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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Making Yogurt cheese...and then making sandwiches...and then making mmmmmmm noises.

I'm a simple girl.  I like simple things.  Like sandwiches.  I like all the components separately...but I like 'em all put together, too.  There's really  nothing like sitting down with a fresh baked loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese, maybe some good meat or veg or fruit.  And a bottle of wine.  I'm pretty sure I was meant to live in a different part of the world.  Yes, of course I can...and do...eat like that right here.  But I feel like I should be sitting in my Tuscan Villa...or my Mexican Hacienda...or my French Farmhouse...or behind my Irish Pub...or my english Cottage...while doing so.  Some day. 

One easy...no...one beyond-super-easy cheese you can make all on your own to eat with said bread, wine, and other accompaniments is Yogurt cheese.  Plus, it just happens to be one of our current challenges over at Forging Fromage (along with gouda and cloth-banded cheddar).  It's seriously the simplest cheese I've ever made...and a great starting point for anybody who wants to get their toes wet in the world of home cheesemaking! It's made by draining the liquid (whey) from the yogurt by hanging it for at least 8 hours.  The result is basically like cream cheese...only with a snappy tang to it!

Yogurt Cheese
from jam it, pickle it, cure it by Karen Solomon

32 ounces plain yogurt

Line a large bowl with a clean, thin cotton or linen towel I used butter muslin, positioning the middle in the bottom of the bowl. Pour the yogurt into its center.  Gather the for corners of the cloth and tie to form a bag.  The whey should be leaking from the bottom.  Tie over a large bowl or over the sink...either from a kitchen cabinet or rig it up in the fridge like I did here...and let it hang, undisturbed, overnight or for at least 8 hours.  I think I actually ended up forgetting about mine...it was in the fridge in garage...so it hung for a good couple of days or so.  But the extra hang-time didn't hurt it one bit.  It was creamy, tangy, and mighty tasty.  Oh, and did I say way too simple!?  At this point you can use it as-is to do anything from shmearing on bagels to baking a cheesecake...or you can stir in fresh herbs and/or lemon juice, scallions, olives, sun-dried tomatoes or drizzle it with a little infused olive oil...the possibilities are endless. 

I used some of it for shmearing...an activity I love doing...and saying.  Shmear.  I combined it with some freshly baked sourdough bread whose scent wafted in one of those cartoon-like drifts straight up my nose...beckoning me from a local bakery early this morning.  The garden still has plenty of kale.  I was craving prosciutto.  And somehow a jar of pungeantly sweet sundried tomatoes ended up in my pantry suspicious.  This simple sammie to satisfy this simple girl was inspired by one I've been wanting to make from MB's Kitchen Express.

Kale & Prosciutto Sandwich with Yogurt Cheese

Grab a huge handful of washed Kale and slice it into 1/2" ribbons.  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan, add kale and cook until just wilted & soft.  Season with the juice of half a lemon, some crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  Toast up some slices of sourdough bread and spread them with a thick layer of fresh Yogurt Cheese.  Then top with the kale, a couple of sliced sundried tomatoes in olive oil, and a few slices of thin prosciutto

Wash it down with a glass of cool white wine on a hot sunny day!
REAL, good, simple, everyday food.



*Add your Two for Tuesdays links HERE!


This post is linked to:
forgingfromagebutton2 24TbadgeGIRLICHEFTuesdayTwisterSouperSundays#cheeseslut
Culinary Smackdown...Battle: Sandwich!


Would you like to comment?

  1. What a great combination for a sandwich. It looks delicious. Thanks for sending it to Souper Sundays.
    ;-)

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  2. Yogurt cheese looks really good, will try this sometime.

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  3. Everything you make looks good.....You sound like me...always dreaming of the Irish country house, or France..or England....

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  4. Oh, I love yogurt cheese! I hang mine with lemon, garlic and fresh chives. Yummy!

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  5. WOAH that's one fine looking sanwich!

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  6. That sandwich is totally drool-worthy.

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  7. I just LOVE a good sandwich and could eat one every day! I've been making cheese for ages and didn't even realize it. Yogurt is so yummy prepared this way.

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  8. I have a yogurt strainer that I have never used. Shame! I'm pulling it out and using it! I'll bet the tang of the cheese works well with the kale! Mmmmm...when ever somebody make the nummy noise it always make me think of the movie Young Frankenstein. Ha!

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  9. What a great combination! Love yogurt cheese too.

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  10. That look wicked good. I agree, sandwiches are the bomb, I probably eat more of them than anything else.

    I have to make that cheese. Even I could handle this one! Heh.

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  11. MMMMMMMM This is just looks divine! Yogurt cheese... I want to dive into it! haha

    I have some earrings up for grabs on my blog. Check it out!

    http://tinyurl.com/2vollfw

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  12. That looks amazing !!! Beautiful pics and tempting sandwich :)

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  13. I made my 2-4-2sDay post, but wanted to tell you how great that last photo looks... terrific presentation on the bread!

