One of the truly wonderful things about living in the Phoenix area is that there is no shortage of farms and dairies.  These places are such a source of inspiration for eating light and healthy, and along with that is the courage of experimentation.

There is a weekly farmer’s market at Roadrunner Park, and that is another place where Crow’s Dairy goat milk (grad A!) is carried.  This past week I picked up a quart, and today I made ricotta cheese and honey fior di latte gelato.  I am so pleased with the results!

First the ricotta.  I made a VERY small batch – used 2 cups to make 1/2 cup.  There are about a million recipes online.  But I had in mind the recipe I saw on an episode of Extra Virgin (The Cooking Channel) which used lemon juice as the curdling agent.  First time and it came out like a charm.  I really enjoyed the subtle lemon flavor.  Great on toasted bread, without a doubt.

My journey with gelato continues. It will be difficult for me to waver off the basic recipe I found for fior di latte by Emiko Davies.  It is such a great foundation for so many flavors without getting lost in a lot of ingredients.  Making it without the rosemary is my version of the basic recipe, where 500ml = 2 cups, 250ml = 1 cup, and 150gr = 3/4 cups (when I halve the recipe the 3/4 becomes 1/3 cup – rounding seems to make that happen).  Today I used the goat milk, and substituted the sugar with orange blossom honey that I bought at the Simple Farm.  The flavor is so delicate and yet stands on its own.  I am partial to orange blossom honey, and they do carry clover as well.  All from their bees!  Simple Farm is where I originally found Crow’s Dairy.  Very yummy, and all good, indeed!