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| Front bowl: Chives Bowl on Left: Jalapeno Bowl in Back: Herb and Garlic |
In the early days of my making fresh cheese from the raw milk from our dairy cows, I tried making cheese spreads using "vinegar cheese". I thought the resulting mock ricotta lacked the flavors I desired for my spreads. I began experimenting using naturally clabbered, raw milk cottage cheese. This gave the spreads that flavor I was seeking. At first, I ran the curds through a food processor to make a smooth spread, but I soon found that I preferred the natural texture. (Texture is simply a matter of preference but the slightly chunky version saves me time for processing and cleanup.)
There's really nothing to making these spreads from dry curd cottage cheese, other than adding just enough mayo for a smooth consistency and then adding desired seasonings.
Need ideas to get you started?
Chives alone make a simple and delicious spread.
Seeded and grated jalapenos can be added for a snappy (but not too hot) spread that I serve with tortilla chips.
A spread can be a bit more complex by adding a combination of garlic, chives, dill, parsley, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper, for example. I call this my garlic and herb blend.
Want a sweet spread? Run the curds through the food processor and then add a bit of honey to be eaten with bagels or fruit.
You can replace the mayo with sour cream or greek yogurt if you are looking for a healthy alternative.
The possibilities are endless!
For help making cottage cheese, click here. Please note that this is dry curd cottage cheese being used to make these spreads. It does not have the cream added back to it.