Month: March 2019

Balsamico and strawberry ice cream
In my childhood, we had hens and chickens, and one of my chores was to collect eggs. I cannot count the times we made ice cream out of our eggs with sugar and whipped cream.

Now a new favorite has entered my ice cream scene: Ricotta ice cream.

I used strawberries, and they are baked with balsamico vinegar. The combination of acidity and sweetness go well with the ricotta and cream. And by the way, you don’t need high sun and 30 degrees celcius / 86 degrees fahrenheit to enjoy this ice cream.
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Balsamico-strawberry ricotta ice cream
(4 persons)
- 500 g / 17.6 oz fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 tbsp balsamico glace
- 1 tbsp balsamico di Modena vinegar
- 250 g / 8.8 oz ricotta
- 100 g / 3.5 oz cane sugar
- 2,5 dl / 1 cup whipping cream
- balsamico glace (for decoration)
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Method
- Rinse the strawberries and cut them into halves.
- Place on prepared baking tray. Stir in cane sugar, balsamico glace and vinegar. Bake at 200 degrees celcius / 392 degrees fahrenheit for around 10 minutes. Cool down.
- Mix ricotta with sugar. Whip the cream in a separate bowl.
- Mash the strawberries with a fork. Add the strawberries (save the juice for later) and mix with ricotta. Fold in the whipped cream.
- Put the ice cream in a container (suitable for freezing).
- Pour over strawberry juice and some balsamico glace. Fold in with care as you leave the colourful stribes.
- Freeze.
- (Remember to let it thaw for quite a while as it needs time).
A variation

I also made a variation which looked a bit different: First I mixed ricotta with sugar and folded in the whipped cream, then I added strawberries and juice and stirred it in carefully. The ice cream was visually different – but had the same good taste.
22. March 2019
Omelette with Tuscan kale and parmigiano
I’m sure you know them. The mornings where you wake up juuuust five minutes too late and no matter how fast you run throughout the day, you never seem to catch up.

Hopefully, you also know the other type of mornings. The ones with time. Time to really wake up. Time to enjoy the walk with the dog. Time for cafe latte. And time for a different breakfast – like this omelette with kale and parmesan.

This omelette has fried Tuscan kale and shavings of umami rich parmigiano reggiano on the top. Let the day begin!!
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Omelette with Tuscan kale and parmigiano (1 person)
- 1 handful of Tuscan kale (or another type of kale)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- parmigiano reggiano (or other matured cheese)
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Method
- Heat oil on the pan and fry the kale at high temperature. Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl.
- Pour the eggs over the kale and reduce the heat. Fry the omelette for around two minutes and turn it around. Fry the other side for another two minutes.
- Place the omelette on a plate and top with flakes of parmesan. You may use a carrot peeler to make the thin flakes.
17. March 2019
Danbo – Denmark’s national cheese

In Denmark, we have a cheese which is eaten more than any other cheese. Many people even eat it on bread for breakfast – despite its particular odeur of smelly feet. The name of this type is Danbo. Export of this cheese is quite small – I guess you have to be Danish to really understand and appreciate it 😊

Since October 2017, it has carried the PGI label (Protected Geographical Indication). This is the third Danish PGI cheese (the others being danablu (blue mould) and esrom (a red smear-ripened cheese).

‘Beskyttet Geografisk Betegnelse’ is the Danish translation of ‘Protected Geographical Indication’.

Particularly Danish

This very Danish cheese was born with inspiration from abroad (as it is the case of most Danish cheeses).

In 1896, a young and talented cheesemaker Rasmus Nielsen received a travel scholarship from the state to study cheesemaking abroad. He learned a bit of German, packed the suitcase and went to East Prussia, close to the Russian border. This area of vast plains with grassing cows was famous for its high quality cheeses. Like a dry sponge in water, he absorbed inspiration from the small dairies in the area. He went on to Holland where he picked up more inspiration and knowledge from the local cheesemakers.

Back in Denmark after travelling around for half a year he gathered all impressions into a new cheese – out of the cheese vat came a square cheese washed with a mix of bacterial and yeast cultures.

A classical ‘ostemad’: A slice of danbo on rye bread or as shown here on stone age bread. Photo: Ditte Ingemann, from my cheese book ‘OST på Bordet’ (in Danish)

The Danish Way

Cheese makers talk about ‘the Danish method’ and refer to the smear-ripening of danbo and other Danish cheeses. The selected bacterias and yeast cultures help the cheese to ripen and give taste and smell. In fact, this type of cheese has a quite strong ‘odeur’ (you know it when you open the fridge and smell it immediately 🙂 )

The cheese has a high water content which gives a soft texture and makes it easy to slice.

Not so typical – but yet a good pairing: Rye bread with a slice of danbo topped with avocado and rocket salad

What does the PGI mean?

With the PGI label (Protected Geographical Indication), danbo is in the same group as for instance tomme de Savoie IGP and emmental de Savoie IGP.

For danbo it means that it must be produced in Denmark. The taste should be ‘mild, with a bit of acidity, aromatic and with the typical taste from the smear-ripening’. You are allowed to add caraway as long as the cheese gets the taste and smell of the aromatic seeds.

Danbo is found with various maturations. The taste goes from mild to very strong!

2. March 2019