Sicilian Ricotta
By Cat, December 2007 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
See also: 1. Salads Menu; 2. Mediterranean Menu
After a bleak, cold winter, nothing is more welcome than fresh spring greens. Spinach is probably the first to show a green sprout if you sowed the seeds the previous fall. Shortly after that, you can sow other spring greens including lettuce, arugula and mustard.
Arugula Salad with Ricotta Salata
This recipe is from Food & Wine, March 2007 (1), and serves 4. It does not keep well, so if you will only be serving 2, cut recipe in half.
Notes on ingredients:
- Ricotta salata is a pressed, salted and dried variety of creamy ricotta, typically made from sheep’s milk, and is suitable for grating. If you cannot find it in your local area, it can be purchased online from iGourmet or other sources There really is no substitute, although you might like other cheeses made from sheep milk: grated Romano, crumbled feta; or mezithra, which is dried menouri.
- Arugula (also known as rocket) is a type of leafy salad green with a bitter, peppery taste, similar to dandelion. It is usually included in mesclun mix, or spring green mix.
- Almonds: Use soaked or sprouted but you will want to salt them before drying. Otherwise, use salted, roasted almonds.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp raw, local honey
- ½ cup almonds (see notes on ingredients, above), coarsely chopped
- 3 bunches arugula, thick stems discarded
- ½ pound ricotta salata cheese, shaved with a peeler
- Unrefined sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Equipment:
- blender
- salad bowl
Method
- Soak or sprout almonds, then salt them before drying/toasting. alternately, use commercial salted & roasted almonds. Then chop coarsely.
- Measure vinegar, honey and 2 Tbsp of the almonds into a blender; while blender is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until well mixed. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately; garnish with remaining 1 Tbsp almonds.
References:
- Food & Wine, March 2007 (foodandwine.com/recipes/arugula-salad-with-ricotta-salata
