Marinated Goat Cheese 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.

MARINATED GOAT CHEESE SPREAD / DIP

Steps:

• Arrange cheese in a shallow dish in a single layer. Scatter olives, sundried tomatoes and basil over and around it.
• In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and pepper. Pour over cheese.
• Marinate a few hours in the fridge or overnight. Serve at room temperature with grilled or fresh bread.

BEET AND MARINATED GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: Combine the oil, vinegar, apple juice, thyme, pepper, salt and garlic in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Season with additional salt and pepper.
• For the salad: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the goat cheese in a medium bowl. Drizzle with just enough dressing to moisten. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Wrap each beet in foil. Place the beets directly onto the oven rack and roast until tender, about 50 minutes. Eight minutes before the beets are tender, place the green beans in a pie dish. Add the oil and a pinch each salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast the green beans alongside the beets until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the foil from the beets and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut each beet into 6 to 8 wedges.
• Combine the lettuces in a large bowl. Add the green beans and apple slices and top with the beet wedges. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss until coated.

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.)

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 FRESH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Place cheeses in a jar; add oil to cover. Add peppercorns, thyme, and dried chile peppers to taste. Cover jar tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Drain before serving.

BROILED GOAT CHEESE TOASTS WITH MARINATED GREENS

Steps:

• Marinated greens:
• Trim off and discard the tough stems from the greens. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a wide skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Pile in the greens, in batches if necessary, and add a splash of water (you can also cover with a lid to compress them). Add a big pinch of salt and gently cook, stirring with tongs, until wilted and tender. Cooking times will vary depending on type of green, so watch and taste as you go. If cooking a combination of different greens, cook each type separately. Add a splash of water to the pan if it dries out.
• Transfer to a colander to drain and cool until safe to handle. Gently squeeze out excess liquid using your hands or a spatula or wooden spoon, pressing against the side of the colander. Coarsely chop the greens, then transfer them to a medium bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, red pepper flakes, or salt as needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator; allow to come to room temperature before serving.
• Toasts:
• Preheat the broiler to high.
• Arrange the toasts on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Transfer to the broiler and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until lightly golden on the top. Flip the toasts. Smear each slice with about 2 teaspoons goat cheese, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and return to the broiler. Broil, watching carefully, for just a minute or two, to heat through and lightly brown. Transfer to a serving platter and divide the greens on top. Zest the lemon over everything, sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt and black pepper, add a drizzle of olive oil, and serve while the toasts are still warm.

MARINATED GOAT CHEESE ROUNDS WITH CROSTINI

Steps:

• Goat Cheese Rounds:.
• Roll the cheese into a 4" long log. Slice into 1" thick rounds and place in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, thyme, pepper, olives, and olive oil until well blended. Pour over the goat cheese and marinate, refrigerated, for 2 hours to 1 week. Before serving, let warm to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Crostini:.
• Preheat the broiler or grill. Drizzzle the bread with olive oil, and grill or broil until golden brown. When the crostini come out of the oven or off the grill, rub them with a bit of the minced garlic. Then cut in half on the diagonal. Serve the warm crostini with the goat cheese. Enjoy!

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 BEETROOT WITH GRILLED GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix the oil, vinegar, sugar and thyme in a shallow dish and season well. Add the sliced beetroot and marinate for at least 1 hr or overnight, if you like.
• Heat grill to high. Season the goat's cheese slices, then place on an oiled baking tray and grill for 2-3 mins until golden and melting.
• Lift out the beetroot, reserving the marinade, and divide between 4 plates. Top with the rocket, a round of goat's cheese and a little more rocket. Drizzle with the marinade and serve.