At Sound Food we do a lot of thinking about the community's food system. Have you ever stopped to think about an even more local food system - the food system in your own home? Once you begin to examine what you eat and to make choices that include seasonal ingredients and homemade projects, you'll see that you can easily create a system that is interdependent. By-products from homemade meals and scraps from left-over ingredients can be used to create even more deliciously useful things. This series of articles will explore how making the most out of the food system in your own kitchen can save you time and money.

Incorporating simple cheese making into your kitchen culture creates more than just good cheese. You're often left with a large amount of whey, the liquid left behind after the solids are separated out. This doesn't have to go to waste. Little Miss Muffet surely liked her 'curds and whey,' and it won't take you long to also see the value in it.

If you're making cheese at home, simple soft cheeses are a good place to start. Ricotta,for example, has many uses, from lasagna to dessert, and is an extremely rewarding project. Taste homemade ricotta once and you'll never go back to store-bought.  

For 1 1/2 pounds ricotta:

Mix 1 tsp. citric acid into 1/4 cool cup of water and stir to dissolve. (You can also substitute the strained juice of one lemon for this citric acid/water mixture.) Add this to one gallon of whole milk in a heavy pot. Heat over medium, stirring often, to 185F. Remove from burner and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Place a colander in a large bowl and line it with cheesecloth. Ladle your curds into your cloth. Then, tie the corners to create a bag shape. Hang your cheese for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on desired consistency. (If your ricotta is too dry, you can always mix back in a little whey.)

Other good cheeses to begin with are fromage blanc and mozzarella. Check out Home Cheesing Making by Ricki Carroll for directions and inspiration. 

Some ideas for using leftover whey:

• Make bread or pizza dough (see recipe below).

• Substitute it for half of the stock in a soup recipe.

• Serve up some whey pancakes for breakfast.

• Use it to thin out a fruit smoothy.

• Feed it to your chickens. Adding whey to their waterer can strengthen your layer's eggshells.

Whey Pizza Dough

Mix 3 1/2 cups AP flour, 1 tbls. instant yeast, and 3/4 tsp. salt. Mix in 1 cup warm whey and 2 tbls. olive oil. Knead for about 5 minutes and then let it rest for 10 minutes. Oil a 14-inch pizza pan with additional olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Spread the dough out on pan. Allow your crust to rest in the refrigerator for one hour or until ready to be used. (A cold ferment isn't strictly necessary but enhances the flavor of the dough.) Top and bake at 500F on your lowest oven rack for about 7-10 minutes.