderful.

The Dairy Connection was recommended by Barbara Skapa. Within the past few years, the company expanded their site which originally catered to the commercial cheesemakers to include the "hobby-level" cheesemaker as well. The Dairy Connection now sells a wider selection of molds like the basket molds and more. Their customer service and prices are excellent.
 

Dining from the Dollar Store: English Muffin Bread

English muffins are delicious. There's something about those "nooks and crannies". Making your own English muffins is easier than you think and most of the ingredients can be found at the Dollar Store. I found there recipe online.

ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD

Ingredients

2 cups and one tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon yeast*

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk heated to 102 degrees F

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Mixing spoon

Measuring cup

Measuring spoons

Glass bread pan

Tea towel

Put the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl (raw sugar is pictured)

Mix the ingredients together then add the milk.

Mix the ingredients together until a dough is formed.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.

The dough will double in size.

Grease the glass bread pan with cooking spray and put the dough into it.

Cook the bread for four minutes on high in the microwave.

Let the bread cool in the pan for ten minutes.

Take the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool the rest of the way.

Serve the bread by toasting it. It's wonderful with butter, cinnamon sugar, honey and more. Delicious!


Equipment that can be found at the Dollar Store

Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup



*Some Dollar Stores carry yeast. The local Dollar Store did not.

Dining from the Dollar Store: Spinach Pasta

I was inspired by the last meal in the series which featured spinach fettuccine. Making one's own pasta is fun, and all of the ingredients can be had at the Dollar Store. I found the recipe online and added some of my own ingredients.

 SPINACH PASTA

Ingredients:

1 package frozen spinach [10 ounces]

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

Garlic powder

Onion Powder

Black pepper

Oil

 Equipment:

Measuring spoons

Measuring cup

Mixing spoon

Blender or food processor

Two tea towels [not terry cloth]

Pot

Colander

Microwave-safe container [not plastic]

Rolling pin

Fillet knife

Directions:

 

Open the package of  spinach and empty into a microwave-safe container.

 Add a little water, cover, and cook for two minutes. Empty the spinach into a colander.

Drain the spinach, even squeezing it with your hands, to remove excess water.
Add the spinach, eggs and salt to the food processor or blender.

Add onion powder, garlic powder and ground pepper to the mix,

Then blend until smooth.

Pour the contents of the blender or food processor into a bowl, and measure out two cups of flour.

Add the flour to the bowl and stir.

Add enough flour so that the mixture becomes firm but not sticky. When the spinach and the flour are combined, sprinkle the counter with flour, and set the ball of dough upon it. Roll the dough around in the flour and knead it, adding flour as you knead, until the dough becomes slightly stiff.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle more flour on the counter, and roll out the dough until it's 1/16th of an inch thick.

Roll the dough up, as if making a jelly roll,

Slice the dough into 1/4 inch sections. Pinch the dough between your fingers as you slice to keep the dough from flattening under the pressure of the knife's blade.

Unroll the pasta sections and set them on tea towels to rest.

Bring the water in the pot to boil, add a dollop or two of oil, then add the pasta to the pot.

Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain in a colander and return the pasta to the pot.

Serve with Parmesan cheese or crumbled Queso Blanco, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

 Equipment found at the Dollar Store:

Colander [plastic]
Mixing spoon
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Chef's knife


Variations:

Add crushed garlic (the Dollar Store sells garlic presses) and diced onions to the dough for added flavor.

Add other ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and more.

 

Dining from the Dollar Store: Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

The local Dollar Store sells shrimp and some lovely fettuccine pasta which lists water, flour and spinach flour as its ingredients. The perfect combination for Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo. Best yet, it's easy to make and delicious. I found a simple recipe online.

SHRIMP FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Ingredients

(as they appear in the original recipe with Dollar Store substitutions)

3/4 lb medium raw shrimp or 3/4 lb shrimp, peeled [the Dollar Store sells 1 pound packages] 

6 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half [3/4 teaspoons garlic powder]

3 green onions, thinly sliced [3 tablespoons onion powder] 

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces fettuccine [two 6 ounce packages of spinach fettuccine] 

1 tablespoon olive oil [1 tablespoon olive/soybean oil]

1 tablespoon butter* 

1 cup whole milk 

1 teaspoon cornstarch* 

Salt 

Fresh ground pepper

Canola oil 

Equipment:

Large pot

Colander

Mixing spoons

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Pot holders

Pan or wok

Mixing bowl

 

Fill a pot with water, add  two dollops of canola oil and bring it to a boil

  

Add the pasta and stir.

   

While the pasta is cooking, pour 1 cup of milk into a bowl,

 

 then add the garlic powder, onion powder, and corn starch.

 

Whisk until the ingredients are combined.

 

Set aside.

When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta without rinsing it. 

 

Then return it to the pot.

 Add a tablespoon of butter and olive oil to a pan set on medium heat. Add the shrimp and black pepper and salt to taste. 

Stir until warm, then add the milk mixture to the pan.

 

Increase the heat of the burner to high, and stir until the milk mixture thickens.

 

Add to the pasta and stir until everything is combined.

 

Serve with Parmesan cheese or crumbled Queso Blanco cheese, fresh bread, and salad.

Equipment that can be purchased at the Dollar Store:

Pot holders

Mixing spoons

Measuring cups

Colander [plastic]

Measuring spoons

Variations:

Using onions and garlic as the recipe specified does add a new level of flavor to the recipe. Bags of onions and individual bulbs of garlic are reasonably priced and can be found at most grocery stores.

Add a second bag of shrimp.

  

* Not found at the Dollar Store. According to one of the woman I spoke with at the local Dollar Store, corn starch can sometimes be found in small blue containers in the baking supplies aisle, not far from the spices.