GOAT CHEESE BAKED IN AN OUTDOOR GRILL
WITH A SALAD OF BABY GREENS,
SMOKED GRANNY SMITH APPLES,
ROASTED GARLIC CLOVES, SPICED PECANS AND GRILLED ROSEMARY BREAD
SERVES SIX
GOAT CHEESE
12 oz. soft goat cheese
8oz. fine bread crumbs (preferably homemade from tasty bread)
1/4 tsp. fresh thyme chopped
1/4 tsp. fresh oregano chopped
1/4 tsp. fresh basil chopped
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
Divide the goat cheese into 6 2oz portions.
Roll each 2 oz. portion into a tight ball and flatten
into oval disks. Combine the bread crumbs
with the chopped herbs. Dip each goat cheese ball
into the olive oil to coat then roll in the seasoned
bread crumbs. Set the six goat cheese balls on a small pie
plate or pizza pan that will fit inside your grill.
Allow to come to room temperature before you are ready
to assemble the dish.
BABY GREENS
8oz. mixed baby greens
2 Tbls. Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls. orange juice
1/4 tsp. orange zest
1 shallot chopped
8 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Make a vinaigrette with the olive, vinegar,
shallots, juice, zest, and salt and pepper.
Set aside until ready to ready to assemble dish.
Apples
2 Granny Smith apples
Core and cut the apples in to 12 wedges each.
Brush apples with olive oil and lightly
salt and pepper. Set aside until ready
to assemble dish.
Garlic
2 whole heads of garlic
Break garlic heads apart and remove papery skin.
Place garlic cloves in a piece of aluminum foil.
Lightly oil and salt and pepper.
Pecans
4oz. pecan halves
1/8 tsp. cayenne
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. butter
Heat butter in a sauté pan. Sauté the pecans lightly,adding
the cayenne, sugar, and a touch of salt to taste.
You may wish to vary the amount of cayenne and sugar
to taste as well. Place pecans on a pie pan that will
fit inside your barbecue grill.
Rosemary Bread
Slice Rosemary or any other bread that you like
into 1/4 inch slices. Allow 2 slices per person.
Brush with olive oil and set aside.
A S S E M B L Y
As soon as the coals in your grill are no longer burning,
place the garlic clove bundle in the hottest spot.
Allow at least 20 minutes for the garlic to become
well roasted and caramelized. When you are close to serving time,
place apples cut side down on the grill and mark them on both sides.
Set apples on pan with the pecans. Grill the slices of bread
and cut into triangular pieces. Set aside. Five minutes before
serving time place both the goat cheese plate and the pecan plate
on the grill surface of the grill. Close the lid to allow heat
to surround and bake the cheeses and toast the nuts a bit more.
Toss the Baby Greens in the vinaigrette and divide onto 6 plates .
Put several cloves of the roasted garlic next to the Baby Greens.
Put 3-4 pieces of the grilled bread on each plate leaving room
for the goat cheese rounds. When the goat cheese balls have started
to bubble and become slightly toasted remove from the grill
and use a spatula to carefully transfer one goat ball to each plate.
Toss some of the pecans and the apples on each salad
and you are ready to serve.
Note: This dish lends itself
well to outdoor barbecuing.
