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!

Recipe: Dukkah & Goat Cheese Platter

What's better than a bottle of wine and noshing on cheese and accompaniments with friends? This cheese platter has a little something extra... Gary & Kit's dukkah covered goat cheese balls. We paired these with complimentary flavors for a unique take on the everyday cheese platter. The next time you're charged with bringing the cheese board to a gathering, think of dukkah covered cheese for a more exotic (yet simple to prepare) option.  As another serving suggestion, you could use the dukkah covered goat cheese on a salad of mixed greens with vinaigrette and dried cranberries.   

Dukkah & Goat Cheese Platter

• 8 oz. Goat Cheese
• Gary & Kit's Classic Hazelnut Dukkah and/or Toasted Sesame & Pistachio Dukkah
• Smoked Paprika Almonds with Sea Salt
• Greek Olives
• Water Crackers
• Fresh Red Grapes
• Fresh Green Apple slices

1. Divide the goat cheese into 6 equal sized portions.  Roll each portion into a ball with your hands.  (I found that having wet hands helps forms the balls and helps the dukkah stick better.)
2. Sprinkle the dukkah on a plate and roll each ball in dukkah until coated.
3. Arrange the cheese, crackers, nuts, olives, and fruit on your platter and serve!

Recipe: Stacked Watermelon Pesto Bites

Cool, sweet watermelon pairs beautifully with salty cheese and pesto in the super simple recipe that celebrates summer.  Layer watermelon, cheese and pesto in tall stacks for a salad presentation or make individual "bites" for grazing.  If you're making the individual bites and want to forego the fork, we found that leaving the rind on makes them easier to handle!  We used asiago cheese, but you could try pairing any of our Elki spreads with various types of melon and cheese for endless culinary combinations.

Stacked Watermelon Pesto Bites

• 1 small seedless watermelon, chilled
• 1 small block of asiago cheese
• 1 jar of Elki Artichoke Lemon Pesto
• Basil leaves for garnish

1. Start with a chilled seedless watermelon. (We found that serving the watermelon chilled and the pesto at room temp, was a nice balance)
2. Slice watermelon into cubes (for stacking) or wedges (for bites).
3. Layer with thin slices of asiago cheese.
4. Top with the pesto.
5. Garnish with a basil leaf or continue layering to your desired height for a salad stack.

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