Farm-stand Baby Butter Lettuce w/ Pescadero Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Chevre and Crispy Wontons (serves 4)

For a nice light meal, serve this salad with large, cooked & peeled shrimp and some rustic country bread or serve it with whole wheat Naan bread and hummous.

The salad:

• 2 small heads of farm-stand butter lettuce or 6-8 ounces spring mix
• 1 cup or so freshly shelled English peas (from about a pound of whole peas)
• 1 large garnet sweet potato, peeled and diced
• Pint organic red & yellow cherry tomatoes

Mustard vinagrette:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup white balsamic or cider vinager
• 1 T curry powder
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

The toppings:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups sliced shallots or Cipollini Onions
• 1/2 pkg. of wonton skins (about 20 wonton wrappers)
• 4 ounces chevre

Blanch the peas in a small pot of salted, boiling water for about 3 minutes. Blanch the sweet potatoes for 4-5 minutes. Rinse both in cold running water and drain. Wash and dry your lettuce and place in a large salad bowl with the peas, potatoes and tomatoes.

Prepare the vinagrette: Place the 1/3 cup olive oil and the garlic in a clean glass jam jar. Microwave for 1 minute to flavor the oil and discard the garlic. Cool the oil and then add the vinegar, curry powder, and the mustard. Salt & Pepper to taste.

Warm the oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the shallots and cook on med-high until browned, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the wonton wrappers into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide. Sprinkle them into the sizzling shallots and continue to mix until they are completely coated with the oil. Let them cook until they are crispy and browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Toss the butter lettuce, sweet potatoes, peas and tomatoes in the mustard vinagrette and divide among 4 plates. Top each salad with some crumbled chevre and some of the warm crispy wontons.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

French Fingerlings w/ feta, olives and artichoke hearts (serves 4-6)

Serve these alongside roast chicken or lamb for dinner or top them with poached eggs for a delicious brunch!

• 1-1/2 pounds French fingerling potatoes
• 1 cup or more sliced shallots
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 6 ounces Harley Farms feta
• 15-20 kalamata olives, pitted & halved (or try green olives instead)
• 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts, freshly steamed or canned
• 2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs, like oregano, thyme and Italian parsley
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

Roast the potatoes in bite-sized wedges with the shallots @ 400, tossed in a little olive oil, salt and pepper until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to an oiled gratin or pie dish.

Combine the feta, olives, artichoke hearts, herbs and garlic in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture over the potatoes, then drizzle with a little more olive oil and return to the hot oven. Bake for several minutes until the cheese is oozy and melted and everything is piping hot!

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Warm Green Bean Salad with Feta and Lemon Basil Vinagrette

(serves 6-8 as a side dish)

Eat this dish at room temp for full flavor! Makes a great picnic or potluck dish.

• 1 pound green beans, like blue lake
• 8 ounces tricolor mini bell peppers, sliced
• 1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound small golden zucchini, sliced into rounds
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 4 ounces Harley Farms feta cheese

Dressing:

• 3 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 handful basil leaves
• juice of one lemon, plus 1 Tablespoon zest
• salt & pepper to taste

Steam the green beans until they are crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Cool them down w/ an ice bath to stop the cooking.

In a heavy skillet or an oven-proof dish, toss the pepper & onion slices in the tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes until beginning to soften and brown. Add the zucchini and pine nuts and cook for another 5 minutes. Cool.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or small food processor. In a medium salad bowl, toss the beans with the cooled down pepper mixture. Toss with the dressing. Crumble the feta over the top and garnish with a little more lemon zest or basil.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Olallieberry Cheesecake Sorbet (makes about a quart)

What could be better than sweet berries grown in Pescadero paired with Harley Farms fromage blanc! Use any ice cream machine or the ice cream bowl attachment for your KitchenAide mixer for this. Be sure to place the bowl in the freezer the night before. Popsicle molds work great for this as well.

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water, 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 quart ripe local Ollalieberries, washed & hulled
• 1 tub Harley Farms fromage, well chilled

Make the simple syrup:
Combine the sugar and the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk or stir to make sure the sugar is all dissolved and then cool a bit. When cooled, place in the blender container and add the ice, using the cup guide on the side of the blender container to easily measure the ice cubes!

Wash & hull the berries. Add them to the blender. Pulse until the berries are partially pureed. Add the fromage and pulse until combined but not too smooth.

