We took a road trip down to Newport on Sunday and it was amaaaazing. Zan and I decided if the weather was nice, we would take a drive somewhere for the day, and well, the weather was beautiful so off we went to Rhode Island– the Ocean State!
On our way we passed a farm, and I was so in awe by all the animals that I made Zanner turn around so I could snap some photos.
GOATS!!
This animal alone made me more excited than any other. They are too cute, plus I am absolutely 100% in LOVE with goat cheese, so this just seemed like fate for me to run into these little cuties. You could tell they got fed by tourists a lot because they literally came right up to the fence, put their hooves up and stood on their hind legs.
This made me half scared, half in love.
Is this even possible? Well, it happened to me, so I guess it is possible.
Do you like goat cheese? For me it is like the cheese to end all cheeses. Delicious beyond delicious. A blend of creamy, tangy goodness that is like no other. You following me?
Anyways, I thought I’d share three of my go-to recipes with my all time favorite cheese. The first two are a cinch, the last one is a full-on project, but absolutely worth it.
Spinach Salad with Homemade Raspberry Vinegarette
Bag of baby spinach
Handful of craisins (or in the summer I like to use fresh strawberries!)
Candied walnuts
Quarter log (4 oz.) of goat cheese
Mix all the dry ingredients together and top with my favorite homemade raspberry vinegarette recipe.
SO GOOD!
Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese (via Rachel Ray)
Ingredients
3/4 pound macaroni pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 9 ounce bag spinach
Salt and pepper
6 ounces goat cheese, broken into chunks
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Directions
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and return to the pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach and the reserved pasta water and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir into the pasta along with the goat cheese. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the walnuts on top.
YUMMM-O.
Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Goat Cheese Enchiladas (sent from Zan’s cousin Cassidy)
This recipe makes approximately 10 enchiladas
For the filling:
1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed, drained (refried is good for creamy-ness- add hot sauce for extra kick and/or garlic)
2 heaping cups cooked sweet potatoes (mashed or cubed into small chunks- can add hot sauce here if desired, I add a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar to boost sweetness)
1/2 cup chopped roasted green chilies (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 average-size package goat cheese or cream cheese
To Assemble:
1 can green enchilada sauce (I mix in 1-2 Tbsp sour cream, but that’s optional)
2-4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, as needed
10 small corn tortillas
1.5-2.5 cups Shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar (depending on how cheesy)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Choose a baking dish that would hold 10 enchiladas.
Using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and hot sauce (if using). Toss to coat the beans and set aside.
In a separate bowl combine the lightly smashed sweet potatoes with the chopped green chilies (or hot sauce and maple syrup); add the spices.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the Enchilada Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
Grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them – one at a time – as you stuff each one.
Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce. Spoon 1/10 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Top with 1/10 of goat cheese. Top with 1/10 of the black beans. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce. If you like, top with shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve with sliced lettuce, sour cream, and hot sauce.
Serves 5.
Super, Suuuuper DELICIOUS.
One of these days I hope to do a whole blog post dedicated to the enchiladas (photos and all).
They are A-MAZING.
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A bit of goat cheese, on or in anything, is a little slice of heaven. This I am sure. Do you agree with me? Have any special recipes I should know about? If so, pass them along s’il vous plait– share some goat cheese love!
I greatly dislike cheese. however, due to the cute pictures of goats, I greatly like this post. you were lucky this time nannerburns.
Phew, Colleen.
PHEW.
Oh gosh, so there is this lady who sells the BEST goat cheese at the farmers market in Brookline. Have you tried? If not, you must! She has all sorts of delicious flavors, including chocolate!
I do love goat cheese and for some reason, I feel like it’s healthier than regular cheese. Is there ANY logic to that?
I may have gotten goat cheese from her stand at one point, although I don’t remember exactly.
I was more partial to the Copley Farmer’s Market, but I did hit up the Brookline one from time to time.
OHHHHH SUMMER. COME TO MEEEEE.
No can’t do cheese, but I love these photos – espesh the last one; what a cutie!
Did you bring him home? (Have you read The Hunger Games????)
SMITA!
Have I read the HUNGER GAMES?
What a silly question, friend.
LOOOOOOOOOOVE IT.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your favorite goat cheese recipes!! I am also in love with the stuff, but don’t really know what to add it to besides salads. I’m so excited to try that mac n’ cheese, and goat cheese in enchiladas?! I think that would be heaven on earth.
p.s. what an adorable farm you visited! I love it
Everyone in my family, except for my father, loves cheese and he especially abhors goat cheese. It is a big strong, I admit, but that’s part of the attraction right?
RIGHT!
soooo good.
Road trips are the greatest!! Looks like you two had the perfect drive, too. And an adorable farm? What a great day! xoxo, eliza
TIME OUT!! Is that a black and white spotted sheep?? I have NEVER seen one of those!! Is it weird that I’m sort of freaking out over a sheep? Probably. But seriously…
Haha. That IS a black and white spotted sheep. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now you’re making me think I captured something special. ;)
Now you REALLY got me with the enchiladas! If there are two things I love, it’s mexican food + cheese. Goat cheese is by far one of my favorites! And they’re vegetarian which thrills me even more!
My husband’s dad has goats, and for some reason I’ve never been too interested. The baby goats are just adorable though!
Oh, yes! I meant to mention that! All vegetarian options here!
And actually, the enchiladas are gluten-free!
Yay! Are you vegetarian? And sorry, I came back here to check the recipe and saw your reply. I suppose I need to set up email reply notifications. I’m hoping to try this recipe this week though!
Nope! Not a vegetarian! Just so happens all these recipes are!
Yes, and I do try to respond to my comments. :)
Which one are you going to make?!
I’m planning to make the enchiladas (tonight actually!). Can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Love goat cheese and love those cute little goats! Haha.
It’s so interesting to me how you just hop around from state to state. It looks like so much fun!!
Ha! I never really thought about it that way, but I guess you’re right.
Maine and RI and NY are just so close to Boston– it’s easy to hop around!
I LOVE GOAT CHEESE AND I LOVE FARMS! In my dream world I have a farm with chickens and a goat and a bunny hutch and rows and rows of vegetables and an apple tree. And all I do all day is play in the sunshine and bake things and tend to my garden. Thaaaa life.
Oh and I churn my own butter. That goes without saying.
What a perfect dream world.
Am I there churning butter next to you?
I sure hope so.
Love! Where is this farm? Did they sell goat cheese at it? I’m dying to know since I visit RI all the time!
PS Last summer I went to a sheep farm in Chatham NY and they sold fresh sheep cheese! Not quite the same as goat cheese but totally worth a nibble :)
Laura! The farm shop was closed at the time we went, but I imagine they’ll be opening soon, as summer is COMING!!!! :-D
YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOAT CHEESE.
SHEEEEEEEP! they are so cute. i want to cuddle them all.
What is the name of the farm? I am looking to go down to the Newport Mansions, any advice of where to eat after?
you know what, I have no idea what it was called. BUMMER, right?
Also, because we were feeling cheap, we actually just took a picnic lunch! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, actually. There are a ton of picnic tables on a grassy area by the water, near the clifs and the mansions. Maybe you could do that too? Otherwise it looked like there were a lot of great restaurants in town.
I went for a bachelorette a few years ago and we had dinner at Fluke. That was delicious from what I remember!