Cocoa and Lavender: Goat Dressing

In the 1920s, goat dressing became a tradition at the Louisiana State University rodeo, and is still an event at many rodeo competitions around the country. Basically, they dress a goat in human clothes - the sillier the better! I am sure the goats aren't physically harmed in this practice... but their pride? Ouch! But that isn't the kind of goat dressing I want to discuss today; we will be dressing up little logs of goat cheese.

Sunday morning shoppers at the Rillito Heirloom Farmers Market in Tucson are very fortunate to have Fiore di Capra. Run by Alethea Smith and her family, this wonderful goat farm is about everything made with grade A goat's milk: raw milk, cheese (chèvre, feta, ricotta, crottin, soft ripened), yogurt, kefir, cajeta, caramel, and fudge. I hope your local farmer’s market has such a purveyor, too.

A variety of Fiore di Capra's cheeses at the Heirloom Farmers Market.

Their products are truly amazing. When I make homemade ravioli or eggplant rollatini, I use their ricotta. If I want the perfect cheese for a fruit platter after dinner, I reach for their soft ripened Brie - or their ash-coated blue. Their yogurt is wonderfully tart and complements many of the Middle Eastern dishes I make.

For pre-dinner snacking, though, we like to serve fresh goat cheese, or chèvre. It is lighter than most cheese and helps whet the appetite for what comes next. While Fiore di Capra offers a variety of herbed and flavored fresh chèvre, we like to make our own, often showcasing herbs from Mark's garden, or my own peppercorn mix.

We are fortunate our climate allows us to have a great herb garden at our fingertips year round. This makes the herbing of the cheese very easy. Mark or I simply pop outside, snip a few sprigs of our favorite tender herbs, and, with some quick rocking of our mezzaluna, a simple log of goat cheese is transformed.

Our blend changes each time we make it, whether due to our whim, or seasonal changes in what is flourishing in the garden. If you don't have an herb garden, fresh herbs are readily available at most grocery stores these days. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can use as few or as many herbs as you like, catering to your own personal taste.

In addition to the herbed cheese, we also like to make a pepper-coated cheese. Alethea makes one, and our friends Lynn and Lee make theirs, so why not make my own? After all, I have many different peppercorns in my spice rack from which to choose: black, white, pink, green, Szechuan, Indonesian or Indian long, and grains of paradise. On occasion, I will also add some chile flakes - hot or mild - to the mix. Just a few seconds in your mortar and pestle (or spice grinder) and you are set to go.

Both versions are incredibly easy to prepare and, more important, they are casually elegant and will be a treat for your guests. Serve with plain crackers or bread, as flavored versions will compete with your handiwork. I recently served these with a 2015 Domaine de Terrebrune Bandol when we had a few friends over for a glass of wine. It was a hot day - over 104°F (40°C) - and a perfectly-chilled bottle of rosé was just what the doctor ordered. To read more about the pairing, visit the Provence WineZine.

My words of wisdom today? Don't leave your goat dressing to the rodeo cowboys... do it yourself!

Wash and thoroughly dry the herbs. Strip the leaves from their branches and place all of your herbs - along with the lemon zest, pepper, and salt - on a cutting board. Give the herbs a quick mix with your fingers to distribute the flavors. Using a mezzaluna or sharp knife, finely chop the herbs. Arrange them on a bed the width of the log of goat cheese - about 3 inches - and double that size in length. Roll the chilled goat cheese in the herbs, pressing lightly so that the herbs adhere to the cheese, being careful not to get many herbs on the ends (it just looks nicer that way!). Wrap tightly in plastic or wax paper, and refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, unwrap, plate and bring to room temperature.

Place all the peppercorns and salt in a mortar and pestle and pulverize with the pestle until most pieces are equal in size. (This can also be done in a spice grinder, although take care not to make the mixture too fine.) The pink peppercorns will not break down as well, so you will have some larger pieces, which makes it colorful. Make a bed of the peppercorns the width of the log of goat cheese - about 4 inches - and double that size in length. Roll the cheese in the pepper, pressing lightly so that the peppers adhere to the cheese, being careful not to pepper the ends. Wrap tightly in plastic or wax paper, and refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, unwrap, plate and bring to room temperature.

Serves 4-6.