Got Goat?

Last month I was at a conference, the IFT (Institute of Food Technologists) Annual Meeting – my first one, might I add – and it was probably one of the most overwhelming yet fulfilling (literally filling because of all the food samples which exhibited new products or ingredients taking the world by storm) experiences of the food science realm so far. Imagine being Charlie, going on Willy Wonka’s Factory Tour, where the tour covered an area one mile long by half of a mile wide, with gastronomic innovation, professionals, and science everywhere you glanced (versus just candy). It’s no wonder photos are not “allowed” inside the exhibit area – you’d have to come experience it for yourself!

On the last day of the conference I attended a presentation about the miracle berry. Ever heard of it? The miracle berry originated from Africa and contains a protein – miraculin that essentially renders your bitter/sour taste buds inert for a certain amount of time leaving your sweet buds at work! We were instructed to take this pill that melted on your tongue to release the miraculin on the tongue, and then…suck on a lemon. Now that might not seem too crazy, especially if you like lemons, but I absolutely despise the taste of just lemon. My strength of dislike for it is so strong that I will send back my water at restaurants if there is a lemon in it; Yes, I could remove the lemon from my water, but the flavor is so potent. Anyway there I was, sucking on a lemon slice. It tasted like lemonade. How wild?! At the end of the presentation we were given a list of other items to taste while under the miraculin spell as well as sample tablets to take home. First thing I thought of – date night!

So a couple of nights ago, I had the chance to spend some time with my boyfriend #LDRlife, and I said, “Babe! We have got to try this! It’ll be fun!” Later that day we went grocery shopping to get some of the stuff on the list to try – dark stout (supposed to taste like chocolate milk), hot sauce, pickles (I hate pickles >.<), a variety of fruits and vegetables, goat cheese, and a few other things. By the time we got back from this party and after the Judd Apatow movie marathon…we were too sleepy to get into it. That’s how I ended up with goat cheese.

I’ve never used goat cheese before. I always thought it would be too…gamey. But after trying this out, I really like it! It has a mild flavor (at least the kind I have) and works well with other savory foods as well as complementing sweet/tart flavors.

Goat Cheese Tartlets Three Ways (makes about 12 tartlets)

Crust (adapted from foododelmundo.com)

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp flour (sifted)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup butter (cold)
• 5 tbsp milk

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into cubes and using an electric beater, and cut the butter into the flour mixture until there are pea-sized pieces of butter or smaller.
2. Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, fully incorporating it into the flour. (Note – pie crusts do not appear “sticky” like cookie dough.) Use your hands to gently mix the dough in the bowl. At this point if the butter is beginning to melt, place the dough into the fridge for an hour – this will maintain the buttery flaky goodness of pie crusts!
3. Place the dough on a heavily floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten it out ~ ¼ of an inch thick. Since we are making tartlets, I used a round cookie cutter (or cup rim) slightly larger than your pan to form the crusts. Before placing crusts in the pan, make sure to grease them first.
4. Before baking I would advise you to poke some holes with a fork to prevent the crust form puffing up. Depending on what you’re making you can bake this crust ahead of time – for fillings that are already edible or only need to “melt,” no real cooking time necessary. For that I would estimate about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees F or until light brown.

Custard

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp half & half

Simply whip these two ingredients together in a bowl.

Spinach & Caramelized Onion

• goat cheese
• spinach (chopped)
• caramelized onions
• parmesan

 

Tomato & Basil

• goat cheese
• tomatoes (sliced or diced)
• dried basil
• dried parsley
• parmesan

Apple & Honey

• goat cheese
• apples (sliced)
• crushed almonds
• honey

 

This part is pretty simple and flexible – which I love! Basically I started with the base as some goat cheese (I have the crumbled kind), and then layered the other toppings on top. Any of the spices condiments or spices I would layer last and sprinkle them on top. But you can do whatever works for you! Once your toppings are stacked, spoon on top about 1 tsbp of the custard mixture into each tartlet. Bake these at 350 degrees F for 20 – 25 minutes, making sure the custard is cooked through!

Feel free to share your own filling ideas!

❤ The Food Scientist