Goat Cheese In A Jar Gift Food

HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Find a small, wide-mouth canning jar or small glass vase (3 1/2 inches in diameter by 4 inches high), just large enough to hold the two goat cheeses on top of each other with a little room to spare. Cut each cheese in half horizontally, making 2 rounds from each. (A piece of dental floss makes this easier.)
• Place half of the first disk flat in the jar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon basil, and a few red pepper flakes, and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place another disk of cheese on top and repeat the seasonings, herbs, and oil. Continue with the remaining cheese disks, piling one on top of the other with oil and seasonings in between. When all the disks are stacked and seasoned, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve at room temperature with bread or crackers for people to help themselves.

MARINATED GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Sterilise a 500g jar (see tip). Oil your hands well, then break the goat's cheese into 4 pieces and roll into balls. Place the cheese in the jar, then pack the lemon zest, thyme and chilli around the cheese. Scatter over the fennel seeds and pour over the oil. Chill and leave to marinate for 2 days. Store in the fridge, and eat within 2 weeks.

MARINATED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Place the peppercorns, garlic cloves and bay leaves in a clean, sterilized wide-mouthed jar. Pour in a film of olive oil.
• Cut the goat cheese into rounds 1/2 inch thick (I get neat rounds using unflavored dental floss to cut through the cheese). Place one round in the jar and drizzle on some olive oil. Stack the remaining rounds, drizzling oil onto each round before topping with the next. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs to the jar and pour in olive oil to cover the goat cheese rounds completely. Cover the jar and leave at room temperature for several hours, then refrigerate.

GOAT CHEESE IN A JAR (GIFT)

Steps:

• Slice goat cheese log into 1/2-inch thick "coins".
• In a sterilized 10-12 ounce jar with tight fitting lid, pour enough oil to cover bottom of jar.
• Place a goat cheese "coin" into the jar. Sprinkle in some of the garlic, the sun-dried tomatoes, the herbs and the pine nuts. Cover with oil and repeat the process in layers until the jar is full to within 1/2 inch of the top, making sure that all is covered with the oil.
• Seal with lid and refrigerate for a day to marinate.
• To serve, spoon out a portion of the cheese and drizzle with some of the oil and herbs. Use to spread on crackers.
• It will keep for 10 days to two weeks in the refrigerator.