Remove the chilled ice cream bowl from the freezer. Attach to the machine. Pour the berry mixture into the bowl and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for whichever ice cream machine you are using. It takes 25-30 minutes. Eat immediately or store in a plastic container in the freezer until ready to eat.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Cherry Almond Cheesecake (serves 10-12)

Topping:

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound dark, pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
• 3/4 cup brown sugar

Crust:

• 1-1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted then ground into coarse flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg

Filling:

• 8 ounces goat Ricotta
• 8-10 ounces fromage blanc or chevre
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon, juice and zest

Start by making the topping so it can cool: Melt the butter in large ovenproof skillet or saucepan. Add the cherries and stir to coat them in the butter. Sprinkle the sugar over them and continue to stir. Bring to a full rolling boil, (or roast in the oven) letting the liquid boil off so that you are left with a nice thick cherry topping. Set aside to cool.

Lightly oil a 9 or 10” springform pan. In a large bowl (or in the food processor, if you prefer) place the flour, the ground almonds, sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly. Slice the butter into the bowl and blend, using a pastry blender (or pulsing if using the food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg and blend with a fork (or pulse gently in the food processor). Don’t be tempted to add any water at this point. Just be patient and continue to mix with the fork. Eventually, the dough takes on a very soft, almost oily feel from the almonds and becomes easy to work. Knead the dough with floured hands on a lightly floured surface. Roll or press into a round the size of the bottom of your pan. Press neatly into place in the pan. Freeze for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pre-bake the shell on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes.

In the bowl of a standing mixer or in the same bowl used to mix the dough, combine the filling ingredients, blending until smooth. Pour over the warm crust and bake until puffy and slightly cracking around the edges, 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon the cherries over the top. Return the cake to the oven for 5 minutes and then cool on a rack. When completely cooled, chill until ready to serve.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Ricotta Gnocchi w/ Lemon Pesto, Peas and Pine Nuts

(serves 6 as a light main dish)

Making gnocchi by hand is an amazingly simple process and requires very little working time. The sauce is a simple homemade pesto. I like to serve the sauced gnocchi right on top of baby spinach leaves. The pesto in effect becomes the dressing, making this a very nice one dish light meal or appetizer.

• 1 pound round of Harley Farms ricotta
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup flour, plus an add’l 1/2 cup flour for the shaping
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided, plus more for the cooking water
• freshly ground pepper & nutmeg to taste
• 1 cup packed fresh basil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1-2 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, divided
• 1 cup freshly shelled and blanched English Peas
• 5-6 ounces baby spinach leaves
• Aged Goat Cheese, such as Cabralinda from Nicalou Farms in Modesto or Pecorino Romano

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a large bowl by hand w/ a wooden spoon) mix together the ricotta, eggs, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Put the other 1/2 cup of flour into a pie dish or plate. Shape the gnocchi by taking teaspoonfuls of dough, rolling them into a ball in your floured hands and then dredging them in more flour. You can make the traditional imprint with your thumb or with the tines of a fork, if desired. Set the floured gnocchi on a plate covered w/ a lightly floured dish towel. Once you’ve shaped all the dough, place the plate in the fridge and chill for at least half an hour. The gnocchi can also be made ahead and frozen.

While the gnocchi are chilling, prepare your pesto: Place the basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, half the pine nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the blender or food processor and pulse until combined. Scrape into a salad bowl and add the peas and spinach. Gently toss. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 6 qts of water to a boil. Once the water is rapidly boiling, add a tsp or so of salt. Remove the gnocchi from the fridge or freezer and gently slip them into the boiling water, stirring the pot from time to time to keep them from sticking together. They will take about 5 minutes to cook (perhaps a little longer if they’ve been in the freezer). Remove them with a slotted spoon as they float to the surface, testing one first for doneness making sure they are not still gummy. Spoon them into the bowl with the pesto, peas and spinach leaves. Toss to mix and then serve onto individual plates. Garnish each plate with a few of the remaining pine nuts and a few big shavings of the hard goat cheese or pecorino. Eat immediately.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Lemon, Chicken & Herb Risotto w/ Harley Farms Chevre

(Serves 4 as a main course)

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless free-range chicken breast, cut into bite-sized dice
• juice of 2 lemons, plus 1 tablespoon of the zest
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs - parsley, marjoram, thyme, etc
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups sliced shallots
• 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 4 ounces Harley Farms Chevre

Warm a deep wide skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until slightly brown on the outside but not fully cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a small bowl with the lemon juice, zest, salt & pepper and minced herbs. Set aside.

Bring your stock to a simmer in a saucepan on a back burner. Add the other 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same skillet you’ve browned the chicken in. When warm, add the shallots and cook until soft and beginning to brown. Add the risotto and stir 1-2 minutes. Add about half the broth to the skillet and stir slowly, keeping the rice & broth at a good simmer. After about 5 minutes, when most of the liquid has been absorbed, again add half of what remains of the broth and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about another 5 minutes. Finally, add all the remaining broth and the lemon-chicken mixture and stir to combine. Simmer this slowly, stirring frequently, until the rice looks plump and the liquid is pretty much gone, another 7 minutes. Total cooking time for the rice should be about 17-18 minutes.

