Eating from the fridge

Yes it continues to be hot, very hot, and tonight I had cauliflower and broccoli cheese on the menu for supper, but the thought of making sauces, and grilling just wasn't on.

When we were ready for our weekly milk delivery on Tuesday from the wonderful Sarah at Wookey Goat's farm, we still were far from using up our week's ration.  Very little tea and coffee has been drunk...it has been TOO HOT! No baking, or custards, or sauces...what to do with two litres of milk?

I remembered how delicious the Goat's Cheese Ricotta and hence two litres became a cone shaped cheese, as I used some muslin in in stainless steel conical chinois. Usually the whey ends up in bread, but baking is definitely on hold for now.

The 'main course' was a plate lined with the last of current crop of home grown lettuce, topped with the very ends of the mangetout pea shoots with pretty pink purple flowers, an assortment of 'taspas' type bits from the fridge, some cold black puy lentils drizzled with olive oil, walnuts, pumpkin nuts etc, and some of the cheese.

As we nearly finished this I was still wondering what we would have for dessert.  We usually have plain yogurt topped with something..but I suddenly had an idea. I had read about , or seen pictures of cheese drizzled with honey. This cheese does not keep for a long time, and I had forgotten to put in any salt.

The flavours are fab, and now I have something I can make up so very easily when I have made some of the cheese:

Home Made Goat's Milk Ricotta with honey hazel nuts and Fruit

I used the dark honey bought at Porlock Weir. It is a Pure Exmoor Honey by S Little at Allerford.  I can't be sure that it is pure Sweet Chestnut Honey, but it is dark, and the hills rising from the coast are covered in pristine Sweet Chestnut woods. It smells of chestnut blossom.

Topped with toasted hazel nuts, and a 'side' of deliciously bottled nectarines, made only a few days ago, this was a very special dessert.  I shall try it with pistachios tomorrow, but I think a lighter flavoured honey will do better, with some cherries.

I bought a large project box of nectarines from Wells Fruit and Veg. We've had plenty fresh too. 

Version two, the flavours of the pistachios were lost, probably flaked toasted almonds would be better.

As it was Thursday treat day two pistachio baklava to go alongside...out of the freezer.