Herb And Goat Cheese Toasts Food

SPICED TOMATO COOLER WITH HERB SALAD AND GOAT-CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds or pepitas with a little salt to just heat through and color a bit. Set aside for the salad.
• In the same pan, heat the oil with the garlic clove and the cumin, paprika and cayenne, stirring until it smells spicy. Take care not to burn. Set aside.
• Pass the tomatoes through the medium plate of a food mill set over a nonreactive bowl. (If you don't have a food mill, use a cheese grater.) Add 1/4 cup cold water.
• Scrape the spices and oil into the tomato purée, discarding the garlic. Stir in the salt, pepper, lemon juice, Angostura bitters, Worcestershire sauce and cilantro sprigs. Taste for seasoning, cover and refrigerate.
• Assemble the salad: Put the sautéed pumpkin seeds, celery, watercress and arugula, scallion, cucumber and cilantro into a bowl. Dress with the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss lightly.
• Divide the salad among 4 plates, with 2 toasts on each. Gently spoon a teaspoon or so of goat cheese onto each toast. Divide the tomato juice (discarding the cilantro stems) among 4 tumblers. Add a sliver of lemon, a couple of ice cubes, a grind of black pepper and a sprig of cilantro over each and serve.

GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy large baking sheets. Brush olive oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Blend the goat cheese and cream cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the parsley, thyme, and lemon peel. Using the on/off button, pulse just to blend. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the cheese mixture over the crostini. Sprinkle with the olives, chives, and more pepper. Arrange the toasts on a platter and serve.
• Do-Ahead Tip: The crostini and cheese mixture can each be prepared 2 days ahead. Store the crostini in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the cheese mixture. Let the cheese mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour to soften slightly before spreading over the crostini.

HERB TOASTS

Steps:

• Slice a baguette in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into 4 sticks. Cook 3 tablespoons minced red onion in 4 tablespoons butter until soft. Season with salt and pepper and add 1/4 cup minced mixed herbs. Brush onto the bread and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Photograph By Antonis Achilleos

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.

HERBED GOAT-CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Divide baguette slices between 2 shallow baking pans. Lightly brush tops of slices with oil, then lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until toasts are crisp but not hard, about 10 minutes.
• Stir together goat cheese, herbs, shallot, and pepper. Season with salt.
• Beat cream with a whisk until it just holds soft peaks, then fold into cheese mixture. Serve with toasts.

HERB COATED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy baking sheets. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the bread slices. Bake until the crostini are pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the herbs, lemon zest, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using about 2 teaspoons of cheese for each, form the goat cheese into 1-inch diameter balls. Roll the cheese balls in the herb mixture to coat completely. Arrange the cheese balls on a platter. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over and around the cheese balls. Serve with the crostini. Garnish with herb sprigs.
• The crostini and cheese balls can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store the crostini in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the cheese balls.

RED PEPPER TOASTS W. HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Combine goat cheese, yogurt, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Toast sliced bread until edges are golden. Let toast cool on wire rack before topping with goat cheese.
• Lay pieces of roasted bell pepper over cheese. Top with sesame seeds and chopped chives if desired.

GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on a large baking sheet.
• Brush olive oil over the bread slices.
• Bake until pale golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Blend goat cheese and cream cheese in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
• Add parsley, thyme and lemon peel; pulsing to blend.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place in a serving dish along side the toast and brushetta mix.
• Have guests spread cheese mixture on the toast and top with brushetta.
• Awesome flavor - Enjoy!

GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Slice the baguette into thin slices on the bias (diagonally). Place the slices on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden and crispy. Cool to room temperature: they'll crisp up even more as they cool. (If making in advance, store the plain, un-topped crostini up to 5 days in a sealed container at room temperature.)
• Top each crostini with a smear of soft goat cheese, a drizzle of honey, and roughly chopped fresh herbs. Add fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately.