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  14. AHAHA, I love the title of this post. Who knew yogurt cheese was so easy to make? Besides you. And anyone else who has made it before. =)

    Sort of like, when I visit your blog, I have to resist "schmearing" my tongue all over the screen. LOL.

    Looks fantastic~!

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  15. Yogurt cheese used to be one of my mainstays in my low fat days, but I haven't made it since. Maybe I should give it another go.

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  16. I never even knew this existed! I'm a total cheese hound and looking for some healthier alternatives, this looks like it may be my new favorite! Thanks for sharing, I can't wait to make some!

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  17. I knew yogurt and cheese but not about yogurt cheese. A perfect meal from scratch...

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  18. No no, that is not simple at all :)

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  19. Shmear! That word is a big inside joke between me and one of my friends. I totally laughed when I read that:) I'm loving how easy this cheese is and that you paired it with prosciutto and kale(love kale).
    Way to go girli-o!!

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  20. I want to live in one of those places too...and eat sandwiches like this packed with goodness! Yogurt cheese is the only kind of cheese I've ever made...love it!

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  21. I love making yoghurt cheese! This is a great post for Two for Tuesdays :)

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  22. I adore yogurt cheese. What a nice combination of the cheese with those yummy toppings! I love unusual sandwhiches. One of my faves is a sandwich of olive-oil-fried rapini and garlic on crusty Italian bread, topped with shaved parmesan. With a bottle of wine!!

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  23. That sandwich looks SO good, I wish I could reach into the computer and grab it for lunch. Looks a lot better than my boring tuna salad, lol! I've never made cheese before but this post makes me want to try!

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  24. Looks delicious we make this cheese you made my mouth water

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  25. OMG...I am starving and you show me that sandwich.....I never used kale before , I almost thought it was broccoli rabe....that yogurt cheese was meant for shmearing......I just wish I had that sandwich!!

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  26. I don't even have the sandwich in front of me and I'm making mmmmm noises! This sounds great, Heather!

    -Elizabeth

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  27. Any idea if this would also work with a nondairy yogurt, such as soy or coconut?

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  28. Red Delicious...YUM!

    Libby...you know, I'm not sure. I don't see why it wouldn't...most other yogurts leave a whey-like substance if they've sat for a while, don't they? It's worth giving it a go, I'd say! Let me know if you do try it, I'm intrigued now. ;)

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  29. I totally judge a recipe by the amount of yummy noises I make! This sounds awesome!

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  30. I could not BELIEVE how easy this was when I saw it on natashya's blog! I think you and I should spend some time in France eating bread and cheese and nothing else. Sound good?

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  31. Oof and by Natashya I meant Andreas. I think I'm losing brain cells from not being able to bake...

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  32. LMFAO,Joanna...hurry up and heal oven ;)

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  33. Tangy cream cheese? I so need to do this. You make it all sound so easy. I just need a fridge with 8 inches of space.... and you know - you make your own Tuscany, Provence, Mexico, etc.And I think you are doing that.

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  34. Ummm good- girl you are making me so want to cheat on my eating! Maybe a bread, veggie and cheese diet would work? May do it on weekends!

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  35. Jeese, Louise! Heather, I am so coming to your house for lunch one of these days! This combo is to die for! Thanks for hosting and posting on the two for tuesday recipe blog hop! :) alex@amoderatelife

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  36. I'm with you on the French Farmhouse or Tuscan Villa. That sandwich is to die for. And your own cheese too. Geez! Thanks for hosting Two for Tuesdays. You all have started something wonderful.

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  37. What a beautiful and unique sandwich. Looks so fresh and Summery

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  38. this is interesting... believe it or not, i've never heard of yogurt cheese before.

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  39. Im toying with the idea of tinkering with cheese, in the back of my head. which means eventually, as did bread....it will come forward. I was at the health food store the other day and discovered that they sell rennet (is that right?) and so...the idea is beginning to slowly move forward. I'll be picking your brain and your blog when it comes time :)

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  40. Yogurt cheese is just delightful, and your sandwich...Wow!

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  41. I can't believe how simple this is. I know this may sound completley ridiculous but I wonder if you could use flavored or fruited yogurt for a sweeter yogurt cheese? hmmm?

    "shmearing...an activity I love doing...and saying" ha ha!

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  42. You know what, Monica...I was wondering the same thing. I bet it'd be good shmeared on bagels that way...or for anything! I'm gonna try it!

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  43. I'm the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It's sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I'd love for you to submit this to the site. I think cheese making is going to be the next big trend. Good stuff!

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  44. Hi! I really like your blog, and will sure come and visit again! Hope you will visit my blog to see the theme of the Culinary Smackdown September 2010! Do you take the challenge again?

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  45. I feel the urge to make a bagel sandwich just looking at the above photos! They are not just appealing to the eyes but they also seem to be made with our health in min. The toppings are with vegetables and this is very important, not just the meat and cheese. Something to recreate when you have time during the weekend and serve to your family or friends. Thanks for sharing!

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  46. I have never heard of yogurt cheese. From the picture it looks like cream cheese. Does anyone know what it tastes like?

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