Goat Cheese Marinated In Rosemary Fennel And Hot Red Pepper 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 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'S CHEESE, FENNEL & ROASTED RED PEPPER TART

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry onto a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use to line a 20 x 3.5cm deep loose-based tart tin. Prick the base with a fork, cover and chill for 30 mins, or put in the freezer for 15 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans (or dried rice or beans). Put the tin on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans and cook for another 8-10 mins until a pale biscuit colour. Turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat, add the onion, fennel and pepper, and cook for about 15 mins until soft and beginning to caramelise. Add the garlic and cook for a few mins more. Allow to cool.
• Lightly whisk the eggs, cream and milk together, then add the paprika and some seasoning. Tip the veg into the tart shell and dot over with cheese and olives. Pour over the eggs, then put the tin in the oven. Bake the tart for 20-25 mins until golden and set. Cool on a wire rack, then remove from the tin and cut into slices. Serve with caper berries scattered around, if you like. This can be eaten at room temperature or reheated later.

GOAT CHEESE WITH MARINATED ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat grill to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Grill Anaheim chile peppers, yellow bell pepper, and red bell pepper on the preheated grill with the lid open, turning peppers often, until blistered and blackened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer peppers to a resealable plastic freezer bag using tongs; seal and let steam loosen skins, about 10 minutes. Carefully open bag, peel peppers, remove and discard seeds, and chop peppers.
• Combine peppers, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl until evenly combined; cover with plastic wrap and chill, 8 hours to overnight.
• Place goat cheese on a serving plate; spoon pepper mixture over goat cheese.

LEMON ROSEMARY MARINATED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine lemon zest, rosemary, and olive oil.
• Place goat cheese in a baking dish or on a large plate and spoon marinade over the top. Season with gray salt and pepper. Refrigerate and let marinate.

GOAT CHEESE MARINATED IN ROSEMARY, FENNEL, AND HOT RED PEPPER

Steps:

• In a 1-pint jar with a tight-fitting lid combine the cheese with the fennel seeds, the red pepper flakes, the rosemary, and the lemon zest, pour enough of the oil over the mixture to cover the cheese completely, and let the cheese marinate, covered, and chilled, for at least 1 week and up to 4 weeks. Let the mixture come to room temperature before serving.

ROASTED MARINATED PEPPERS WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Arrange peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until blackened and soft, 25-30 minutes, turning once or twice.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes (this helps steam the peppers in their skins, and makes skin removal easier).
• Meanwhile, make the marinade: combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, leaves from about half the thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• While peppers are still hot, slip off the skin and scrape out seeds; remove stems.
• Cut each pepper into quarters.
• Add roasted peppers to the marinade and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
• To serve, arrange peppers on 4 plates, garnish with olives, oranges and remaining thyme, and crumble goat cheese over and season with additional freshly ground pepper.
• Note: instead of all red wine vinegar, you can use 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon balsamic, for even deeper and sweeter flavor. Chopped basil is also a delicious garnish.

FENNEL WITH ROSEMARY, SHALLOTS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add baby fennel, and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes, then drain.
• Butter the bottom of a shallow baking dish, and sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, and shallots. Arrange the fennel in the baking dish, and pour in the white wine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Set the oven to Broil, then sprinkle the fennel with crumbled goat cheese. Broil for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.

ROSEMARY GOAT CHEESE BITES

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, toss pecans with cinnamon. In a small bowl, mix cheese and 3/4 teaspoon rosemary until blended. Shape mixture into 12 balls; roll in pecan mixture to coat. Flatten slightly into patties., If desired, serve patties with toasted baguette slices. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with remaining rosemary.

FRENCH STUFFED RED BELL PEPPERS WITH FENNEL AND GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 120C/240F/Gas 1.
• Cut the peppers in half, discard the core & seeds and also trim away the white membrane too.
• Grease a Le Creuset roasting or ovenproof dish.
• Cut the onion & fennel bulb into 6 wedges each. (Keep the the delicate green fronds from the fennel bulb & put to one side.).
• Put the onion wedges, fennel wedges & cushed garlic into a mixing bowl & add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & black pepper - mix well.
• Divide the onion & fennel wedges between the 6 pepper halves, arranging them neatly within the peppers & season well.Pour the remaining oil & vinegar dressing over the top of them.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft & just tinged brown.
• Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven & increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the peppers.
• Slice the goats cheese & arrange over the top of the stuffed peppers; return them the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & bubbling.
• Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly and serve them warm or at room temperature with the cooked dressing drizzled over the top of them.
• Garnish with the green fronds kept from the fennel bulbs.
• Serve as a starter, 1 pepper half per person with a side salad or as a main course - 2 pepper halves per person with bread & salad.
• These can also be served as a very colourful & elegant vegetable accompaniment!