Homemade Ricotta Cheese Topped Baked Ziti with Summer Veggies

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

1 Qt whole milk (good milk, fresh milk, you know the kind, in a glass bottle preferably)

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Slowly bring milk and cream to a boil at a medium heat, stir frequently to prevent scorching. With a candy or meat thermometer measure temperature often. Milk should be between 170-180 degrees. Once milk has started to boil and reached 175 degrees allow to boil for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Mix lemon juice into milk mixture, it should curdle. Pour mixture into a cheese cloth lined colander, allow to drain for an hour. Put in the fridge to cool for another hour or two and then use for cooking or eat fresh.

Israeli Cous Cous and Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Israeli Cous Cous and Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Serves 5

1 cup large pearl israeli cous cous

3 large beets with greens

1/2 cup goat cheese

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

Steam beets with there skin on for 30 minutes or until you can put a knife through one, and set aside to cool. Boil 2 cups water and add cous cous and cook until al-dente. Peel the skins off the beets and dice into 1 inch cubes. Clean beet greans and chop. Add cous cous, beets, greens, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. Allow salad to completely cool before adding goat cheese.

Bean Salad

This ones for you Paul.

Bean Salad

Serves 5

1 can of garbanzo beans

1 can of kidney beans

1 cup of diced cucumber

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and allow to sit for a couple hours so that the flavors begin to meld. Keeps for several days in the fridge.