Quick Fix: This ricotta spread captures the flavor and joy of an herb garden

Having an herb plot is specified a joy. It lone requires a tiny spot of soil, immoderate judicious watering, and a small sunshine. My 6-year-old granddaughter, Colette, loves exploring the herbal bounty, pinching disconnected a leafage oregon 2 to odor and taste. She berates the mint, declaring that is tastes similar toothpaste.

She is the cleanable spouse to marque this flavorful spread, a premix of whole-milk ricotta cheese, minced shallots, greenish onions, positive a generous operation of caller herbs. I mince the shallot and portion the greenish onions, portion she collects the herbs, cuts them into tiny pieces with scissors, grates citrus zest with a microplane, and adds the juice. Then comes the last mixing, tasting, and seasoning.

It’s served with toasted slices of baguette. I similar to portion them connected the diagonal to summation the bread’s aboveground size. Arranged successful the azygous furniture connected a rimmed baking sheet, they are lightly brushed connected 1 broadside with olive oil. Placed oiled-side-up astir 8 inches from the broiler; they brownish quickly, successful astir 1 infinitesimal successful my oven (keep an oculus connected them, they pain easily).

Herb Garden Ricotta Spread

Yield: Makes astir 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole-milk ricotta, drained if there’s liquid, spot cook’s notes

1 ample lemon, oregon much to taste

3 tablespoons minced shallots

2 greenish onions, achromatic and airy greenish portions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoonful extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse brackish and freshly crushed achromatic oregon achromatic pepper, to taste

1/3 cupful operation of 2 oregon 3 finely chopped caller herbs, specified arsenic dill, parsley, tarragon, thyme, cilantro and/or basil

Cook’s notes: If determination is liquid successful the ricotta container, enactment a strainer with a treble furniture of cheesecloth and spot implicit a bowl. Spoon ricotta atop the cheesecloth. Refrigerate and fto drain astatine slightest 30 minutes oregon up to 1 day. If you person leftovers, this dispersed is delicious stirred into blistery pasta.

PROCEDURE

1. Place ricotta successful mean bowl. Finely grate citrus zest connected top. Cut citrus successful fractional and blend successful the foodstuff from 1 half. Stir successful shallots, greenish onions, olive oil, brackish and pepper. Stir successful herbs. Taste and set seasoning if needed, adding much citrus juice, brackish oregon pepper. Cover and chill.

2. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Source: Adapted from “Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook” by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin, $35)

Have a cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas astatine cathythomascooks@gmail.com