Get ready to crumble: Homemade feta

At some point early in the summer, no doubt after tossing together a tomato, feta and olive salad or a watermelon-feta-basil breakfast or after marinating a block of feta to serve with chilled rosé, I realized I was buying the cheese weekly. Nothing lights up my imagination more than the opportunity to make something at home that I buy that often. So I set off on a feta adventure.

Nearly all global cuisines feature fresh cheese made with commonly available milk, whether from a cow, goat, sheep, llama or camel. Consider ricotta, chevre, farmer’s cheese, quark and fromage blanc, which all fall into that category. Soft, brined, bright white feta is another of the farmstead cheeses that require no fancy equipment and little intervention. It was traditionally made by the dairy farmer when there were many other farm chores to finish in a day. It was stirred now and then, kept warm, then cut into curds and hung to drain. Such simple steps have been used for centuries.

Homemade feta tastes so much fresher and smoother. It’s creamy, melty and tangy — and as salty, or not, as I want it to be.

Feta is defined by its salt content; its texture, shot through with small holes; and its slightly granular finish. Rightfully, feta should be made with sheep’s milk, or a combination of sheep’s and goat’s milk. I couldn’t find sheep’s milk locally so I opted to try the method two ways: with cow’s milk and again with goat’s milk. I liked both versions but found that the goat feta was a little more tangy and held together better even when I cut the curd into cubes. The version made with cow’s milk was crumbly and tender at once, and less likely to retain its shape when cubed. I don’t hold the cheese in a wet brine, opting for a salting directly on the surface.

With all home cheesemaking, the best results start with the best main ingredient available. Look for whole milk that is pasteurized but not homogenized, often sold in glass bottles. The fresher the milk, the tastier the cheese.

Two ingredients not typically found in a home pantry are required. Rennet, which forms the curd, comes as a tablet or a liquid, either animal- or vegetable-based, and can be refrigerated for about six months. Rennet must be diluted with filtered water before being added to the milk.

Powdered mesophilic cultures, sold in packets, are reasonably priced. The accompanying feta cheese recipe uses only half a packet, so there can be at least one more batch in your future. Cultures are available at beermaking and winemaking supply stores and online, and can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Making feta takes a few minutes here and there over the course of an evening. I start after dinner, when all I need to do is heat the milk. The culturing takes a couple of idle hours. Then I cut the curd into cubes and pile them in a cheesecloth bundle to hang and drain overnight; that bit of hands-on work takes another few minutes. In the morning, the cheese is ready to be salted, and, after it has rested for a few hours in the refrigerator, I’m crumbling it over something at dinner.

When I can bear to use it in a recipe — rather than dousing it with olive oil and spreading it thickly on bread — I’ll make a phyllo torte with layers of autumn vegetables, crunchy hazelnuts and creamy, tangy feta. The rich, vegetarian-friendly buffet dish is one of my favorites on our holiday sideboard.

Embrace your inner cheesemaker and serve homemade feta this week, with watermelon and tomatoes. Weatherwise, at least, we’ve got a few more weeks of summer to savor.

DIY Feta Cheese

10 to 14 servings

(makes 10 to 14 ounces)

You’ll need cheesecloth or muslin, a large slotted spoon, an instant-read thermometer and kitchen twine.

Use the best milk available for the best-tasting cheese. Look for local, dairy-fresh whole milk. Goat’s milk is available at most grocery stores in a large metro area. (In testing, we found that the wide range of yield depends on whether the milk is homogenized; the less processed the milk, the higher the yield of cheese.)

Mesophilic culture packets are inexpensive and freezer-friendly. This recipe requires half a packet. They are sold at winemaking and beermaking supply shops and online. There are natural ways to create a DIY mesophilic culture using kefir or skim milk, initiated with the powdered culture.

Rennet is sold in tablet and liquid form and can be animal- or vegetable-based. It is found at Latin grocers and online; keep it refrigerated.

MAKE AHEAD: The curd must drain for 6 to 8 hours. The cheese must be refrigerated for 8 hours or overnight (dry-brined) before serving. Wrapped in wax paper or cheese paper, the cheese can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

2 quarts whole goat’s, cow’s or sheep’s milk, preferably pasteurized but not homogenized, at room temperature (see headnote)

1/8 teaspoon (1/2 packet) mesophilic culture (see headnote)

1/4 teaspoon rennet (see headnote)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth or one layer of muslin. (A thin cotton tea towel will also work.) Set the colander over a deep bowl.

Add the milk to a 4-quart or larger stainless-steel or other nonreactive heavy-bottomed pot with a cover. Clip on a thermometer. Gently heat the milk to 86 degrees. If it gets warmer than 90 degrees, let it return to 86 degrees before proceeding. Remove the pot from the heat.

Sprinkle the mesophilic culture across the surface of the warm milk. Let it sit, to bloom, for 5 minutes, then stir using an up-and-down motion just two times, very gently, to incorporate. Cover the pot for 1 hour. If your kitchen is cold, wrap the pot in a bath towel and place it away from any cool breezes, and away from stone or other cold surfaces.

Add the rennet to the milk and stir in an up-and-down motion just two times, very gently, to incorporate. Cover the pot for 45 minutes. Keep the pot warm with the bath towel and away from cold surfaces to maintain a temperature between 86 and 90 degrees.

