Herb Cheese with Honey

Making Cheese (Paneer) 

I make cheese when I have excess milk or half and half. Especially if I'm expecting company, like for the holidays!  Right before the milk goes bad I bring out the boiling pan and make homemade Ricotta style (actually Paneer) cheese. This is versatile cheese and can be whipped up quickly. For a firmer consistency, you may want it to sit for up to 5 hours. 

What to Do With Paneer?

I'm not a big cheese eater of any kind, but my family and friends like it, and cheese is very versatile. One of the favorites is ricotta cheese dishes served as a dessert:

1 cup of ricotta2TBS of honeyWhipped together (if too dry add a TBS of milk) and serve with fruit. Another is mixed herbs (tyme, oregano, mint, cilantro) in cottage cheese or ricotta, spread on your favorite cracker and top with a slice of apple, or  a few craisins  or blueberries and eat as an appetizer.

 And who doesn't like a crunchy celery stuffed with cheese for a quick protein snack? For those who like Indian foods, herb cheese can be made into Paneer Tikki  for a fried snack. And don’t forget the favored Saag Paneer, an Indian dish of tasty spinach cooked with paneer.

Make a Batch of Herb Cheese

In a few easy steps you can make herb cheese for any of the treats above.  The key is organization.

• Prep time: Chop up your favorite herbs and spices. I have cumin, coriander, green chilies, mint, cilantro, thyme, dill, and green onions.
• Line a colander with cheese cloth. This essential step needs to be completed before boiling the milk.
• Boil milk (I used half and half). Stir often, and be careful not to scorch.
• Add lemon juice or vinegar. Remove from heat and add 1/8 c of juice for every quart of  milk.  Your milk will curd immediately. Keep stirring (gently).
• Add herbs and spices and keep stirring off heat. I use abt 2 tsp of cumin and then go from there. I add a ¼ cup of mint and cilantro, and I add herbs based on my taste for the day. You may wish to add salt here too.

• Rinse curds. When curds are made, the rinsing begins.  Pour the contents of your pot into the prepared colander.  And rinse with cold water. Be sure to use your hands and really give the cheese curds a rinse. This should remove any lemon or vinegar smell.
• Wrap curds and remove whey. in your cheese cloth and squeeze out (wring out) as much whey as possible.

• Press the turbo topped cheese in the colander (or strainer) with a weight. I place my mortal and pestle on top of it to continue the draining process. The longer it is packed and mummified in the cheese cloth the firmer it should be.  I like 5 hours, but you can actually eat your cheese within 5 minutes.

• Ready to Eat. Unwrap your cheese and cube for frying, slice for crackers, or crumble for a dessert of cheese and honey or even strawberry preserves to top it.

Hint:  Use fine cheese cloth.

Kathleen Brandt

stradercom@aol.com