A ’70s icon reimagined

Could there be a food more heavily burdened with a dull reputation? Has anyone even eaten cottage cheese since the 1970s?

Turns out that like so many foods today, this aged icon of the fat-free diet movement has been getting the artisanal treatment by cheesemakers around the country, giving fresh life to a food most of us haven’t thought about in decades. So we decided it was time to reimagine how we eat it and come up with recipes worthy of the new breed of high-quality cottage cheeses.

Cottage Cheese Pepper Dip

16-ounce container cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more to garnish

1/2 cup chopped cherry peppers

1 tablespoon cherry pepper liquid (from the jar of cherry peppers)

1 tablespoon diced banana peppers

1/4 cup diced Kalamata olives

Chips, toasted baguette rounds, crackers or vegetables, to serve

In a medium bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, cherry peppers, cherry pepper liquid, banana peppers and Kalamata olives. Spoon the mixture evenly into a casserole or other serving dish. Sprinkle with additional paprika. Serve with toasted chips, toasted baguette rounds, crackers or vegetables.

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 50 calories, 1.5 grams fat (no saturated fat, 20 percent fat calories), 7 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, no dietary fiber, 280 milligrams sodium.

Cottage Cheese Pie

16-ounce container cottage cheese, divided

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Zest and juice of 1 orange

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup heavy cream

Fresh berries, to serve

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, the butter and a pinch of salt until well combined. Add the flour and beat just until incorporated.

Form the dough into a round and transfer to a lightly floured counter. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle, then fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim off most of the overhang, leaving about 1/2 inch. Crimp the edge with a decorative flute or fold the excess under itself and crimp with a fork. Set the pie pan on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar until smooth and slightly frothy. Stir in the orange and lime zests and juices, along with the heavy cream and remaining cottage cheese. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pie shell and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until just set in the middle.

Allow to cool to room temperature and serve topped with fresh berries. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 290 calories, 17 grams fat (10 grams saturated, 52 percent fat calories), 11 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, 140 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 260 milligrams sodium.