Examine the curds, looking for a distinctive line of whey at the edge of the pot. When a knife is plunged into the curd and pulled back, the cut should remain clean, not soupy.

Use a long, flexible palette knife or spatula to cut the curds in the pot into 2-inch cubes. Let them sit for 10 minutes to tighten up. Gently and gradually stir the curds with a slotted spoon for 10 minutes, then scoop them into the lined colander set over the bowl. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Tie the fabric into a hobo bundle, securing it with a long piece of kitchen twine.

Suspend the bundle from upper cabinet handles, the faucet or a pot rack. Center the deep bowl directly underneath. Let the bundle drip for 6 to 8 hours. (More time makes for a firmer set.)

Remove the cheese from the bundle and break or cut it into cubes. Add the cheese to a stainless-steel, ceramic or glass bowl, sprinkle with salt, stir well and cover. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to firm up.

(To form the curds into a shaped cheese, line a perforated plastic basket with cheesecloth, spoon the curds into the basket and set over a deep bowl for an hour. Flip the cheese, sprinking salt on each side, wrap it up again and return it to the basket and bowl for another hour. Pour off the whey. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before serving.)

Refrigerate the feta in cheese paper or wax paper for up to 5 days.

Ingredients are too variable for a meaningful dietary analysis.

Phyllo Torte With Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard and Feta

12 servings

This savory layered torte highlights the bright flavors of fall. It’s flexible: Use spinach or kale instead of chard; sweet potatoes, Yukon Golds or carrots for the butternut squash. Be generous with the herbs, using whatever you have on hand.

Choose butternut squash with long necks, as they are easier to slice into rounds.

You’ll need an 8- or 9-inch springform pan.

MAKE AHEAD: The torte can be assembled, wrapped and refrigerated for up to 1 day in advance. The baked torte can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat (wrapped in aluminum foil) in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until warmed through.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

11/2 pounds Swiss chard, stemmed, steamed, chopped and squeezed dry (2 cups)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram

1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (depending on how salty the feta tastes)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed

10 ounces fresh feta, crumbled

2 medium, long-necked butternut squash (3 to 4 pounds total; see headnote)

2 large eggs, beaten

8 ounces frozen/just defrosted phyllo sheets (at least 10 sheets)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted; divided use

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped (see note below)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and stir to coat; cook about 8 minutes or until translucent, stirring as needed. Stir in the garlic; cook for a minute or two, just until it releases a sweet smell, then add the chard, parsley, mint, thyme and marjoram, stirring to incorporate. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the chard is tender and wilts a bit, then season with salt (keeping the feta in mind) and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

Crumble the feta in a large mixing bowl, then gently stir it into the cooled chard mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed; the mixture should be highly seasoned. Stir in the eggs.

Use a heavy, sharp knife to cut the neck from each butternut squash; reserve the bulb portion for another use. Use a vegetable peeler or knife to peel the necks, then use a mandoline or large, sharp knife to cut the necks into about 48 very thin (1/8 inch) slices.

Unroll 10 phyllo sheets; cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap and place a damp towel on top of the wrap. Return any remaining phyllo to the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil; place the springform pan on it.

Use a pastry brush and some of the melted butter to generously grease the inside of the springform pan. Butter the top (first) phyllo sheet; pick up two sheets, placing them buttered side down in the pan. Press the phyllo to the sides of the pan, letting the excess phyllo drape over the edges. Repeat two more times, until six sheets are on the bottom of the pan, rotating the pan with each addition so the phyllo is draping evenly around the edges. (If some of the phyllo cracks or splits, patch it with a little melted butter.)

Spread half of the chard-feta mixture across the phyllo. Use half of the squash slices to cover that layer completely, overlapping them in a concentric pattern. Scatter half of the hazelnuts across the squash.

Brush the top phyllo sheet with some of the melted butter; pick up two sheets and place them, buttered side down, over the hazelnuts, allowing the excess to drape over the side of the pan. Repeat one more time, then layer the remaining chard mixture, squash and hazelnuts.

Gather the draped phyllo around the edges of the pan; pleat and gather it to create a large beggar’s purse. Trim any excess with kitchen scissors, leaving a small topknot for decoration. Generously brush the top layer with the remaining melted butter, then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Make 12 shallow cuts through the top layers of phyllo in a spoke-wheel pattern; that will help the phyllo puff up and keep the top together when you are slicing and serving the torte.

Transfer the baking sheet to the middle rack of the oven; bake until well browned, 20 to 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the torte is hot all the way through. (To test, insert a knife deep into the center of the torte, then extract the tip and briefly touch it. The knife should be hot.)

Let the torte cool for 15 minutes, then remove the ring and unmold it. Serve warm.

NOTE: To skin the hazelnuts, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Add the hazelnuts and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice and water. After 2 minutes, remove one nut and drop it into the ice water. If the skin can be easily removed, drain the nuts and add them all to the ice water. If not, test one nut every minute until the skin comes off easily. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Slip off and discard the skins, then dry the nuts and spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Warm in the oven until they’re completely dry, 15 to 60 minutes.

Ingredients are too variable for a meaningful dietary analysis.