Pizza Goat Cheese Dip

We have had a goat cheese dip at a local restaurant that is super yummy and we’ve been meaning to do something similar at home. Earlier this week I made some chevre but let it drain for too long so it got firmer than I like. The flavor was fine but the texture was weird- dry and almost chalky. Not the smooth, spreadable chevre that I prefer. Not wanting to waste it, though, we decided to use it in something where it is melted and so the texture isn’t a problem.

As he was pulling this dip out of the oven Chris remarked at all the time and effort that went into this one little dish. From the years spent raising Ivy to breeding her and caring for her during her pregnancy and then finally milking her and making cheese from her milk the cheeses themselves have three years of work behind them! Some of the tomatoes are from our garden and some are from the gardens of my mom and godmother (we combined all of ours when we were canning stewed tomatoes last weekend). The oregano and basil is also from our garden. The garlic is from the garden of a friend. There is something very satisfying about sitting down to a plate that is filled with so much life and love….especially if it tastes this good!!!

 

Chris is a wonderful chef but since he has a very natural talent for cooking he isn’t very precise when it comes to measurements. He is much more of the “add stuff till it tastes right” school of cooking. I did my best to jot down the ingredients he used and how it put it together, more or less.

Pizza Goat Cheese Dip

Cheese Layer

• 2 parts chevre
• 1 part cream cheese 
• fresh basil and oregano
• salt

Pizza Sauce

• 2 parts stewed tomatoes
• 1 part tomato paste
• bell peppers
• garlic
• basil
• 2 springs of fresh oregano
• 1TBS white wine vinegar
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• salt

Topping

• sliced almonds
• fresh basil leaves

Melt together all of the cheese ingredients in a small sauce pan and stir until the texture is smooth and even. Pour into baking dish.

To make your sauce, combine all ingredients in a pan and simmer for 30min. For a smooth texture, use a Magic Bullet or other food processor/blender to puree the tomato and pepper chunks.

Spread your sauce on top of the cheese and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. Bake the dish in the oven at 375  until the cheese is nice and melted. Garnish with a couple of basil leaves and serve with fresh bread or pita triangles.