Tiramisu Mascarpone
1: Whip it with half as much crème fraiche and spread on a sheet of cold baked puff pastry, then cover with soft fruit and dust with icing sugar.
2: Spread thickly on slabs of cooled polenta and top with thyme-seasoned stewed mushrooms or leeks, then shower with parsley.
3: Mix with chopped soft herbs or watercress and float spoonfuls in spinach or roast tomato soup.
4: Spread thickly on garlic-rubbed rustic toast then cover with roasted red peppers or peeled, blanched broad beans.
5: Beat with egg yolks then whisked whites to sandwich coffee and rum-soaked sponge fingers. Chill then dust with cocoa, to make tiramisu.
Ricotta
1: Beat with lemon juice, fold in chopped basil and wrap spoonfuls with Parma ham.
2: Beat with crushed garlic and chopped mixed soft herbs and stuff into small roasted red peppers (from a jar).
3: Use instead of water in pastry.
4: Crumble over griddled vegetables, particularly courgettes or aubergine.
5: Delicious with spinach in flans, with or stuffed in pasta.
First published in the May 2007 edition of Saga Magazine
Lindsey Bareham's website is www.lindseybareham.com