Peach And Green Tomato Souffle With Ricotta Cheese And Smithfield Ham Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet and bake until light golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Cut an "x" in the bottoms of the peaches and tomatoes. Carefully add the peaches to the water and boil until the skins just start to peel back, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the tomatoes, boiling for about 15 seconds. Set aside.
• Add the basil to the boiling water and cook until just wilted and bright green, about 15 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a blender and puree until smooth. With the machine running, add the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• Peel and pit the peaches; peel the tomatoes. Cut both into 1/2-inch slices.
• Spread the basil puree on a serving platter. Arrange the peaches and tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and dollop the ricotta on top. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Top with the toasted almonds, garnish with whole basil leaves and serve.

Steps:

• Puree the 3 peaches in a blender and pass the mixture through a mesh strainer, food mill or juice extractor; you should have 1 cup of juice. Repeat with the tomatoes to produce 1 cup of juice. Discard all the solids.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the peach and tomato juices, stirring until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta and yolks until smooth. Stir 2 heaping tablespoons of the hot juice mixture into the yolks and ricotta, then slowly stir the entire yolk-ricotta mixture back into the pan. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and flour an 8-cup souffle dish. Whip together the egg whites and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt until they form stiff but still moist peaks. With a wooden spoon, stir about 1/2cup of the whites into the sauce, then gently fold the sauce into the whites left in the bowl.
• Spoon 1/3 of the mixture into the souffle dish. Cover with a layer of the ham. Repeat with another 1/3 of the mixture and then another layer of the ham. Cover with the remaining mixture and bake, uncovered, until the souffle is puffy and well browned, from 35 to about 40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately, spooned out onto individual plates and garnished with the diced peach.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, scallions, dill, chives, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside for up to 30 minutes.
• With a small serrated knife, cut the larger tomatoes in wedges through the stem and the smaller tomatoes in half through the stem. Place them in a medium bowl with the garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
• When ready to serve, add the basil to the tomatoes and combine. Pile the ricotta in a large (12-inch) round shallow bowl or oval platter. Using a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes around the ricotta, discarding any liquid. Drizzle the tomatoes and ricotta with olive oil, sprinkle with the reserved basil and fleur de sel, and serve at room temperature.
• Set a fine-mesh sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 pieces of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with a double layer of the cheesecloth.
• Pour the milk and cream into a medium stainless-steel or enameled pot, such as Le Creuset, and stir in the salt. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and pour in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for one minute, until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
• Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 minutes (for soft ricotta) to 25 minutes (for firmer ricotta), occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining liquid. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep, refrigerated, for 4 to 5 days.

Steps:

• Spread ricotta on bread and top with tomato, peach, and onion. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with oil. Top with basil.