I, at this very moment, am listening to a chipmunk squeak at the top of his lungs. Non stop. Over and over and over again. If you've never heard a raging chipmunk in the throes of passion, the effect on your average person is very similar to waterboarding.
But since chipmunks are still screaming around the yard it means summer is still here. Even though technically it's autumn, it isn't shut yourself in the house eating canned ravioli time yet either.
There's still fresh produce around and good foods to be eaten. That was an elegant sentence wasn't it? Alvin has me a little discombobulated. Sorry.
You might remember last week I showed you how to make homemade ricotta cheese in 30 minutes with a few ingredients most people always have in their fridge.
Today I'm going to show you what you can do with that ricotta cheese other than eat it by the spoonful while standing in front of the fridge wondering when the earliest you can get in your p'jamas is.
A few weeks ago I went to a restaurant that served a delicious tomato salad that I tried to replicate when I got home. For some reason I just couldn't do it, and it wasn't until I made homemade ricotta cheese that I realized THAT was the difference.
Gather up some tomatoes of your choice (heirloom, cherry, regular) and cut them into bite sized pieces.
Grab your homemade ricotta cheese and a lemon.
Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the full recipe of ricotta cheese (about 1 ½ cups)
Grate a tiny bit of zest on top. Stir.
Put your tomatoes on your serving plate then drizzle with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.
Top tomatoes with coarse sea salt (like Maldon), pepper and a tiny bit of lemon zest.
Serve with a dollop of lemon ricotta cheese. If you'd like it a bit creamier, just mix in some cream or milk.
Serve and enjoy.
You can make this recipe with store bought ricotta but it just won't be the same. Mind you, you didn't eat the original salad so you probably won't know the difference. So do what you want. I'd make the homemade ricotta though.
Now, I'm off to find a recipe that calls for chipmunks.
Just kidding.
Only a complete amateur would need a recipe for chipmunk.
Haha! I like to play "Evolution" with chipmunks and ground squirrels. You know that one, don't you, Karen?
It's the one where the little furry rodent puts its belly on the top of your shoe and you gently loft it, helping it learn to fly and evolve into a flying squirrel!
But recipes? I have to admit, I never considered eating one. Not enough meat.
If they can make a cloak out of hummingbirds, I suspect a chipmunk wrap could be quite fetching.
But I like chippies, and hummingbirds, so forget I said anything.
oh, I pushed the ricotta to the back of my mind, but now, I have to try it - I love lemons and tomatoes. Once we had chipmunks in our attic playing "football" in the wee hours - not fun
I'm doing this TODAY! Also, don't think I have ever seen "white" balsamic vinegar before....I really want to try that. Where did you find it? Has it been on the grocery shelf all these years and I have never noticed it? Love your posts!
Thanks Babie! Yes, the white balsamic should be on the shelf next to the regular balsamic. If not, you can get it in a speciality store. ~ karen!
Chipmunk appetizers
I've eaten a whole lot of different critters in my travels, but never chipmunk. Then again, I've never been against trying something new. Now...wether you take this seriously (as it is a real recipe) or as the joke it intended to be I thought you might get a chuckle out of a recipe a friend sent me years ago... again, as a joke. Enjoy!
Deep fried Chipmunk appetizers.
Trap 30 to 50 average sized chipmunks
Burn the hair off with a propane torch
Wash in clean cool water the pat dry
Season to taste
Dip in beer batter
Place in deep fryer until golden brown
Bonapatite!
If it doesn't sound tasty in English then here is the recipe in French
Deep frit Chipmunk amuse-gueule.
Recouvrement chipmunks tailles moyennes de 30 à 50.
Brûle les cheveux avec un flambeau de propane
Laver à l'eau froide et propre, le pat sec
Assaisonner au goût
Plonger dans le parfum de la bière
Placer dans la friteuse jusqu'au brun doré
Bonapatite !
I am a complete amateur when it comes to chipmunk recipes so I had to Google them. Yes, recipes for chipmunk actually exist :P
Alas we don't have many chipmunks in my neck of the world but we do have ..... squirrels!
But seriously. I will be trying out your recipe soon!
Gonna have to try it: my 11-year-old daughter calls ricotta "magical cheese," no lie, and my 7-year-old daughter eats the cherry tomatoes right off the vine--they never even make it into the house--I'll have to fight her for 'em! What would you serve for dinner, with this beautiful salad? (and don't say chipmunk!)
Yum! Looks delicious!
Oh, Karen, you always amuse! However, depending on what type of passion you prefer(!!), it is "throes of passion".
throes of passion, throes! #grammarnazi-mcgee
Sorry muscratlove - You're right. I'm gonna have to take the time to proof my own writing. I took out a couple of ridiculous mistakes last night ... just not this one. ~ karen!
I either pee'd a little or drooled a lot as I read this recipe. I guess that makes it a 'mandatory' one to try. I'm using regular basalmic because I have everything else except white basalmic.
Cindy - If you're going to substitute, I'd substitute with white wine vinegar instead if you have it. ~ k!
White wine vinegar it is...I'll let you know how the substitution works.
I forgot --- add a pinch of sugar to it! (white balsamic is slightly sweeter than reg. balsamic but not as earthy) ~ k!
Ewww! That just looks awful. I would put that cheese on anything or spread it in my mouth, but the tomatoes are gross.
I have to agree & disagree...I can't gag down raw tomatoes either, no matter how much beautiful cheese is with them. But ~ that is a pretty salad, makes me wish I liked tomatoes.
I hate all tomatoes. I should have said that.
LOL! Yes. That does help to clarify a little. Truth is I don't love tomatoes either, but I'm getting more and more fond of them. Caprese salad and this salad are two of the ways I can not only stomach them, but love them. ~ k!
This looks so good!!! I love tomatoes and I love cheese. Perfection! Btw is it super lemony or just a little, only thing I am not a huge fan of is lemon zest sadly.
Sydney - You can make it as lemony or "not lemony" as you want. Just omit the lemon zest and only add a little lemon to the ricotta. Not a big deal. :) ~ karen
Karen, you absolutely crack me up!
This is a perfect post right now.... I will save the ricotta recipe for my first tomato haul out of the garden!
And white balsamic yes! so delicious! But a balsamic reduction, so easy to do, and soooooo delicious!! Also make and have that on hand when you need to change it up.
I buy my reduction now danni. I went the the doctor once just after making a reduction and she stopped short of me and said ... you smell like vinegar! ~ karen
Is white balsamic the same as golden?
Or is that yet another creature?
That I need for my vinegar collection...
I have no idea lol! It sounds a little more like champagne vinegar maybe. ~ karen!