Spread the creamy ricotta on your plate or platter and top with the roasted plums (save the juices – they’re delicious drizzled on top). Roast for about eight minutes, or until the plum softens when gently pressed. Toss with oil, sprinkle with salt and lay cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently pull the fruit from the stone so you are left with two halves. Run the blade of a sharp paring knife along the crease of the plum, all the way around. Spread into a single layer and cool completely. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread out with a spatula, return to the oven and bake, stirring every three minutes, until the honey is bubbling and the hazelnuts start to turn golden, about 10-12 minutes. Once clean (a few bits of dark skin won’t hurt), transfer nuts to a bowl and top with honey, salt and wild foraged sumac (it grows everywhere in the Okanagan its dried fruit is a common spice that adds a tart flavour). Transfer to a clean towel and rub the skins away. Preheat the oven to 375 F and roast the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet until the skins darken slightly and lift. You may want to add another pinch of salt here to bring out the tanginess of the cheese.

Transfer the ricotta to the bowl of a stand mixer, add whipping cream and using the paddle attachment, whip until creamy and slightly fluffy. Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and let cool completely. Gently ladle the ricotta over the cheesecloth and let drain for about eight minutes. Remove from heat, put the lid on the pot and let sit for 20 minutes. Slowly stir the mixture for one minute the more you stir, the more you cut the curd and will get a grainier ricotta. Reduce the temperature to low and add the vinegar all at once. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat the milk and salt to 185 F, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t scorch.

Line a colander with two layers of water-dampened cheesecloth. Transfer mixture into a clean container and leave on the counter overnight. In a small bowl, combine honey, black garlic and salt.

Ken smith bass