dairy

I adapted this recipe from the wife of a professor in our department (I must mention that she is a professor in her own right, having both a PhD in physics and an M.D.). This professor and his wife could be our doubles (except being waaaay smarter): Dr. Ziff is dark-haired, musical, and as absentminded as Craig. His wife is blond, a fabulous cook and totally in charge. We are members of the same Temple, too. Her soufflé originally called for spinach and different cheese. I prefer zucchini and smoked Gouda (it tricks Craig into thinking it isn’t vegetarian), but feel free to experiment. I like to serve this with a spinach salad and challah. It is very rich.

• 2 onions, chopped

• ~12 smallish zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped about 1/3 inch thick

• olive oil

• 20 oz. ricotta

• 12 eggs, separated

• ¾ lb smoked Gouda, grated

• 1 ½ c milk or 1 c milk + ½ c sour cream

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 T dried basil (optional—I added this one time when there was no smoked Gouda available, and we really liked it)

Sauté onions in the oil until soft. Add the zucchini and sauté until crisp tender (too long and they get mushy, too little and they’ll be crunchy—you’ll have to experiment to decide what you prefer). Combine ricotta, egg yolks, gouda, milk/sour cream, salt, pepper, and basil. Whisk until blended. Stir in the zucchini and onions. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir ¼ of the beaten egg whites into the cheese batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining beaten egg whites. Pour into a greased baking dish (this is tricky…it is a little too much for a 9x13 if you have a 10x15 great, use it…if not you can pour what won’t fit in the 9x13 into a smaller pan and bake for less time). Bake for 45 to 60 minutes at 350ºF. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean, though a little damp. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 

The soufflé can also be frozen and reheated (covered with foil) later. It looses a little fluffiness, but not too much.

Serves 6-8