If you are in the mood for rich fall flavors from Tuscany, we have another fantastic recipe for you to try this week: Carmelized Goat Cheese with Pumpkin and Balsamic Vinegar. It is a full of rich and delicious flavors, with authentic ingredients such as the Balsamic Vinegar from Modena that we highlighted in our blog last week. If you are headed to Italy, why not join us for a hands-on cooking class at MaMa Florence Cooking School to learn to make this fantastic dish together with one of our resident chefs, Michele or Danny, and other like-minded participants.
Caramelized Goat Cheese with Pumpkin and Balsamic Vinegar Recipe
4 servings
Ingredients
250 g fresh goat cheese
300 g pumpkin, rind removed and cubed
1 clove garlic, flattened, with skin on
1 fresh rosemary branch
3-4 fresh thyme leaves
Salt, as needed
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
50 g raw cane sugar (large grains)
Aged balsamic vinegar, as needed
Special kitchen equipment needed: kitchen torch used to create Crème brulée
To Make the Pumpkin Topping
Coat the bottom of a skillet with extra virgin olive oil, and when heated, add in garlic and fresh herbs and simmer until garlic is light golden brown. Add in diced pumpkin, and cook until pumpkin is softened, adjust to taste with salt.
To Prepare Goat Cheese
Dust the surface of the cheese shapes with cane sugar, and using a kitchen torch, carefully pass flame over top of cane sugar crusts to caramelize the sugar crusts. On individual serving plates, place a serving of cooked pumpkin. Rest the caramelized cheese shapes on top of each portion of pumpkin. Sprinkle tops of cheese rounds with drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and promptly serve.
