Spiced Tomato Cooler With Herb Salad 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.

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.

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.

SPICY TOMATO COOLER

Steps:

• Stir tomato-vegetable juice cocktail, beef broth, steak sauce, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, horseradish, and celery salt together in a pitcher.
• Fill 2 cocktail glasses with crushed ice. Pour cooler over ice; garnish with celery stalks and lime slices.

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.

CHERRY TOMATOES FILLED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until well blended.
• Cut the top off each cherry tomato. Using a small spoon, carefully scoop out the pulp to make a hollow, yet sturdy, shell. Drain off any juice that may be in the tomato shells.
• Using a small spoon, scoop about 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture and carefully stuff into a tomato shell. Repeat until tomatoes or cheese mixture is used up. Arrange the filled tomatoes on a platter to serve.

BABY TOMATO AND FRESH GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally.
• Mix the goat cheese with the herbs and shape the mixture into four 2- inch cakes and chill them for 30 minutes or so. Season the bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste. Beat the egg with a pinch of salt. Carefully dip the goat cheese cakes into the egg, then into the bread crumbs to coat lightly. Place the cakes on a buttered cookie sheet and bake them until golden brown, about 8 minutes, or brown them in an oiled heavy skillet over medium- high heat. Whisk together the oils and lemon juice and toss with the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the dressed tomatoes on a serving platter. Place the baked goat cheese cakes on the tomatoes, garnish with the chervil, and serve.

HERBED WARM GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Cheese:.
• Combine garlic, thyme, pepper, salt, and oil in a bowl.
• Whisk to incorporate ingredients.
• Place the cheese slices into the mixture making sure to coat all sides.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Dressing:.
• Using a whisk mix all ingredients except olive oil in a bowl. After all are well mixed use whisk and slowly add oil to emulsify. Refrigerate till ready to serve.
• Before serving place a cookie sheet in oven and preheat to 350°.
• Spread bread crumbs onto plate and roll the cheese in them. Make sure to press the crumbs into the cheese.
• Transfer the cheese onto the hot pan and cook for 8 minutes.
• Toss the greens and all desired add ins together w/ desired amount of dressing and top each salad with cheese.
• Serve while cheese is warm.
• Prep time does not include chilling time.