Ricotta Spoonable | Everyday Dorie

The idea of having a ricotta spoonable to go with almost anything is appealing. I serve the spoonable with some steamed yellow beans and crabmeat. I’m fortunate to receive as a gift some crabmeat from the Eastern Shore. At the same time, Dorie’s suggestions of matching the spoonable with a salad, frittata, galette and grilled vegetables are all excellent choices. We need a versatile sauce, spread or dip, whatever you call it, that can do double duty and more.

The ingredients going into the ricotta spoonable are the everyday staples. These are lemon zest and juice, minced shallots, scallions, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh herbs. I harvest plenty of mint and chives and amp up the herb component. The herbaceous nature of the spoonable is refreshing with every bite. Hands down, it beats the store-bought varieties. Given how easy the recipe is, there are no reasons not to make it at home.

I want to go an extra step by making ricotta and save myself an unnecessary trip to the grocery store. However, the milk does not coagulate as expected and the curds never form. It turns out the heavy cream I use says: ultra pasteurized — at the time I need the bacteria to carry the day. So I don a face mask to mitigate the spread of the virus in search of ricotta in a nearby grocery store. The last time I went to this particular store was before the lockdown in March.

Let me tell you: I won’t go back there anytime soon. What’s disturbing is that the store (a national chain) is not set up for social distancing. Unlike Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, the aisles are not marked for one-way traffic. Let’s put things in perspective in the Covid era. My guess is the lack of a national safety standard for stores and, worst yet, in schools reopening is damaging. Finally, to say that we’re in trouble is a gross understatement!