Recipe By Chef Kathy Gold

Spoon onto thick tomato slices and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, or sweeten lightly with some local lavender honey and dollop on grilled peaches, plums and nectarine. Heaven!

Ingredients

• 1 gallon whole milk, raw if you can get it at the Farmers Market
• 1 quart buttermilk

Directions

1. Combine both milks into a large nonreactive saucepan over medium high heat.Stir occasionally, scraping the pan bottom, to avoid scorching. Once the milk is hot, stop stirring. You will start to see curds rise and come to the surface. Run a spoon or spatula along the bottom of the pan occasionally to free up any stuck curds.

2. While the milk is heating, select a sieve or colander with a wide surface area. Line the colander with a large piece of cheesecloth that has been folded numerous times – until you have about 5 or six layers. Place the lined colander over a large bowl or sink.

3. When the mixture reaches about 175°F degrees, you will see the curds and whey separate. Remove the pan from heat, and gently begin to ladle curds into the prepared sieve. Pull up on the sides of the cheesecloth to drain off any extra liquid, but not press on the curds. Gather the edges of the cloth, tie or fasten them into a knot and allow them to drain for another 15 minutes minimum. Move to an airtight container and refrigerate if you aren't going to use it immediately.