We all have heard a lot about farm-to-table, but how about cow-to-table? My girlfriend Cindy and I were on a visit to Sorrento, a picture-postcard town overlooking the Bay of naples. There, in the rich soil of Campania, the Marciano family welcomes visitors to the farm that has been in their family for generations. Lemons, limes, and walnuts all grow on the rolling acres where happy cows or at least they looked happy to me graze on the sweet grass. This was the first time that a visit to a restaurant started with the owners asking me to milk a cow! Well, when in Rome (or in this case Sorrento).…So I followed orders and we made fresh burrata, mozzarella, and ricotta before heading up to the farmhouse, where our hosts fed us a meal I will never forget. We started off with some prosciutto, peppers, mozzarella, and olives. Then we were served ricotta topped with chili flakes and olive oil, and some crusty bread followed by penne with sausage and red sauce. The meal ended with lemon ricotta cheesecake and some limoncello. It was all super, but then, what meal isn’t in Italy? However, because I had a hand in making it, I will always remember the simple, spicy, creamy, chunky ricotta, with a lashing of olive oil and a sprinkling of red-pepper flakes. For my own version, I tore up some figs and added them for sweetness and chewiness. Freshly made cheeses, such as mozzarella and ricotta, have less butterfat by volume than aged cheeses, where the fat concentrates as the cheeses dry and age, so the amount of saturated fat isn’t a great concern.
Ingredients
- In a small bowl, toss the figs with the olive oil and pepper flakes. Using a spoon, smash the figs into a pastelike consistency.
- Spoon the ricotta into the center of a large shallow bowl. Spoon the fig paste into the center. Sprinkle the sea salt on top and drizzle with the vincotto or balsamic vinegar. Serve family-style with the bread.