Well, now I have all this cheese I made, and I need to do something with! This is a great main dish or side, and would be a really good appetizer for the holidays.
Vegetable Cheese Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups crushed walnuts
- 1 lb whole milk ricotta, drained, then brought to room temperature
- 1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, cream, or half & half
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 TBSP potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
- Drizzle of honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice, and some zest if you like
- Salt and pepper
- Hot pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan, blue cheese or gorgonzola
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup black olives, chopped
- 1 cup cooked green bell peppers and onions, chopped
Instructions
- Grease your baking pan. I used a 9" springform pan, but you could make it in any type of baking pan, just decide how thick you want it. Press the crushed walnuts in the bottom of the pan.
- Heat oven to 425°
- With an electric mixer, beat ricotta and cream cheese until creamy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Beat in buttermilk and garlic.
- Then beat in the next 7 ingredients.
- By hand, stir in the Parmesan, tomatoes, olives, and green peppers. Obviously, what you can add is wide open, pick your favorites. I think I might try spinach and artichoke heart next time!
- Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Lower oven to 250° and bake for 45 min - 1 hr until set.
- I served it with basil pesto and tomato bruschetta.
- Note: For the non-vegetarian version, add crisp bacon, prosciutto, or salami.