Cream Of Peas Raisin Bread Gnocchetti And Fresh Goat Cheese Food

BAKED GOAT CHEESE DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, parmesan and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor and season with pepper; puree until smooth. Brush a 1-quart baking dish with olive oil, then spread the cheese mixture in the dish, mounding it slightly higher around the edge than in the middle. Bake until golden and heated through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, chives, vinegar, garlic, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture on top of the dip. Serve with baguette slices.

FARFALLE WITH FRESH HERBS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until al dente according to the package instructions, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and whisk in the goat cheese until smooth and warm. Season with pepper. Add the lemon zest and juice and half of the reserved pasta water and whisk until combined. Add half of the parsley, dill, mint and chives.
• Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add 1/2 cup of the Pecorino Romano and stir to combine. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with the remaining pasta water if needed. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
• Divide the pasta among bowls and garnish with the remaining Pecorino Romano, parsley, dill, mint and chives.

CREAM OF PEAS, RAISIN BREAD GNOCCHETTI, AND FRESH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Brown the scallion in the butter. Add the potatoes and sauté until they are light golden in color. Add the peas (save a few for garnish), then about a cup of the stock, and let it all simmer for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add more stock if necessary. It should be liquidy.
• Meanwhile, for the gnocchetti, sweat the leek in butter. Stir in the bread and season with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the mixture in a small bowl and mix in just enough beaten egg to make it slightly wet. Scoop out small quarter-size balls, place in the palm of your hand, and gently squeeze down till compressed to mold into gnocchetti (baby gnocchi).
• Make sure the peas and potatoes are soft and pour the mixture through a sieve, pressing the vegetables through with a rubber spatula. The pressing should yield about a cup or a cup and a half. Add a little more stock if the soup is too thick. Strain again if necessary and pour into a small saucepan. Drop in several gnocchetti, cover, and heat through at low heat for a few minutes until piping hot.
• Pour carefully into a heated soup bowl, to keep those little babies intact. Garnish with the fresh peas, tomato, goat cheese, a drizzle of an excellent extra virgin olive oil, and chopped chervil.
• *Beautiful with the wonderfully crafted Vieris Isonzo Sauvignon from Gianfranco Gallo's Vie di Romans property.

TOMATO & GOAT CHEESE CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the diced butter and toss carefully with your fingers to coat each piece of butter with flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. While pulsing, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Pulse to combine, stopping just before the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Heat the 4 tablespoons butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the leeks, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and sauté for 8 minutes, until the leeks are tender and starting to brown. Set aside. Place the tomatoes on a plate, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Set aside.
• On a floured board, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, then place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn a sheet pan upside down and transfer the paper to the inverted pan. Spread the leeks on the pastry, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Crumble the goat cheese evenly on top. Arrange the tomatoes over the goat cheese, overlapping the slices because they will shrink. Turn the edges of the pastry up and over the tomatoes, crimping so they lie flat. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, sprinkle lightly with the fresh herbs and salt, cut in wedges and serve warm.

FRESH GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl with a fork, mash goat cheese with enough cream to make a spreadable consistency. Add basil, green onion, garlic, and salt, to taste. Mix well. Garnish with fresh nasturtium flowers, if available, and serve with warm tortillas alongside. To eat, spread a few spoonfuls of goat cheese mixture inside a tortilla and roll up.

GOAT CHEESE AND FIG SANDWICHES ON RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• For the Fig Spread:.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the figs, 1 1/2 cups of the water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the figs are nearly tender when pierced with a fork.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the lemon juice, and process for 20 to 30 seconds (adding remaining 1/4 cup of water if necessary), or until smooth. Makes about 1 3/4 cups.
• For the Sandwiches:.
• Preheat the broiler. With a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out a round from each slice of bread. Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet and toast them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
• In a small bowl or food processor, combine the goat cheese and milk. Whisk or blend until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, and then pipe the cheese onto each round of bread.
• Top with a spoonful of the fig spread and garnish with 2 pieces of chives.

AGNOLOTTI WITH SWEET PEAS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Combine 1/2 cup cream (for fresh peas) or 3 tablespoons cream (for frozen), sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Add peas and cook until tender, about 10 minutes for fresh and 3 minutes for frozen. Transfer mixture to processor and purée until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl; mix in both cheeses and thyme. Chill filling at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• For piedmontese pasta dough:
• Blend flour and salt in processor. Add yolks, whole egg, and olive oil; process until soft dough forms, adding water by tablespoonfuls if dry. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Turn pasta machine to widest setting. Flatten 1 dough piece into rectangle. Cover remaining dough pieces with plastic wrap. Run dough through machine 4 times. Adjust machine to next narrower setting. Run dough through machine 4 times. Repeat running dough strip through machine 4 times on each narrower setting, cutting dough strip in half crosswise for easier handling when strip becomes very long and dusting dough with flour as needed if sticky. Continue rolling until pasta strips are 22 to 24 inches long, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Repeat rolling with remaining 3 dough pieces. Let dough strips dry slightly on floured work surface until no longer sticky to touch for easier handling, about 10 minutes.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; dust lightly with flour. Cut each dough strip into 3-inch squares (about 8 from each dough strip). Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Brush 2 adjacent dough edges with water; fold 1 long side over filling, enclosing filling and pressing to seal, forming rectangle. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, arranging in single layer. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover with towel and let stand at room temperature.
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; remove from heat. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add half of agnolotti and cook just until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer agnolotti to large sieve and drain well, then add to skillet with butter. Repeat with remaining agnolotti. Toss agnolotti over medium-high heat until coated with butter and heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lightly with chopped thyme. Divide among 6 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan shavings and serve.