Lemon Ricotta Crostata
WOMEN OF OUR TRADITION
St. Catherine: Mystic, Church Reformer, Doctor of the Church (25 March 1347 - 29 April 1380)
Feast Day April 29
“The soul cannot live without love. She always wants to love something because love
is the stuff she is made of, and through love I created her." (God to St. Catherine)
• St. Catherine, born in Siena, Italy was the youngest of 25 children (not all who survived). She was very devout and at the age of 16, joined the Third Order of St. Dominic.
• In her 20’s she started having mystical experiences, and made it her mission to help the poor and the sick.
• She became actively involved in politics & reforming the Church. St. Catherine is known for her writings on peace and restoring the papacy back to Rome.
• In 1377, St. Catherine established a monastery for women outside of Siena.
• Her writings consisted of over 400 letters, her prayers, and her most definitive spiritual work, The Dialogue. These influential writings earned her the title of “Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church”. Christian mysticism is defined as “[T]hat part, or element, of Christian belief and practice that concerns the preparation for, the consciousness of, and the effect of [...] a direct and transformative presence of God.” And “...new ways of knowing and loving based on states of awareness in which God becomes present in our inner acts.”
Pope Benedict explains her title of Doctor of the Church: “When the fame of her holiness spread, she became the protagonist of an intense activity of spiritual guidance for people from every walk of life: nobles and politicians, artists and ordinary people, consecrated men and women and religious, including Pope Gregory XI…”
Words to Live By ~ from The Dialogue, by St. Catherine of Siena
"Start being brave about everything. Drive out darkness and spread light. Don’t look at your weaknesses. Realize instead that in Christ crucified you can do everything."
"He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely."
"Preach the Truth as if you had a million voices. It is silence that kills the world."
The Roman Catholic Church denies women’s presence in tradition. They use "tradition" as a means to exclude women; I argue that women were indeed part of that tradition, and we need to reclaim it. We need to remember those women that shaped our Church. In the spring, lemons are in season in Tuscany & Sicily. So, it seemed appropriate to honor St. Catherine, the patron Saint of Italy, with this lemon ricotta crostata.
Lemon Ricotta Crostata
Ingredients
For the dough:
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 cup confectioner's sugar
· 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
· Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
· 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
· 1 large whole egg
· 2 egg yolks
For the filling:
· 8 oz. fresh sheep's milk ricotta or well-drained cow's milk ricotta
· 8 oz. mascarpone
· 1 large whole egg
· 2 egg yolks
· 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, plus more for dusting
· 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
· Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions For the dough:
1. Put the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse to combine. Distribute the butter around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the whole egg and egg yolks and process just until the mixture begins to come together in the bowl. (if too dry/crumbly add a bit of ice water)
2. Turn the bowl out on a lightly floured surface and briefly knead it together. Without overworking it, shape the dough into a disc, patting rather than kneading. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until well-chilled. 3. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other. Re-wrap the smaller portion and return to the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the large portion into an 11-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a greased and floured 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan to remove any excess dough. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. For the filling and assembly:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mascarpone, whole egg and yolks, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest. Using a stand mixer or handheld beater, beat the ingredients on high for about 1 minute or until thoroughly combined and fluffy. 2. Remove the tart shell from the fridge and scrape filling into it, smoothing with a spatula. Roll out the reserved dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3/4-inch wide strips with a fluted pastry wheel. Carefully place the strips over the fitted tart shell in a lattice pattern, gently pressing the ends into the sides of the tart. Use any remaining strips to form around the tart's perimeter. 3. Bake the crostata for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is puffed and just set. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Remove the tart ring and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving. Will keep in the fridge 2-3 days.
Recipe from Domenica Marchetti, https://www.italymagazine.com/recipe/lemon-ricotta-crostata-mascarpone
