Smoked Ricotta

|Rih-KOT-uh|

Crooked Face Creamery’s signature cheese, Smoked Ricotta is inspired by the experience of lakeside campfires: The wafting smoky smell and the warm feeling of companionship as you sit around the flame. Made with Jersey whole milk, rounds of this fresh cheese are cold smoked with organic local Applewood in a custom-built cold smoker. The result is a light and fluffy cheese that exudes aromas of smoke. The savory smoke is forward on the palate, but it gives way to lush creaminess and a slight hint of salt for a beautifully balanced flavor.

Based in Maine on her parents’ old dairy farm, Amy Rowbottom of Crooked Face Creamery churns out small 25- to 40-gallon batches of fresh ricotta and aged wheels. Using a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Rowbottom worked with the Maine Wood Heat Company to design and build a custom cold smoker, which she now uses for Smoked Ricotta, as well as a version of her gouda-style cheese.

Indulge in Smoked Ricotta’s simple delight: Drizzle with olive oil or a dab of Sriracha and eat by the spoonful. Use it as a spread on just about anything (we think it’s perfect on a sturdy Castleton cracker with a streak of sweet pepper jelly) or plop onto pizza, pasta, or bitter greens to add a touch of freshness.

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