THE ROOT: This wholesome and rustic cheese pie, made from our homemade ricotta-like farmer's cheese, is a great way to end a meal or begin a day.  With a spoonful of preserves in the morning or a fresh whipped brandied cream after dinner, this dessert is just down-homed goodness on a plate!

Ricotta Cheese Pie

serves: 8 (and they'll love you for it!)

For crumb crust: prep time: 20 minutes

Chill time:  15 minutes--1hour, no baking time

1 ½ level cups flour, gently spooned into measuring cup

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup raw or turbinado sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp grated lemon rind

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp cold water

In large bowl combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and lemon rind. Cut butter into combined ingredients with 2 butter knives or a pastry cutter. Get butter bits down to the size of peas. Drizzle beaten egg and water over the combined ingredients and mix by lifting with a fork. Allow eggs to evenly moisten the ingredients. Press crust mixture into a buttered 9-inch pie pan. Chill between 15 minutes and an hour. (The longer you chill, the less the cheese filling runs into the crust.)

Cheese Filling:

prep time: 10 minutes

baking time: 15 minutes at 450 degrees, 30 minutes--1hour at 350 degrees

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2 cups homemade ricotta, or soft farmer's cheese

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup raw, or turbinado sugar

1 tsp vanilla

fresh grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients together, adding eggs last, beating well until a fairly smooth and airy consistency is reached. Pour ingredients into the un-baked crumb crust and bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes, reducing oven temperature to 350 degrees and baking for another 30 minutes, or until knife comes out clean. Sometimes it's taken my pie as long as an additional hour to bake.  Depending on weather and any additional ingredients you stir in, like fruit puree, it will take longer to bake thoroughly.  Refrigerate to store; can serve cold or room temperature.

Serve with any of the following:

additional lemon zest

fresh whipped cream, (dash of brandy or dark rum optional)

stewed berries with a dash of sugar,

homemade preserves (i.e., apricot, fig, blueberry, black currant)

Fresh seasonal berries

Farmer’s Cheese Breakfast

1-2 cups homemade farmer's cheese

Add to taste:

     dried currants

     fennel seeds

     flax seeds

     crushed nuts

     jam or honey or maple syrup

Dill Seed Farmer's Cheese Round

2 cups homemade farmer's cheese, unsalted

Add:

    1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

    1/4-1/2 cup dill seed, to your taste

Place in center of 6 inches rinsed cheese cloth.  Twist and drain off any excess moisture.  Create size of cheese round desired by flattening cloth wrapped cheese between board and a weighted board:  think pressed flowers.  After an hour or so you will have a mini round of hard, fresh cheese.  Serve it up with a smoked fish and rye crackers.