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1
First, make the ricotta cheese: Line a sieve with two layers of cheesecloth.
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2
Combine the milk and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a 3-quart or larger saucepan over medium-high heat.
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3
Watching the pot, bring the milk to a gentle simmer at the edges, and then whisk in the vinegar.
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4
The milk will separate into white curds and yellowish whey.
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5
Let it sit 10 minutes to allow the curds to gather together, then gently pour the curds through the cheesecloth-lined sieve, saving the whey for another purpose (such as stock for soup making).
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6
Drain the curds until you have creamy curds, and set aside.
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7
For the spiced butter, combine the butter, black peppercorns, cumin, cloves, bay leaves, ginger root slices and cinnamon in a small saute pan over medium heat and cook until the butter browns at the edges, about 3 minutes.
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8
Let the butter steep until just warm to the touch.
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9
Pour the contents of the pan through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to remove all of the butter.
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10
Discard the spices and ginger.
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11
Heat a 12-inch or larger skillet over high heat.
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12
When hot, add the spiced butter (holding back the brown deposits at the bottom of the bowl), minced ginger, collard greens, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the ground pepper, stirring to coat the greens with the butter.
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13
Cook over high heat, stirring often, until tender, about 3 minutes.
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14
Add the brown butter bits at the bottom of the bowl, and stir to combine.
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15
Transfer the greens to a shallow platter, garnish with dollops of fresh ricotta and serve immediately
