Homemade Lasagna! Oh It's Been So Long!

Since I have an allergy to cow dairy, there are many foods that have been off the list of even possible for me for a very long time.  Even before I really knew about the allergy, I knew some foods were definitely a problem. I loved the taste of lasagna, but also knew that sickness would follow so no matter how good it tasted it was a very big no-no.

Now that we have the dairy goats, and homemade mozzarella is in my retinue of foods I can craft from goat milk, it's possible.  The goat milk ricotta is so easy it's one of the first cheeses most people learn to make.  With this discovery of the availability of goat milk mozzarella and goat milk ricotta, lasagna became an option, along with real homemade pizza! OH the cheesey goodness that is now available!! 

This said, about the time we discovered I could in fact make mozzarella, our ovens went out.  Both had faulty elements, and one even resulted in a kitchen fire.  No worries, everyone is fine and the house is well recovered from the useful application of a fire extinguisher.  (Note: Everyone should learn the right way to use a fire extinguisher!)  For financial reasons we had to stall about replacing the elements - they are a bit expensive.  My charming husband asked one morning, "If I can get new elements will you make me lasagna?"  It was so cute I had to say yes!

First, the homemade mozzarella:  2 gallons of fresh goat milk, 2 3/4 tsp citric acid and cool water, 1/2 tsp rennet in cool water, and some hot salt water - an hour later, a nice fat wheel of fresh mozzarella!  The whey - my goats are freaks that they don't want to drink it, as most goats go nuts over it.  Whey mozzarella and I are seldom friends for some reason, so another gallon of milk to make some whole milk ricotta - (which is heated to nearly 200 degrees, just below the boil, then add acid in the way of vinegar or lemon juice) and skim out the curds.  Drain and salt and cool.

(pardon the poor quality of this photo of our FRESH homemade mozarella -

the lighting was terrible and I was just taking photos for fun)

OOohhh! We are so close now! Prepared the lasagna layers (mixed the ricotta with some fresh homemade pesto) and voila! REAL lasagna that I can eat with a fresh salad from our lettuce garden!

(fresh mesclun and baby spinach salad)

(Goat cheese lasagna!)