Lots o' Quark

[JJS360]

Ok, so I got ambitious, and I decided to make cheese for the first time. It was quite a success...and now I have an abundance of quark! It is only my boyfriend and I at home, but I am always happy to feed others. Suggestions on uses for my quark overload??

[Missyme]

Please post your recipe for making quark!

[JJS360]

1 gallon whole milk
2 T buttermilk
1 tsp. Salt

LARGE microwave-safe bowl
Cheese cloth
colander
other large bowl (of any type)
Accurate thermometer

Pour both milk types into microwave safe bowl and heat to 88 degree F (alternatively this can be done on the stovetop and transferred). Place in a warm spot for 24 to 36 hours. (I covered mine because I have a nosy cat. I'm not sure if this made any difference.) Line colander with cheese cloth either in a sink or over a large bowl (depending on your plumbing or if you would like to retain the whey). Ladle the curds into the cheese cloth-lined colander. Sprinkle with salt. Tie up corners of cloth and hang to drain (in my case, the shower was the only option!). Hang 5 to 6 hours (depending on your preferred texture and creaminess). You can then transfer to a colander over a bowl to drain some more in the fridge or use it right then. I plan on mixing some herbs and garlic in some to spread on crostini with some figs I just purchased, and will use the rest in some of the ways people suggested.

I should point out there seem to be a multitude of ways that people make quark at home. More buttermilk, ALL buttermilk, heating the milk to higher temps initially, keeping in the oven overnight at 150 degrees F. I based mine on the now-abandoned Serious Cheese blog, which apparently is inspired by Tim Smith's Making Artisan Cheese.

So experiment and see what works best for you!

[linguafood]

Yah, add fresh herbs (like chives, parsley, dill, and scallions) and make herb quark. Or add pureed fruit and make fruit quark.

The herb quark is delicious with new potatoes.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Garlic and herbs together makes a nice dip for veggies or a sandwich spread. (I actually buy garlic quark at the farmers' market.)

[nofunlatte]

I've done all buttermilk, using a Salton yogurt maker (the 1-qt. kind, not the one with the gazillion little glasses). The drawback is that one can only use 1 qt. of liquid at a time. I will try your method, because I want to make a German cheesecake sometime this fall.

[goodhealthgourmet]

in addition to the great sggestions you've already gotten:
- mix with sour cream, yogurt or mayo as a wonderfully tangy base for dip
- season with pepper and herbs, blend with roasted red pepper, roasted garlic or sun-dried tomato, and spread on crostini
- you can use it in tons of sweet/dessert preparations, even if it;s just as simple as mixing with a little honey and serving with fresh fruit.

perhaps some of these recipes will appeal:
http://whatsforlunchhoney.blogspot.com/search?q=quark
http://www.branchedoakfarm.com/8.php
http://rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com/2007/07/quarktorte-swiss-quark-cheese-tart.html
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?foodido=15079,17412&title=quark
http://www.oakdalecheese.com/recipes.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070128063928AAptAt0
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=quark
http://www.survival-cooking.com/2009/...

[Full tummy]

I would use it in lasagne, as you would ricotta or cottage cheese. You might have to thin it with a little cream or milk, however.

If you do make German-style cheesecake, as nofuniatte suggests, you will need to keep in mind that it tends to be drier and less rich than New York style; some might think of it as an acquired taste. It's definitely worth a try, however, because if you did like it, it just might solve all your quark problems from here to eternity.

[nofunlatte]

German-style cheesecake.
Mix chopped chives into it and use it as a spread for bread or bagels.