Vinegartart

This past week found me rummaging in the fridge admiring my expansive collection of yogurt containers.  Truth to tell, the yogurt containers don’t actually contain yogurt but rather the remains of meals eaten in the distant past.  In my search for the bottom of the fridge,  I found a big batch of dressed pasta I don’t remember making let alone eating.

I like to think of myself as a recycler so the idea of reusing yogurt containers and eating leftovers appeals to me.  Our chickens like the idea of eating leftovers as well and I indulge them often in their love of recycling.  I don’t really like using opaque containers for leftovers for the very reason they are “opaque” and the contents cannot be readily viewed.  I am of an out-of-sight-out-of-mind nature and those yogurt containers, more often than not, hide gruesome chemistry experiments showcasing the effect of mold on my carefully planned leftovers.  Mold is not a plant but a fungus.  It grows on food breaking it down into slime.  That is why, upon opening one of the many yogurt containers inhabiting my fridge, Saturday night pasta reveals itself as Saturday night slime. 

So, what does this have to do with anything?  Not much except that in my quest, I found a 140 gram container of Fromage de chevre emiette non affine a pate molle or soft unripened goat cheese crumbles (it sounds much more exotic in French.)  I purchased the chevre at a deep discount because it was close to the best-before-date. 

Not wanting to indulge the chickens in their love of Fromage de chevre emiette non affine a pate molle, I thought I’d better use it up pronto before it transformed into some slimy, unrecognizable mass.

If this exact type of cheese is not available at your local food emporium, any chevre, or feta will work. 

Red Wine Vinegar, Fresh Dill and Soft Unripened Goat Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

1/4 cup soft unripened goat cheese crumbles, chevre or feta cheese

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

1.  In a 250ml jar, combine cheese and vinegar until smooth.

If using feta this might take a bit of work, or if the feta is fairly dry, it may not be rendered entirely smooth.  That’s okay.  It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth.

2.  Mix in olive oil until blended.

3.  Add dill, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Add more oil, vinegar, milk or water if the consistency of the finished dressing is too thick for your liking.  I use this dressing both thick or thin.  Thick it makes a great dip or spread for crackers or bread.  It also makes a great alternative to mayo in a sandwich.  Thin it can be drizzled on beets or other vegetables or simply used to dress a salad.

This dressing will keep for several days in the refrigerator if you don’t over indulge and devour it in one sitting.

What you accomplish with the recipes I share with you is what makes me eager to share more.  Tell me how you are doing. 

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