A surprising number of foods that first made a serious impression on American palates during the nouvelle cuisine era have become unlikely supermarket staples. Wild mushrooms, fresh herbs and exotic salad greens spring to mind, and so does goat cheese-chevre in French and on many market display signs and restaurant menus.
What exactly is chevre? Laura Chenel and Linda Siegfried provide this charming answer in the introduction of their book “Chevre! The Goat Cheese Cookbook”:
“It comes in cylinders, pyramids, ovals and logs; wrapped in chestnut and grape leaves; pierced with a straw or stick, like a popsicle; marinated in oil or brandy; or coated with ash, pepper and fragrant herbs. Sometimes sweet, sometimes salty, it is sold creamy and fresh, or firm and long-aged. It is both a rare culinary treat and a dietary staple. Such is the versatility of cheese made from the milk of goats.”
For something so varied, goat cheese is remarkably uncomplex. The milk is not heated to produce curds, only warmed to encourage lactic acid bacterial action; nor is it pressed to separate out the whey. The soft cheese adapts easily to molds of various shapes. Aging, in most cases, is brief. (Some goat-milk cheeses are sprayed with a penicillium mold and aged until, as Chanel and Siegfried put it, “firm and dry” with a “gray or white exterior and a sharp, piquant flavor.”)
It has been exciting to note the dramatic improvement in American goat cheeses. Chenel, an earlier pioneer in California, has plenty of competition these days. Some of Miles and Lillian Cahn’s prize-winning Coach Farm goat-milk products from New York State can be found here. Closer to home, goat-milk cheeses from Dietrich’s Dairy in Fowler, Ill., Fantome Farm in Ridgeway Wis., Capriole in Greenville, Ind., and Maytag Dairy Farms in Newton, Iowa, were on sale at the recent Best of the Midwest Farmers Market. For reference, Whole Foods Market carries several fresh goat-milk cheeses air-shipped from France.
Once you have purchased a goat cheese, what do you do with it? First, you can eat it by itself at the end of a meal or picnic. Alain Senderens, probably France’s leading chef/food philosopher, recommends serving goat cheeses with a bread containing nuts and raisins. Olives and olive oil are considered worthy partners for chevre, but not butter.
Senderens, in his new book, “The Table Beckons” (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), matches dry, medium-aged chevre with Sancerre, and fresh chevre with chenin blancs such as dry Vouvray.
But goat cheese finds its way to the table in other forms. California restaurateur Alice Waters made famous the concept of field salad topped with warm goat cheese. Author Richard Olney stuffed it under the skin of a chicken then roasted the bird. It can be used on pizza or in calzone, as a filling for a tart or a sauce to pour atop vegetables. It even turns up on dessert menus.
The key to the success of goat cheese seems to be that it is different but not too different. Unless the cheese is over the hill, its acid sharpness is intriguing, not off-putting, and its creamy texture is very appealing. Despite its color, goat cheese goes well with light red wines, notably the Beaujolais of France.
Here’s a three-course goat-cheese meal, though I suspect it would be preferable to consume one course with each of three meals.
CHEVRE-STUFFED TRIANGLES
Makes 30 triangles, enough for eight to 10 servings
1/2 pound (about 10 sheets) phyllo dough, thawed in the refrigerator if frozen
6 to 8 ounces (1 1/2 to 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) finely crumbled chevre, chevre in olive oil preferred
4 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, well-drained and cut into eights
1. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a flat work surface. Keep remaining dough covered with a lightly dampened towel to keep it from drying out. With a wide pastry brush, lightly brush phyllo sheet with cooled melted butter, covering it completely. Top phyllo sheet with a second sheet and lightly brush it with butter. With a sharp knife, cut the phyllo stack lengthwise into 6 equal strips.
2. Place about 1 teaspoon of crumbled cheese about 1 inch in from the end of a strip, top with a piece of tomato and fold right-hand corner of phyllo end over to the opposite side to form a triangle and to cover cheese. Lightly brush the top of the triangle with melted butter. Continue folding flag fashion, buttering each fold, until you reach the far end of the strip. Repeat with remaining strips you have already cut and then with the remaining phyllo sheets.
(At this point, the filled triangles can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking, or covered and frozen on baking sheets until firm, then transfered to freezer bags or containers and stored for up to 6 months. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.)
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the phyllo triangles, seam side down, about 1 1/2 inches apart on buttered baking sheets. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes, and serve immediately.
Note: Allowing 3/4 cup to 1 cup of filling per half-pound of phyllo, fill with a mixture of pureed cooked spinach and crumbled feta cheese, any herb- or garlic-flavored cheese, shredded Gouda or other cheese with chopped mushrooms or olives. Serve as a standup appetizer or as a first course. Serve with sauvignon blanc or another dry white wine.
This recipe may be doubled. -From “James McNair’s Cheese Cookbook”
LAURA CHENEL’S GOAT CHEESE-CRUSTED PORK ROAST
Six to eight servings
1 pork loin or well-trimmed butt roast (about 4 pounds), at room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
5 ounces fresh chevre, crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Using a food processor or a fork, mix together the thyme, rosemary, garlic, bread crumbs, crumbled chevre and olive oil. If the mixture in not moist enough to stick together, add a little more olive oil.
2. Press the cheese mixture over the top and sides of the roast (but not the bottom) until you have a firm coating. Place in a roasting pan and cover.
3. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. To allow crust to brown slightly, remove cover about 30 minutes before you expect roast to be done. When cooked, remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
4. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes, green beans or broccoli and a soft red wine such as Beaujolais.
Note: A half leg of lamb may be substituted for the pork roast in this recipe. Cooking only to 145 degrees for medium rare lamb.
-Adapted from “Chevre! The Goat Cheese Cookbook,” by Laura Chenel and Linda Siegfried
GOAT CHEESE AND LEMON CURD WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES
Four little desserts
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 large lemons, grated rind and juice
1 large egg
1/2 pound fresh goat-cheese log
1 1/3 cups fresh raspberries
English water crackers
Fresh herbs for garnish
1. Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer.
2. In a heat-proof bowl, beat together lemon rind, juice and egg. Add to butter mixture and stir until smooth.
3. Put mixture in a double boiler over hot water and whisk constantly until mixture has thickened. Refrigerate.
4. To serve: Put a 2 1/2-inch slice of goat cheese in the center of each plate. Place raspberries on one side and lemon curd on the other. Serve with crackers and a sweet fresh herb such as mint, lemon balm or lavender.
