Melt-in-your-mouth Marinated Goat Cheese

It's my favorite time of year at The Savory Pantry . . . the new harvest of Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil is in! I love experimenting with unique ways to use this exceptional oil. Keeley personally knows the growers, Nena Talcott and Bonnie Storm, who plant, grow, harvest, bottle and even hand-label each bottle of Grove 45 in California. A couple of years ago we developed our Extra Virgin Chocolate Sorbet, which I have made for family and friends to much acclaim! 

This year's recipe was inspired by grilled Halloumi cheese I often order at Zorba's, my favorite Greek restaurant here in Baton Rouge. Halloumi is a sheep's milk cheese traditionally from the Greek island of Cyprus, and has a high melting point that makes it uniquely grillable. The cheese itself is wonderful of course, but the pool of olive oil that it is served with is the real star. Halloumi isn't easy to find in stores, so I decided to substitute it with goat cheese that I did not grill. 

Marinated Goat Cheese

• Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or your favorite high-quality extra virgin oil)
• goat cheese
• dried bay leaves
• fresh rosemary
• cracked peppercorns

1. Slice goat cheese into 1/4" thick rounds. I warmed my knife under hot water and dried it with a towel before slicing.  
2. Start with an empty mason jar or air-tight container of your choice. I put a couple of bay leaves and a spring of rosemary in the bottom, and topped with a thin layer of olive oil and cracked pepper.
3. Next, add a round of goat cheese, more herbs, more pepper, and drizzle with oil.  Continue layering and top off with an extra "glug" of oil.
4. Allow to marinate at room temperature for an hour or so, then refrigerate overnight.
5. Remove from the fridge and pour everything onto a plate for an instant presentation.  
6. Serve chilled or allow to come to room temperature. Enjoy with crackers, warm crusty bread or pita.

Notes:

• Some similar recipes online mention issues with the olive oil solidifying in the refrigerator, due to some olive oils being diluted with lesser quality oils. I am happy to report that the Grove 45 oil did not solidify and was just as viscous after refrigerating!  
• After marinating, the cheese has a more spreadable texture and is less crumbly than a typical goat cheese.  
• Vary this recipe with your favorite fresh herbs.  I used what I had in my garden and pantry!

Headline: Leprechuans Shun Green Beer for Swamp Angel, Short + Stout

"Leprechauns are given to excess. Nothing appeals to a Leprechaun like a binge of whiskey, Guinness, pipe tobacco ,and snuff, and despite their small stature, they can handle surprising quantities of alcohol."                    -Colin Chapman, Leprechuanologist

With mixed reviews about the health implications of food dyes and green beer feeling "done," we wanted to offer you a couple of alternatives to satiate even your trickiest leprechauns this St. Patrick's Day. Stir up these easy cocktails and they'll be sure to grant all three of your wishes; just be careful what you ask for! 

SWAMP ANGEL 

• Champagne
• BITTERMILK No. 2
• Cucumber slices

DIRECTIONS

Pour Champagne into flute. Add a splash of Bittermilk No. 2.  Garnish with a cucumber slice, either floating or sliced and positioned on the side of the glass. 

Notes from Amy: The champagne and Bittermilk No. 2 portions of the recipe are courtesy of Bittermilk. I added cucumber slices for a touch of green and a compliment to the Elderflower essence in the Bittermilk. My friend and I made green mimosas for our local St Patrick’s Day party in Baton Rouge, but this would be a great alternative as the Bittermilk is much lighter than OJ and far less acidic.

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SHORT + STOUT

• Owl's Brew Coco-Lada
• Guinness or other stout beer 
• Orange slices

DIRECTIONS

Fill a pilsner glass or beer mug (frozen, if you have time) half full with Owl's Brew Coco-Lada and top with Guinness or other stout. Garnish with fresh orange slice. This recipe courtesy of The Owl's Brew. 

Notes from Amy: The coco-lada has a creamy flavor which is a compliment to the stout beer, and cuts its bitterness. I’m not usually a big Guinness fan, but the addition of the Owl’s Brew really created new tastes!  Be sure to chill the Coco-Lada before making these, if you don’t like warmer beer. 

Recipe: Chocolate Truffles with Aromatic Bitters

• 1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon bitters (I used Pink House Alchemy Sarsaparilla Bitters)
• Confectioners' sugar and/or
• Cocoa powder and/or
• Pecans finely chopped in a food processor

1. Chop chocolate very finely and place in large mixing bowl.
2. Bring cream to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove from heat.  Wait 20 seconds and pour through a mesh, over the chopped chocolate.
3. With a whisk, blend the chocolate and cream until smooth.  
4. Whisk in coffee and bitters. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
5. Scoop teaspoon-sized portions onto a baking tray lined with a Silpat or parchment.  Refrigerate the scooped portions for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Remove from the fridge and roll each portion in your hands to create a ball. (They won't be perfect spheres, don't fret!)
7. Roll each ball in confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, or finely chopped nuts.
8. Store truffles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 40-60 truffles, depending on size.

