SERVES 4

Ricotta Cheese

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup whipping (35%) cream
• 1/4  cup white vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Roasted Zucchini

• 2 medium yellow zucchini 
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2  tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2  cup Shallot Vinaigrette (see recipe on the site)

Garnishes

• Red currants
• Crushed peeled and toasted hazelnuts
• Lemon verbena leaves 
• Zucchini flowers 
• Chives
• Shaved raw zucchini

Ricotta Cheese

Place a colander or fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and line it with 3 layers of cheesecloth. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk and cream to just under a simmer. Stir in the vinegar, lemon juice and salt and continue to simmer for 1 minute. You should see a clear separation of the liquid (whey) and solids (curd). Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pour the whey and curds through the cheesecloth-lined colander. Transfer to the refrigerator and let the whey strain out of the cheese overnight.

The next day, spoon the ricotta out of the colander into a small bowl and season with more lemon juice and salt, if desired. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Roasted Zucchini

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

With a sharp knife, cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Lay the zucchini halves cut side up on a cutting board and, using a paring knife, lightly score the flesh in a crisscross pattern. Season the scored side of the zucchini with the salt. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until the oil starts to smoke lightly. Carefully lay the zucchini cut side down in the pan and fry until the flesh is golden brown and lightly caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the zucchini halves over and spread the minced garlic on them evenly to coat. Transfer to the oven and bake until the zucchini is cooked and tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a plate to cool.

Serving

Place a zucchini half in the centre of each plate, then drizzle with some of the Shallot
Vinaigrette. Spread a generous amount of ricotta evenly over the surface of the zucchini. Sprinkle a few currants over the ricotta, letting them fall naturally into the crevices of the cheese. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and scatter the lemon verbena, zucchini flowers and chives from one end to the other. In a small bowl, toss the shaved zucchini with a little salt and Shallot Vinaigrette and arrange on top to finish the dish.