Set out four soup plates for serving and divide the chevre among them. Serve the hot risotto over the chevre, along with a simple green salad or maybe some steamed asparagus.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Farmhouse Crepes with New Lemon Lavender Chevre

(serves 4)

• 1 cup milk
• *handful of ice cubes
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter or canola oil
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4-6 ounces Harley Farms lemon lavender chevre
• powdered sugar, for dusting over the top
• fresh berries, for garnish

Combine the milk and ice cubes in the carafe of the blender (*use the measure on the carafe - once you’ve added the cup of milk, add ice cubes until you have 1-1/3 cups of liquid total and then blend). Add the oil or butter and the eggs and blend.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Add to the blender and pulse until you have a smooth batter. Chill the batter for 1/2 an hour.

Warm an 8” non-stick or copper skillet w/ a very light coating of oil or cooking spray. Once hot, swirl the pan by rotating your wrist and add a 1/4 cup of batter to the center. The batter will roll around and coat the entire pan forming a nice thin, round crepe. After about a minute, gently flip the crepe and let it finish cooking for about 25-30 seconds. Transfer the finished crepe to a plate, lined with a tea towel. Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep the crepes warm, wrapped in the towel until you are ready to serve.

Place 2- 3 Tablespoons of lemon lavender chevre onto each crepe and roll up, serving 2 per person. Dust with powdered sugar, garnish with berries, if desired and serve.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Pescadero Pea Soup with curried croutons and herbed fromage

(serves 4-6)

For the soup:

• 4 cups freshly shelled English peas, preferably organic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups diced shallots or Vidalia onion
• 1 quart or so light chicken stock, preferable homemade
• 4 ounces Harley Farms fromage blanc or chevre
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced herbs (chives or mint)

For the croutons:

• 6 or 8 slices day old French or Italian bread, sliced or cut in cubes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons curry powder

Shell the peas and rinse them in a colander. In a soup pot, melt the butter with the tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the shallots or onion until soft. Add the peas and the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the peas are soft and beginning to fall apart a bit, about 10 minutes. Puree with a hand blender or in batches in the regular blender. Keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the fromage blanc and herbs.

While the peas are still cooking, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and curry powder and stir. Add the bread cubes or slices and brown on all sides, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve each bowl of soup with a dollop of the herbed fromage blanc and a slice or a handful of the croutons.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Artichoke “Migas” or Scramble with Crispy Corn Tortillas and salsa

(serves 2)

Cut the tortillas into thin strips and then cut again in the other direction to make them bite sized. Use freshly steamed artichoke hearts, if available. Otherwise, canned works fine.

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 corn tortillas, cut in thin strips
• 3/4 cup chopped shallots or onions
• 3/4 cup diced artichoke hearts, freshly steamed or canned
• 4 extra-large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2-3 ounces feta or soft fresh chevre
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Your favorite salsa or some red & yellow cherry tomato halves, for garnish
• Chopped cilantro or basil, for garnish

Warm the oil in a medium skillet or omelet pan. Add the tortillas to get them warm and very lightly crisp. Set them aside on a paper towel.

Add the shallot or onion to the same pan, adding a little more oil if needed. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 

Add the diced artichokes to the eggs in a bowl and stir gently to combine. Add the butter to the onions and when sizzling, add the egg mixture. Scramble the eggs to your liking but be sure not to overcook them. Turn off the heat the moment the eggs are set. Stir in the tortilla strips, salt & pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, topped with the feta or chevre, some salsa or cherry tomatoes and the herbs. 

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Cinnamon-Sugar Breakfast Quesadillas with Strawberry "Salsa”

(serves 2)

• 4 (8 inch) flour or whole-wheat flour tortillas
• 3-4 ounces fresh chevre or fromage blanc
• 2 teaspoons of butter or cooking spray for frying pan
• pint fresh local strawberries, sliced or diced
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar, plus more for sprinkling over the top
• pineapple mint sprigs, for garnish

Dice or slice the strawberries and place in a bowl. Toss with the 2 tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar or plain sugar, if you prefer. ( To make cinnamon sugar, simply add a teaspoon or so of cinnamon to a 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Store in a spice jar with the little shaker top for easy sprinkling. )

Warm a heavy skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter and place a tortilla in the pan. Crumble the chevre over it and place the second tortilla on top. Press down with a spatula or with the palm of your hand. Flip when nicely golden brown and dust with cinnamon-sugar. When the flip side is brown, remove from pan. Repeat with the other tortillas. Cut into wedges, arrange on plates, topped with some of the strawberry mixture. Garnish with the mint.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Warm Artichoke and Jalapeno Dip

(serves 4-6)

Use freshly steamed artichokes hearts for this, if you have time. Otherwise, you can use marinated or canned and put this together in no time!

