IMEN MCDONNELL
I love making the most of produce that is available here on my farm in south-west Ireland. Like many cooks, I am scaling back on ‘gourmet’ ingredients from supermarkets, but still looking to prepare special things from scratch. My homemade cheese tastes indulgent and is extremely versatile, yet requires very little effort and relies on everyday ingredients. This foundational recipe yields a soft, light cheese with just a hint of lemon that can be served either crumbled or spread. If you substitute lime juice and add a dash more salt, it transforms into a Mexican-style cotija cheese. Replace the milk with double cream and you’ll have mascarpone, or combine equal amounts of milk and cream for a peasant’s ricotta. Use any of these options to stuff pasta shells, mix into a risotto, jazz up a salad, dollop on pizza, spread on pancakes or bake into a summer fruit cheesecake. www.farmette.ie