Whipped Goat Cheese with Herbs and Lemon

Despite the doom and gloom about the coronavirus, it is beginning to look like spring in Maine. We are about a month behind the rest of the country so it is still a bit chilly up here but it is beautiful nonetheless. Anthony and I have been mending broken fences and starting early seeds like peas, carrots, beets, broccoli, and radish. As I’ve said before, I love radishes. Their fresh, peppery flavor is light and refreshing and they can play the lead or a supporting role in so many recipes. This recipe for toast with radishes and whipped goat cheese is a perfect bite of spring.

Since I’ve had so much free time lately, I’ve been tackling some cooking projects that have eluded me in the past. New pasta shapes, different ravioli fillings, and sourdough bread. I’ve tried sourdough in the past but have never had much luck. Despite my best efforts, the bread would turn out either way too dense and gummy or just a hardened shell filled with a few strands of bread and the rest, air. In fact, after my last round with baking bread, I gave up. I threw it all away, starter, loaf, and all. I told Anthony I was a failure and would never try again.

Then we were told to self-quarantine.

I’ve been working with Emma Christensen’s Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Bread from thekitchn.com and I think I’m a believer again. I have a starter on my counter I’ve affectionately named, Henry, and feed him every day. So far I’ve successfully made a sandwich loaf and a dozen small rolls and the texture was perfect. Crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. Nothing tops the loaf I made on Thursday though. Maybe it is because the starter is getting older and a little funkier, maybe it is because I cooked it in a dutch oven rather than a loaf pan, I really don’t know. I am not a bread expert. Whatever I did, it worked because the bread has a beautiful, crunchy-chewy crust and a nice soft interior.

I did follow the recipe from Emma Christensen to a “T” up until it came time to actually bake the bread. Instead of dividing it in half and forming two small balls, I simply left it as a single piece of dough and shaped it into one larger ball and let it rise in a proofing basket but you could use a bowl. Next, I used an enameled dutch oven in lieu of the loaf pans. For this, I did some digging around online and learned that most recommend preheating the dutch oven before adding the dough, so I did. It was a little precarious getting the dough safely into the hot dutch oven but I made it without any injuries. I baked the bread with the lid on for 50 minutes and removed it for the remaining 5. The result was a beautiful loaf of bread big enough to feed a small army. It is tangy, salty, and oh so satisfying.

Just to recap:

1. Let your dough rise as described in the recipe from Emma Christensen.

2. Instead of dividing the dough in half, keep it as one large mass of dough and let it rise again in a large bowl or a proofing basket.

3. Preheat your dutch oven for an hour at 450 with the lid off.

4. Carefully transfer the dough to the dutch oven, slice with a serrated knife or a razor.

5. Bake the bread, covered and undisturbed for 50 minutes, remove it for the last 5-10.

I also learned in my research this week that the ideal temperature for a sourdough loaf is around 200 degrees and you can use a meat thermometer to check.

If you have time on your hands and are looking for something to keep you busy, I strongly suggest giving sourdough bread a shot. It is, without a doubt, a project recipe. It will take you a week from start to finish but the results are so worth it and you will walk away with an edible lesson.

To make things even better, I have been in the habit of making whipped goat cheese and herb spread for sandwiches now that Anthony and I are working from home. I have started putting this stuff on everything from bagels to breakfast sandwiches to grilled cheese. It has parsley, garlic, lemon, and goat cheese to give it a bright, tangy smack of flavor. If you don’t like goat cheese, I’ve also made a version of this with plain yogurt that is equally as delicious.

Here is Emma Christensen’s Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Loaf Recipe.

Whipped Goat Cheese Spread

Ingredients

4 slices sourdough bread
1 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh mint
2 cloves garlic
zest and juice from one lemon
4 oz goat cheese
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh radishes, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Toast the bread to your desired doneness.

2. In a food processor, combine the parsley, mint, garlic, and lemon zest. Pulse until it is all finely chopped.

3. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice to the food processor and blend until it is smooth and light.

4. Smear the whipped cheese on the toast, top with sliced radishes, and season with salt and pepper.

Orange Pumpkin Bread

Its early October, the leaves have begun to change and I can see my breath when I run in the morning. Fall has officially arrived.

To celebrate the season, I dragged out an old family recipe given to me by my mother. What goes better with a chilly morning that a hot cup of coffee and Orange Pumpkin Bread?

This recipe belongs to my great-grandmother Gladys. A woman I’ve only known through stories and pictures as a child. She was married to William, my great-grandfather and namesake and lived on a farm where she and my great-grandfather raised horses and cattle.

Earlier this year, my mom gave be two boxes of family recipes from my great-aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother. As I’ve been working through the recipes, I’ve thought about who these women were, what they were like and what they would think of me. Of these three ladies, I only met my great-aunt Ruth. My great-grandmother passed long before I was born and my grandmother passed away from cancer at 49 (one more reason why I quit smoking). All the same, I’ve known these women through stories told to me by my mother, uncle and their family friends. Despite not meeting them, cooking their food is giving me a connection to a life I didn’t know and gives me a comfort I struggle to articulate.

Orange Pumpkin Bread

makes two loaves

Ingredients

2/3 C Crisco
2 2/3 C granulated sugar
1 orange
2/3 C water
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
3 1/3 C all purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
2/3 C chopped pecans
2/3 C raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease two 9x5x3 loaf pans.

2. In a stand mixer, cream shortening and sugar thoroughly

3. Cut the orange into wedges and carefully remove any seeds, then toss it into a blender or food processor with the water and puree until smooth.

4. Add the orange mixture to the creamed sugar and shortening along with the pumpkin and eggs.

5. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder in a separate bowl and carefully add to the pumpkin mixture in batches. Fold in the pecans and raisins.

6. Pour the mixture into the loaf pans and bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.