8 slices slices of bread from a large sourdough loaf
olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon halved
Equipment
Fine-mesh or tiny-holed strainer
Cheesecloth
Large bowl
Heavy medium-large saucepan
Grill
Directions
Line a fine-mesh or other tiny-holed strainer with a layer or two of cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl with enough clearance that the bottom of the strainer won’t touch the bowl once it has 4 cups of liquid in it, or the cheese won’t drain.
In a heavy medium-large saucepan, heat the milk, cream, and salt over medium-high heat until just below a simmer — it will look like it’s foaming and register just below 200°F.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then pour it through the cheesecloth. Drain for 10 minutes, or until it’s a nice soft ricotta consistency, and up to 10 minutes longer if needed. [The amount of time it takes to drain has to do with the size of your cheesecloth holes.]
Transfer ricotta to a bowl to serve. Drizzle with olive oil, and finish with salt and pepper.
Brush or drizzle your vegetables and bread with olive oil. Grill the vegetables, bread, and lemon halves until they’re lightly charred underneath (depending on how robust your grill is, this could take 2 to 6 minutes), then flip the vegetables and bread and cook on the second side. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and transfer everything to a serving platter.
Right before serving, drizzle everything with additional olive oil, squeeze at least one lemon half over the vegetables (leave the second half on the platter), and season with additional salt and pepper. You could also drizzle some balsamic vinegar over, or keep it on the side.