From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

I’m not a fan of a strong tasting goat cheese. This is how I make this recipe, but your taste will be different from mine and your goat cheese could be stronger. Using different herbs and olive oils will all make a difference to the final taste.

It is so easy to grow fresh herbs in containers, even on an apartment balcony and bring them in for the winter in the north. Try it – the flavors added are wonderful. I grow parsley, chives, thyme, lemon thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, Thai basil, oregano and my own lettuce. My students love being able to crush the fresh herbs, smell them and then taste the difference they make to a recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. (roughly 1/2 cup) plain goat cheese. Far too many of the cheeses that contain herbs, are only dried herbs and they really don’t taste the same as fresh.
• At least 1/4 cup of milk or cream to thin down the goat cheese so it is pourable. I’m not a fan of a thick dressing.
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1-2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives or green of a thin green onion. Thick green onions are too strong.
• I like to add some fresh celery leaves when I have fresh celery – about 1 Tbsp.

Directions:

1. Mix all together, taste and then refrigerate for at least one hour. Then taste and decide to add more herbs, thin dressing a bit more, add a little fresh lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar. I also like to add fresh lemon thyme that goes well with fish, some chopped basil or spicy Thai basil or cilantro.
2. The basic parsley and chives dressing goes well with salad greens and strawberries. Add different herbs on just salad greens, leave thicker and use different herbs as a sauce for fish, chicken etc. Some markets sell mixed packs of fresh herbs so you can experiment. Farmers markets often have a selection of herbs you can buy.

About Chef Oonagh

Chef Oonagh’s son was diagnosed with celiac disease over 5 years ago with no previous symptoms. She has non-celiac gluten sensitivity (‘gluten sensitivity’) and also has cousins with celiac disease. ‘Like’ Chef Oonagh at Gluten Free Cooking with Oonagh on Facebook where she posts links to her recipes, her Delicious Gluten Free Cooking cookbook (over 200 pages), appearances on the local ABC station, products, her classes, and where you can meet her when she speaks at conferences nationwide. E-mail at [email protected]. Chef Oonagh has a culinary arts degree, trained in London and Switzerland and lives in New Hampshire.