Buttermilk Ricotta Spread with Peaches and Almonds

Steps

1. Wash a large pot, a slotted spoon, a fine-mesh strainer and a bowl with hot soapy water, and line the strainer with a double layer of clean damp cheesecloth set over the bowl.
2. Pour the whole milk and the buttermilk into the pot, stir in the salt, and heat over medium, stirring gently now and then so the bottom doesn't scorch, until a thermometer reads about 190°F (88°C) and the milk is steaming with small bubbles at the edge, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Take the pot off the heat, drizzle in the lemon juice, and stir just two or three slow strokes. The buttermilk's acid starts the curd and the lemon juice finishes it: within a minute, soft white curds gather and float while the liquid underneath turns into thin, clear, yellow-green whey.
4. Leave the pot undisturbed for 10 minutes so the curds firm up.
5. Ladle the curds gently into the lined strainer and let the whey drain for about 10 minutes at room temperature for a soft, spreadable ricotta. For a firmer spread, move the bowl and strainer to the fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below and drain up to 1 hour longer.
6. Scrape the cheese into a clean bowl and stir until creamy. You'll have about 400 g of fresh cheese, roughly 100 g (a generous 1/3 cup) per serving.
7. Spread the ricotta over the toasted whole-wheat bread, two slices per serving, then top with the peach slices, the almonds and a light dusting of the nutmeg.
8. Refrigerate any leftover cheese promptly in a covered container and use within 3 days; this is a fresh cheese, so don't age it.