This was my week to pick the ingredient, and I chose one of my favorite things to eat - goat cheese.
I went online to pick a recipe, and I printed out a gazillion of them (for future use, of course - they went directly into the archive drawer). I really liked the tastes in the goat cheese spread - lemon zest and fresh herbs (I used tarragon and chives). This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Goat Cheese Spread with Herbs and Olive Oil
8 ounces goat cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, more if needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (choose at least two from the following: parsley, chives, tarragon, dill)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
Good crackers or slices of walnut bread
About 1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 celery heart, cut into sticks
Combine goat cheese, whipping cream, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and wine, either in a food processor or in a bowl. Combine just enough to blend. Mixture should be spreadable; if it's too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more cream. Season with salt and pepper, mix again and taste, adjusting seasoning as necessary.
Save 1 teaspoon herbs for garnishing and add the rest to processor. Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest. Pulse once more to blend.
Line a small (about 1 1/2-cup) round bowl or cup with a sheet of plastic wrap and fill with cheese mixture. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
To serve, invert bowl onto a serving platter and peel off plastic. With the back of a spoon, make a small depression in the cheese. Drizzle olive oil over top. Sprinkle with reserved herbs and lemon zest. Arrange crackers or bread slices, tomatoes and celery around cheese and serve.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups or 6 servings.
Comments (10)
This sounds really good. I bet the lemon zest really adds a lot to the flavor.
Posted by Cindy Ruth | October 4, 2009 1:04 PM
Posted on October 4, 2009 13:04
Nancy~ this looks great. You have done an amazing job of beating back jet lag and catching up!
Thanks for linking up :-)
Posted by sandi @ the whistlestop cafe | October 4, 2009 4:54 PM
Posted on October 4, 2009 16:54
This sounds really good. I love goat cheese in all shapes and forms, so thank for picking it.
Posted by Annie | October 5, 2009 5:47 AM
Posted on October 5, 2009 05:47
This looks like my kind of recipe...yummy and fairly easy to pull together. Thank you Nancy.
Posted by Barb Cabot | October 5, 2009 6:50 AM
Posted on October 5, 2009 06:50
Nancy, thank you for choosing Goat Cheese. I love that ingredient. And welcome back!
Posted by Eden | October 5, 2009 7:02 AM
Posted on October 5, 2009 07:02
I am glad that you all enjoyed the goat cheese ingredient.
It is definitely at the top of my list of favorites - after wine, of course.
Posted by nancyhol | October 5, 2009 8:28 AM
Posted on October 5, 2009 08:28
Hi Nancy, your recipe sounds really delicious. I really love the presentation of your appetizer dish too.
Now that I know that I like goat cheese, I want to try your goat cheese spread next time.
Thanks again and have a wonderful day.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | October 5, 2009 8:59 AM
Posted on October 5, 2009 08:59
Wow! You did a lot of cooking this past week! All of your creations look great!
Posted by girasoli | October 5, 2009 12:38 PM
Posted on October 5, 2009 12:38
Thank you for choosing goat cheese! It is one of my favorite cheeses and I like how versatile it is. I bet your spread is amazing over walnut bread. I'm going to save your recipe to make soon.
Posted by María I. | October 5, 2009 1:41 PM
Posted on October 5, 2009 13:41
Me again ;). I checked out your other recipes in your catching-up posts and they all look amazing. I'm particularly drawn to the crab salad. I love sweet/salty dishes!
Posted by María I. | October 5, 2009 1:47 PM
Posted on October 5, 2009 13:47