Making Moroccan Preserved Lemons, Salmon Salad, and Chevre

What a busy work week. Puttering in the kitchen is just what the doctor ordered to soothe a frazzled soul.

So why such a hodgepodge of recipes in this post?

Hubby is out of town and I didn't have any leftovers or the inclination to cook for myself, so I decided to make salmon salad (which I prefer to tuna salad) to snack on as I processed the many lemons I've been gifted by friends with lemon trees.

And I took a cheesemaking class a couple of weeks ago. I finally got goat milk last week, and my friend Cheryl gave me a present: chevre culture and butter muslin, which is finer than cheesecloth. I'm posting the goat cheese recipe only to show you just how easy it is to make. I just followed the directions that came with the chevre culture.

All three recipes are very simple and don't take any time at all to prepare.

PS. Santa Cruz area folks can get cheesemaking supplies at Mountain Feed and Farm Supplies in Ben Lomond.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons
Ingredients

• 5-6 meyer lemons (please use organic)
• sterilized pint jar
• salt (I used kosher salt)

Directions

1. Scrub lemons with a brush. (no soap)
2. Slice the ends off and discard, then thinly slice the lemons.
3. Put a teaspoon of salt in the bottom of the jar.
4. Toss the lemon slices with a couple of tablespoons of salt.
5. Layer the lemons in the jar, pressing until the jar is tightly packed. 
6. Sprinkle another teaspoon of salt on top of the lemons, and add additional lemon juice until the lemon slices are covered. Screw the lid on the jar.
7. Leave in a cool, dark place, turning the jar once a day to redistribute the salt, for a couple of weeks.
8. When the lemons start to soften, refrigerate and let them continue to brine.
9. You can use the lemons now, if you're eager to try this tangine recipe, although they will be even better in a few weeks. They will last, refrigerated, for about a year I'm told.

Salmon Salad
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. cooked salmon or (3) 6oz. cans, drained
• 1/4 c. chopped red onion
• 1 minced dill pickle
• 2 T. capers
• 1/2 c. mayo
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 t. grey poupon mustard
• pinch garlic powder
• Optional: fresh lemon thyme or lemon zest
• Sandwich fixin's or crackers/chips

Directions

1. If using canned salmon, drain and set liquid aside.
2. Put salmon in big bowl and flake it with a fork.
3. Chop the onion and pickle.
4. Add chopped veggies, capers, mayo, mustard, garlic powder and pepper to the bowl. Mix with the salmon until blended.
5. Now comes the fun. You can make a sammie on toasted sprouted grain bread, which I did today, with pepperoncini, a shave of ripe tomato and provolone. I still have a smile on my face.
6. Or you can make a tortilla wrap. Or if you're just nibbling, serve with chips or crackers and scoop to your heart's delight.
7. Oh, and give the drained liquid to the cats.

Chevre (goat cheese)

Ingredients

• 1 gallon goat milk (not ultra pasteurized)
• 1 package of chevre culture
• a food thermometer
• butter muslin and a sieve of some sort or molds
• salt

Directions

1. Make yourself a double boiler and attach the food themometer to the inside pot with the milk.
2. Slowly warm to 86 degrees.
3. Take the milk off the burner and sprinkle the culture on top. Let rehydrate for 2 minutes, then stir into the milk.
4. Cover the pot with foil and let set for 12-24 hours.
5. Remove the foil and drain the curds from the whey. (Save the whey. It's full of protein and has many uses, including making ricotta.)
6. At this point you can do one of two things. Scoop the curds into buttercloth and hang to drain for 6 hours. Or scoop the curds into molds and drain.
7. I drained the cheese in buttercloth, then added salt, lemon zest, and lemon thyme, rolled it into logs and wrapped them in saran wrap to chill in the fridge.WORD OF CAUTION: Salt sparingly, then let the cheese sit for a few minutes while the salt dissolves. Taste again. It's very easy to add too much salt like I did. Grrr.
8. You can eat it now, or let it ripen for 2 or 3 days. It will get more tart as it ages.