Marinated Goat Cheese With Garlic And Thyme Food

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.

TRIO OF MARINATED GOAT CHEESES

Steps:

• Cut goat cheese into twelve 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Set rounds aside.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place garlic in heavy small pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until garlic is tender when pierced with small sharp knife, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly; peel garlic cloves. Reserve oil in pan.
• Place sun-dried tomatoes in small bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover. Let tomatoes stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain; pat dry.
• Put 1 tomato, 1 garlic clove and 1 sprig each rosemary and thyme in bottom of 8-ounce jar. Drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil reserved from garlic. Place 1 cheese round atop herbs. Drizzle with more reserved olive oil. Repeat layering, using remaining tomatoes, garlic, herbs, garlic oil and 3 more cheese rounds. Pour in enough olive oil to fill jar completely. Seal tightly. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead; refrigerate.)
• Rinse mushrooms briefly with cold water; drain. Place mushrooms in small bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover and let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy small skillet. Add garlic and sauté until just golden, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until just heated through, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Mix in parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.
• Layer mushrooms, olive oil and 4 goat cheese rounds in 8-ounce jar, beginning and ending with mushrooms. Pour in enough oil to fill jar completely. Seal tightly. (Can be prepared up to 1 week ahead; refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnuts on small cookie sheet. Toast until golden brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
• Finely chop walnuts. Layer walnuts, walnut oil and remaining 4 goat cheese rounds in 8-ounce jar, seasoning each layer generously with pepper. Pour in enough walnut oil to fill jar completely. Seal tightly. (Can be prepared up to 1 week ahead; refrigerate.)

GOAT CHEESE WITH OLIVES, LEMON, AND THYME

Steps:

• Heat olives, thyme, oil, zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small skillet or saucepan over low heat until fragrant (do not simmer). Cool to room temperature.
• Serve olive mixture over goat cheese.

MARINATED GOAT CHEESE WITH GARLIC, BASIL AND ORANGE ZEST

Steps:

• Cut goat cheese into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer in a pie plate ot baking dish.
• In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, peppercorns and allspice berries.
• In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, basil and orange zest.
• Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until the peppercorns begin to pop, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the garlic mixture. After 5 seconds of stirring, pour the hot mixture over the goat cheese.
• Marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.
• To serve, transfer the chilled cheese to a serving plate. Serve at room temperature with crackers.