Goat cheese logs: plain, green and
pink-themed. Photo courtesy Vermont
Creamery.

You can take a plain log of goat cheese and decorate it for any special occasion. We’ve included suggestions for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and Christmas below. But you don’t need an official holiday—just friends and family who’d appreciate the treat.

You can serve the log on a cheese board, slice it to top salads, serve for brunch with toast and bagels, top brown rice or other whole grains, etc., etc., etc.

When selecting the goat cheese, look for logs that are firmer than the rest. Very creamy logs are hard to roll.

Decide on your custom herb-spice mix, and choose a “base” herb or spice for rolling the entire log, plus an “accent” (or accents) to sprinkle on. The herbs and spices mentioned below are only suggestions. Browse the spice racks, dried fruit and vegetable mixes, nuts, seeds, etc. to see what inspires you.

For example, you might want a touch of chili flakes, but don’t want to enrobe the entire log in them.

Minced fresh herbs provide better green color (and fresher flavor) than dried herbs.

Ingredients (Select A Custom Mix)

 
Plus:

 
Preparation

1. FREEZE goat cheese logs for 20 minutes prior to rolling (longer if needed), to firm them up.

2. ASSEMBLE herbs and spices. Line a cutting board or baking pan with wax paper.

3. ROLL the log in the “base” herb or spice. Sprinkle with the accents. Then roll a piece of wax paper around the log, gently pressing the herbs and spices into the log.

4. REFRIGERATE until ready to use.