BAKED EGGS WITH FRESH HERBS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Combine herbs and garlic; set aside.
• In a glass measuring cup, mix butter and cream. Place six 4-ounce ramekins or ovenproof cups on a baking sheet.
• Pour butter mixture evenly among ramekins. Bake in preheated oven until bubbly hot, about 1 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from oven. To avoid breaking yolks, carefully crack 1 or 2 eggs into a separate cup and gently slide them into a heated ramekin.
• Top eggs with herb mixture and crumbled cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining eggs.
• Return to oven and bake 3 to 5 minutes. Eggs should look not quite done; they will continue to cook after removed from oven.
• Place each ramekin on a plate. Serve immediately with toast.

HERB AND GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Arrange sliced baguette or sliced crusty roll rounds on a cookie sheet or broiler pan. Toast under hot broiler until lightly golden on each side. Remove toasts from broiler and arrange on a serving plate. Remove goat cheese log or buttons from packaging and set on cutting board. Chop and combine fresh chives, rosemary and parsley. Add coarse black pepper to the herb mixture. Roll goat cheese in the herbs to coat evenly. Set goat cheese alongside toasts. Using a spreader or butter knife, spread herbed cheese on warm toasts.

SMOKED SALMON AND GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Mix first goat cheese, herbs, lemon zest, and black pepper in a small bowl to blend. Set aside. (The cheese mixture can be mixed a couple of days ahead of time.).
• Brush oil over both sides of bread. Arrange bread in single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until bread is just crisp, about 5 minutes on each side. (You can prepare the toasts a couple hours in advance.).
• Spread cheese mixture over toasts. Top with salmon, trimming to fit. Garnish with lemon peel strips. Arrange on platter and serve.

SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND HERB MARINADE OVER GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• The night before, in a bowl, mix all ingredients together except the goat cheese. Stir until well mixed. Use enough oil to fully saturate with some extra settled on bottom of bowl.
• Cover and refridgerate overnight. You can occasionally take it out of the fridge and shake it up a bit.
• About an hour before serving, take out of fridge and bring to room temperature. It's ready to go when the oil is no longer gelled.
• Chop mixture in food processor just enough to blend together. Pour over log of goat cheese. Serve with toast rounds.
• Cooking time means to marinate overnight.

INCREDIBLE FRENCH ENDIVE SALAD WITH AGED HERB GOAT CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan to medium high. Turn on the broiler and place a rack at least 10 inches from the heat.
• In a blender, combine the garlic, lemon juice, a little salt, and the parsley. Turn the blender on the "puree" setting. Stream the EVOO into the blender and puree the dressing until smooth and emulsified.
• Trim the endives of tough ends and peel away any dry or badly scarred outer leaves. Place the endives in a shallow dish and pour the dressing over them. Turn them in the dressing to coat them evenly. Place on the hot grill pan and gently cook the endives for 6 to 7 minutes, until tender, turning frequently.
• Lightly toast the bread under the broiler on each side and remove. Cut the bread corner to corner to make 16 triangles. Trim the ends off the logs of cheese and cut each log into 8 disks. (Cut across the middle of each log, then keep halving the sections until you have 16 equal disks from the 2 logs.) Scatter the Herbes de Provence onto the cutting board. Gently turn each disk of cheese in the dried herbs and situate a disk on each toast. Return the toasts to the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to warm the cheese through and darken the toast to a light, even golden brown.
• Remove the endives 3 at a time to a plate. Carefully halve them lengthwise with a small sharp knife and fan the halved grilled endives across the plate. Add 4 triangles of toast with warm goat cheese to the same plate and serve. Repeat with the remaining portions.

HERB AND LEMON GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• Place goat cheese in small bowl.
• Mix thyme, lemon peel and garlic in another small bowl. Season with black pepper.
• Mix half of thyme mixture into goat cheese.
• Add olive oil to remaining half of thyme mixture.
• Form cheese into 2 1/2-inch round; flatten slightly.
• Place in center of plate. Spoon oil-thyme mixture over top of cheese.
• Serve with toasted baguette slices.