From The Barcelona Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Wine, and Life by Sasa Mahr-Batuz and Andy Pforzheimer
Serves 6
This is a great dish to make ahead for parties as it keeps for as long as four days, although we admit it tastes best on the day it is made. It’s flavorful, inexpensive, and exotic. When done right and allowed to sit at room temperature, the goat cheese softens so that it can be spread on toasted baguettes or crackers. After that, the brilliant green of the mojo verde starts to fade. It still tastes good the next day.
Goat Cheese Logs
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
¼ bunch fresh chives
Two 8-ounce logs goat cheese
¼ pound cream cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mojo Verde
1 green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice
¼ medium red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about ¼ cup)
¼ bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice (for less heat, scrape out the seeds and membranes first)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Baguette slices, flat bread, or endive spears, for serving
1. To make the goat cheese logs: Strip the leaves from the thyme, parsley, and rosemary sprigs, discard the stems, and mince the leaves and the chives.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook or the paddle attachment and set on medium speed, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and minced herbs. Season lightly with salt and pepper and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
3. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap about 1 foot long on a work surface. Using a rubber spatula, scrape enough of the cheese mixture along the plastic wrap to make a strip about 6 inches long and 1 inch wide. Roll the plastic wrap around the cheese to form a log about 6 inches long. Pinch and twist the ends to seal.
4. Continue to make logs with the cheese mixture until you have used all the mixture. You should have 2 to 3 logs. Refrigerate the logs for at least 2 hours and for up to 4 days.
5. To make the mojo verde: In a mixing bowl, mix together the bell pepper, onion, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño. Add the vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice and mix gently. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir well.
6. Using dental floss or a small, very sharp knife, slice the goat cheese logs into 18 rounds, each about ½ inch thick. Arrange 3 rounds on each of 6 serving plates to form a triangle. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the mojo verde on top of each round of cheese. The tapas can be prepared up to this point and left at room temperature for up to 2 hours or refrigerated for up to 6 hours. Let them return to room temperature before serving.
7. Serve with the baguette, flat bread, or endive spears.
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