Cheesy request!

Hey there again everyone! I’ve had a request for more information about my CHEESE!
I wish I could claim credit for this one, but I actually found the recipe on another blog. Unfortunately, by the time I had the yogurt to make the cheese with, I couldn’t find the blog any more, but it was a simple enough recipe that I winged it, and it was WONDERFUL.
So, here’s the basic idea:
Get one large container of plain yogurt (preferably Greek, but I used regular ol’ plain yogurt the first time and it was fine.)
Mix it with a teaspoon or so of kosher salt, some garlic (I used about a tablespoon of the minced variety from the jar in my fridge), the zest and juice of a lemon, and some chives, minced. As you can see from the pictures in my last post, I put a TON of them in this time. I can’t remember if there was anything else to it or not, so hopefully it turns out just as good as last time.
So, mix it all together and then tie it up in a couple of layers of cheesecloth and hang it from a wooden spoon (or something) over a tall container in the fridge for a day or so to drain off all the liquid (the second picture in my last post shows this in progress). If you get enough liquid built up in the bowl that the cheese is sitting in it, be sure to drain it off so the cheese continues to dry out. Probably would be a good idea to put plastic wrap over the whole shebang to keep the rest of your fridge from getting funky. I didn’t do that this morning, so I bet Matt’s beer is gonna smell like garlic when he gets home. J Don’t force liquid out by squeezing it, you’ll just push cheese through the cloth. After a day or so, turn the cheese out into a container and EAT! This is not a hard cheese, but more of a very soft, spreadable cheese that goes beautifully on crackers. My personal favorites are the Triscuit Thin Crisps, Quattro Formaggio flavor.
I’ve also found that after the “finished” cheese sits in the fridge, it will continue to leech off a bit more liquid over time, so don’t freak out if you see water in the container and think it has gone bad, it hasn’t. I’m not an expert, but I would guess this would stay good in the fridge for a week or more, but it sure didn’t last that long in mine. It was so good, I ate it all up in a couple of days!
So, all you stealth readers out there – here’s a challenge for you! Make yourself some cheese! Maybe even try some new variations on the flavors….I’m thinking honey and walnut might be good…. And then comment here about it so I know what you think!
OH! I just remembered – I think it was supposed to have a pinch of sugar, too. Oh well! Next time!
Man, I just had an idea….capers and sun dried tomato….mmmmm! The ideas just keep coming!

And hey, Ann Marie - thanks for stopping by!