Heirlom Tomatoes with Homemade Ricotta, Shaved Fennel & Charred Cos

Recipe Series brought to you by Amex DE.

Summer is in full swing and all of us in germany know we have to make the most of the warm months very well while they last.

Summer comes and goes in a second. The best way to make the most of this summer is with recipes that pay attention to fresh, quality produce in unique home cooked dishes. That is why I have teamed up with Amex DE to bring you this exclusive concept. Follow along for the next 7 months to see a series of recipes that will challenge your home cooking and may even win you some friends.

The key to a good salad is layers. Layering flavours, layering textures, layering the elements for a visually decadent piece of food art. These elements do not have to be overly complicated because when you put the pieces all together, they are already a statement. If you have overly complicated elements in themselves, then when you put them all together, it becomes too complicated, too over the top and basically a mess.

The combination I have chosen for this salad speaks to the summer months when fresh heirloom tomatoes are in full swing and their web like interior is a capturing artwork in itself. From there I added shaved fennel for a nutty crunch which you can easily grill or slow bake if you do not love the raw ingredient, homemade ricotta which is just too easy to make at home and will become your new favorite show stopper and lastly, charred cos. This final element gives a beautiful natural crunch but also, when you char the one flat side, it also has this smoked flavour that can be tasted at every bite.

Some add-ons - bacon. For those none vegan or vegetarians out there, bacon is the perfect option for a salty touch (and maybe a little snack for the chef while cooking).

For a vegan alternative, subtitle the homemade cow milk with a plant based milk instead but use one with a higher fat content as this is what you need to form curdles. You can also substitute the ricotta for a whipped vegan yogurt which gives the creaminess or a pickled fruit of your choice.

We hope you enjoy this recipe. Follow along on @amex_de and @cecilevadas for a 7 month series or seasonal, quality and unique recipes designed, styled and executed by myself (Cecile Vadas). Special thanks to Michael Adolph and Stefanie Schwaerzli from Werbewelt.

Homemade Ricotta, Shaved Fennel, Heirloom Tomatoes and Charred Cos Salad

Ingredients

For the Ricotta

1 liter whole milk

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 lemon, juiced

For the Salad

1 large cos lettuce, halved

2 large heirloom tomatoes (red and purple mixed), sliced

1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced with a Madeline

2 radishes, left whole or cut into quarters

1 whole nectarine, sliced into 8ths

4 rashes of bacon (optional)

Micro greens and fennel leaves to garnish

Method

For the Ricotta

In a small pot, heat the milk along with the salt on medium heat. Once you begin to see the milk splitting, add the lemon juice and remove from the heat. You can stir once or twice but do not over stir as this will effect the curdling and clumping process. Leave to sit in the pot untouched for 30 minutes. After this rest period, pour the mixture over a very fine sieve or muslin strainer. Leave too separate.

Once the curdles are separated in the cloth from the liquids (the whey), you have made ricotta! Place into a bowl and refrigerate until cool. Do not discard the liquid - this is pure whey protein and is great for making béchamel sauce, pancakes or in a pasta sauce.

To make the Salad

Ensure you have a large serving bowl or shallow plate.

If you want the crispy bacon - In a medium pan, turn the heat to high and place your rashes of bacon once you see the pan smoking a little - this will ensure you have a smoky flavour in the bacon. Cook until a deep red colour then flip, cooking for a further 1-2 minutes or until the bacon does not bend. Remove from the pan and leave too cool.

Using the same pan, or a grill, place the cos cut side down onto the heat. Press down to quickly char for roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute. We do this so the cos doesn’t wilt but it leaves a smokey, charred exterior. Remove from the heat and now it’s time to plate.

Plating the salad can be done in a number of different ways. You can cut the vegetables into small pieces and mix all together with the ricotta as a dressing to cover or layer the vegetables with the charred cos as the base (which is what I did). First lay the charred cos, cut side up. Next add the sliced fennel and then the tomatoes between. Finish with the nectarine slices nestled in, dollop the ricotta around and sprinkle the crushed bacon and micro greens.