Cabra al Romero

This is a creamy, semi-soft goats milk cheese from Spain.  Pressed with rosemary and aged a total of 30 days, this is a beautiful addition to any cheese board.  I eat it (like so many cheeses) drizzled with honey, but it's great on it's own, and better followed up with a fruity red wine.

Mixed Berry Jam

With the last of the berries at the farmer's market a few weeks ago I decided to give mixed berry jam a go one last time.  Timing in this recipe is everything, and I've learned not to question the recipe, but to just listen, and do.  I ruined my first few attempts with using classic pectin because I felt the boiling jam didn't look done.  Low and behold, once it cooled it was as solid as a rubber ball. 

So below, the simple recipe for mixed (or any) berry jam.  

Ingredients:
8 cups berries (I used equal parts raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
4 cups granulated sugar
3 Tbsp classic pectin
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Prep glass jars and lids for canning (this recipe filled 12 x 4oz jars, a great size for gift-giving).
In large bowl, using a potato masher, smash berries.
Mix berries, sugar, and pectin into non-reactive pot and stir until sugar is mostly dissolved.
Bring mixture to a boil, and continuously stir for approx 10-12 minutes.
Add lemon juice and continue stirring for 5-6 more minutes (foaming should have subsided).
Use the spoon test (explained in last month's blueberry jam recipe).
Remove from heat and ladle into jars.
Can away.

This recipe is fantastic mixed in with plain [Greek] yogurt (and granola).

Baked Butternut Squash with Quinoa and Goat Cheese

I found this autumnal recipe online (here) and decided to give it a shot.  It's definitely a side dish and I wouldn't eat it by itself again (it's rich, mushy, and was texturally one dimensional), but still had good flavor.  In the recipe below I'm including what I'll do to improve the recipe next time.  If you like squash and goat cheese, you should give this a try, and if all goes well your end product will look better than mine.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup quinoa (the original recipe calls for couscous, but I prefer quinoa)
1/3 cup currants
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, plus 2 tbsp for garnish (the original recipe called for cilantro...I wouldn't do that again)
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese plus 1/3 cup for crumbling
Sea salt + freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1 lemon (optional)

-Preheat the oven to 400.
-Slice the squash and scoop out the seeds.
-Place each half cut side down in a baking dish and pour about 1/2 inch of water in the dish (I forgot to pour the water and my squash came out just fine).
-Bake until tender, 45-60 minutes.  Once done, remove from oven and set aside.
-Cook quinoa per box instructions.
-Dice shallots and garlic.
-In a medium skillet heat olive oil and saute shallots + garlic until fragrant.  Add to quinoa.
-Scoop out the squash into a separate bowl leaving 1/4" on the sides and bottom.  Drain water from the dish (if you used it) and place the squash back in the dish, cut side up.
-Mash the scooped squash with a fork and mix in 1/2 cup goat cheese.
-Once quinoa is done, add it to the butternut squash and mix in with currants and parsley.
-Salt and pepper to taste.  (I would add a good squeeze of lemon juice here as well, maybe 1/2 or whole lemon)
-Fill the butternut squash halves with the quinoa mixture, sprinkle with leftover goat cheese and return to oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top begins to brown.
-Remove from oven, cut each half in 2.  Garnish with parsley.

Pesto, Prosciutto + Arugula Pizza with Pilota Cheese

With the overwhelming supply of pesto sitting, waiting, desperate for consumption in my fridge last week, I scrambled to use it at every meal (not exaggerating).  The below pizza was a perfect and easy way to use a ton and enjoy every bite. 

I've never made pizza dough before and with my 6pm dinner contemplation I didn't have the time to try -- instead I picked up (for $1.50) pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joe's.  Rolled out over cornmeal and finally using my pizza stone for its intended purpose, a masterpiece was born. 

Most importantly (besides the pesto) was the cheese.  Looking for a bold and smooth sheep's milk, a sheep / cow's milk blend and French Basque -- Pilota -- was recommended.  Nutty, smooth, semi-hard with great melting qualities, it's a perfectly rich and creamy compliment to pesto.  Of course after sampling a bit too much myself I didn't have quite enough left for the whole pizza, so I added some Old Quebec Vintage Cheddar.  The extra sharp qualities were a fun contrast to the smoothness of the Pilota.  I'd do it again by choice.  The icing on the cake (pizza) was the egg front and center.  Because really, everything is better with a fried egg.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
Corn meal
2 cups pesto (recipe here)
Wedge of Pilota or another smooth sheep's milk (at the cheese counter I told them it was for a pizza for 2), roughly sliced 
4 oz extra sharp cheddar, roughly sliced
2 cups baby arugula
1/4 lb Prosciutto di Parma
1/2 Lemon
Olive Oil
Sea salt + pepper

1.  Preheat oven as high as it will go.  (Brick ovens are usually around 800 - 900 degrees, so for your standard at-home oven the hotter, the better)
2.  Once pizza dough is rested and ready for use, roll out on corn meal covered flat surface to approx 12" round.  Once rolled out, slide onto pizza stone.
3.  Spread pesto evenly, leaving enough room around the edges for a crust.
4.  Place cheese around pie, leaving an open hole for the egg in the middle.
5.  Place pizza in the oven for 10 minutes, or until edges are beginning to golden.
6.  Slide out stone and crack egg in the middle of the pizza (if you don't trust yourself, first crack it in a cup, and pour it on the pizza)
7.  Place back in oven until egg is cooked to your liking, approximately 5-6 minutes.
8.  Remove from oven, let sit for a couple minutes.
9.  Lay slices of prosciutto around the pie.
10.  Spread Arugula over everything.
11.  Squeeze lemon juice over the arugula, drizzle with olive oil, salt + pepper.