• 1 to 1-1/2 cups diced artichoke hearts, from 3 large artichokes
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced or 1/4 cup jarred jalapeno rings, drained
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves, or 1/4 tsp dried
• 8 ounces Harley Farms chevre
• baguette or thick organic tortilla chips

Wash the artichokes and trim off most of the stem. Steam the artichokes until you can easily pull off a few of the outer leaves, about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the artichokes. Remove from the pot aside to cool.

While the artichokes are steaming, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a small gratin dish and crumble the chevre into the bottom. Set aside.

Once the artichokes are cooled, remove all the leaves and the center thistles from the hearts. Set the leaves aside to use as the dippers. Quarter the hearts and put them in the food processor. Place the olive oil, garlic and jalapeno in a small glass dish and microwave for 1 minute. Add the oregano and then pour into the food processor with the artichokes. Pulse until mixed but still a little chunky. Spoon the mixture over the chevre and bake for 10 minutes or until nice and bubbly. Place the hot gratin dish on larger plate and surround with the steamed artichoke leaves, slices of baguette or thick organic tortilla chips.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Ancho Chili Torte with cilantro pesto and toasted pumpkin seeds (serves 6, as an appetizer)

Make up the ancho paste and the anchiote oil ahead of time, if you like. You will have extras of both so store them in jam jars for future use. Use the leftovers over a slice of feta for an instant appetizer or serve it with smashed potatoes or in an omelet.. If you haven’t got any ancho chili paste or anchiote oil made up and you don’t want a fuss, just top the torte with your favorite salsa instead.

• 8-10 ounces Harley Farms chevre or fromage blanc
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 ounces dried ancho or pasilla chilies
• 2 Tablespoons annatto seeds
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 small clean jam jars, for storing extras

Make the torte: Line a 5”springform or a soup plate with plastic wrap, leaving extra wrap on each side. Press half the chevre or fromage into the bottom using the back of a spoon.

Combine the cilantro, the 1/4 cup olive oil, the garlic, half the pumpkin seeds and salt in a mini chop and pulse until combined. Spoon the mixture over the chevre in the springform. Top with the rest of the cheese and press into your form or bowl and flatten. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap over to tightly cover your cheese mold and chill.

Make the chili puree: Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 325 degrees to bring out the flavor a bit. Place in a bowl and pour some boiling water over the chilies. Soak for about 20 minutes. Pour off the water and puree in the food processor. Spoon the puree into a small jam jar.

Make the anchiote oil: While the chilies are soaking, warm the cup of oil and the seeds together in a small saucepan. As it comes to a simmer, you will see the red color weeping into the oil. After a minute or so, remove from the heat and let the pan of oil cool down. Strain the oil into the second jar, discarding the seeds.

Shortly before you are ready to serve, unmold the torte onto a plate, discarding the plastic wrap. Spread some chili paste or salsa on the top like icing. Drizzle the anchiote oil over that and sprinkle the top with the remaining pumpkin seeds. Serve with thick, organic tortilla chips and your favorite cerveza or with Crispy Olive Oil Crackers and a rustic red wine.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.

Grilled Lamb Tenderloins stuffed w/ eggplant & feta ( serves 6 )

• 2 – 1 pound boneless lamb tenderloins
• 2 Tablespoons Epiphany Mid East-West spice rub or your favorite lamb/chicken rub
• 2 Japanese eggplants, sliced 1/3” thick lengthwise (you’ll need 6 slices, three for each roll)
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 6-8 cloves garlic
• 4-6 ounces Harley Farms feta
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• freshly ground pepper
• kitchen string

Prepare your charcoal, gas or stovetop grill.

Pound the tenderloins to an even 1/2” thickness. Sprinkle the lamb with the spice rub and let sit in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients. Brush the eggplant slices with a little oil and grill until nicely brown on both sides. Set aside for now.

Saute the onion in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine the onions & garlic, feta, raisins, pine nuts and some freshly ground pepper.

Assemble the rolls. Place several slices of eggplant on top of one side of each piece of the meat, spreading half of the feta mixture on each and fold them over. Tie them up with kitchen string like two miniature roasts to keep the filling contained.

Carefully, place on the hot grill. Cook approx. 10-12 minutes per side until medium rare/medium. (If you’ve chilled them after assembling, be sure to add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time). Let them rest a few minutes, covered tightly in foil, while you prepare to serve dinner. When everything else is ready, cut each roll in thirds or slices, remove the string and serve immediately.

Recipe by Maggie Foard, author of the new cookbook Goat Cheese, by Gibbs Smith Publishing, August 2008.