Tasty Tuesday - Yogurt Cheese and Artisan Bread Dippers

I have been fascinated by the idea of making my own cheese, so I picked up a magazine on the subject the other day and tried my hand at an easy and very tasty soft cheese. I had some artisan bread on hand as well so I made tasty dippers to go along with this luscious and creamy cheese. A perfect way to start a party, or to snack on during a hot summer day, just add fruit or a salad as a side, along with fresh lemonade, and you will be praised for your culinary prowess. Here's how to go about making the cheese:
Yogurt Cheese
2 cups plain low fat yogurt
2 tablespoons heavy cream, (optional but improves the texture and spreadability of the cheese)
cheesecloth (can be found at your local hardware store
colander
Line the colander with the cheesecloth and clip to edges with clothespins or clips. Mix the yogurt and cream together and pour into the cheesecloth lined colander. Place the colander in/on a large bowl to catch the whey as it drains. Place in the refrigerator and allow the mixture to drain. After about 4 hours check to see how much of the whey has drained into the bowl and pour off. You can save and freeze the whey to be used in soups, gravy or bread. When whey stops draining, the yogurt cheese is ready. This will take about 48 hours. Don't worry about covering the colander. I noticed that I didn't have much whey drain off. Perhaps it was because I used non-fat yogurt, but anyhew, this still worked.
I seasoned my yogurt cheese with chopped chives, a few dashes of celery salt and some garlic powder. Wow, is that yummy! You can also make a sweet yogurt cheese for bagels and such by using vanilla flavored or fruit flavored yogurt. If you'd like to add fruit, use dried, snipped fruit and fresh will make the cheese runny.
Artisan Bread Dippers
Any good bread such as french, rye, or sourdough will do
melted butter
Old Bay Seasoning
Slice bread about a half inch thick and brush both sides with butter. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning on both sides as well. Place on cookie sheet and toast under broiler until golden brown. Slice bread into strips and let cool. Serve with yogurt cheese and fresh fruit. Yummy!