Creative Notes:  

• This is a messy process and you will get chocolate all over your hands!  Which also makes it fun. You might try working with disposable plastic gloves.

• Good to roll up a couple of truffles at a time and coat them in coating of your choice while they are still sticky from the warmth of your hands.

• Research reveals that anything above 60% cocoa is considered semi-sweet and anything above 70% cocoa content is considered bittersweet. This is helpful when selecting The Savory Pantry’s specialty chocolate bars that meet these criteria.  

• Choose all bittersweet or all semi-sweet, depending on taste preference.

• A melon baller would work well for scooping the initial portions of chocolate that will later become truffles… the closer you can get them to round in the portioning, the easier your job will be when it comes time to roll them in your hands.

A Note from Amy: I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where humidity must be taken into consideration when making truffles and other recipes that require setting or cooling, as humidity prolongs the setting-up process. The light went off inspiring this recipe after trying the Prestat Truffles Keeley carries at The Savory Pantry, and wanting to try my hand at them. I’d heard bitters could be substituted when vanilla extract was called for. I received some bitters as part of a cocktail gift from Keeley when my husband and I were married last May and I was excited to branch out from using them in Old Fashioneds. I provide graphic design for The Savory Pantry, and maintain it’s Facebook and Pinterest pages.

Tailgate Recipes: Crockpot Spicy Southern Boiled Peanuts

Tailgate season is upon us, and after a delicious delivery of boiled peanuts from my sister, I thought what a great tailgate food this is.  Served hot, cold, or room temperature, boiled peanuts are a portable, filling snack.  Oh, and they also go GREAT with beer!

Crockpot Spicy Southern Boiled Peanuts

• 1 gallon of raw jumbo green peanuts (soaked overnight in water)
• 1 cup table salt
• ½ cup red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup NW Elixer’s Hott Sauce #1
• 2 India Tree Turkish Bay Leaves
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder

1. Fill a 3 quart crock pot with soaked, drained peanuts
2. Cover peanuts with water and cook on high for 4 hours
3. Add salt and all other spices to crockpot.  At this time, if the water isn't still covering the nuts, add a little more. The last thing you want are dried out, shriveled peanuts. The juicier the better (ask any cajun!)
4. Cook for 4 more hours on high
5. Turn off crock pot and allow peanuts to soak up to 2 hours. Use this time to periodically try one or two. As they soak, they will get saltier and spicier. You be the judge, but there is no such thing as soaking them too long.
6. Remove the peanuts with a slotted spoon and transfer to a gallon size ziploc for storage.
7. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate and serve cold.  (You can also freeze them after they cool down, and throw a bowl in the microwave on a chilly night).

Classic Recipes: Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt & Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

We've experimented with green bean and zucchini fries this week, but there's nothing like a good sweet potato fry.  Sure they're great at a restaurant, but if you ever try making them at home, they are usually soggy.  We refined the process to give you firmer fries every time.  The key to sweet potato fries is that every oven is different!  You need to keep an eye on them and check periodically because they can go from "not quite done" to "burnt" rather quickly.  Once you dip one of these into Sir Kensington's Chipotle Mayo, you'll see why they are worth babysitting.

Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt & Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• Olive oil and sprayer or olive oil cooking spray
• Sir Kensington’s Chipotle Mayo (for dipping)
• Bourbon Barrel Smoked Sea Salt or your favorite sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Peel and cut potatoes into uniform strips, no more than 1/2" thick.  Allow to soak in water overnight if possible, or at least 1 hour.
3. Drain and pat the potatoes dry with a clean dishcloth.  
4. Add fries to a paper bag.  Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and shake vigorously.  (You are aiming for a VERY LIGHT coating here.  The resulting fries should be a lighter shade of orange, but with no visible clumps of cornstarch. )
5. Place potatoes on a greased cookie sheet.  Make sure they are not touching each other.  Use an oil mister or olive oil cooking spray to lightly coat with oil.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until just beginning to brown.  We suggest setting your oven timer to 25 minutes, checking them, and then adding 5-10 minute increments depending on their progress.  If you start to see a few black corners, they are DONE - take them out!
7. Sprinkle with Bourbon Barrel Smoked Sea Salt or your favorite salt.
8. Serve with Sir Kensington’s Chipotle Mayo for dipping.

Don't forget to check out our tutorial for folding adorable french fry cups!