NOW CLOSED: Add your own French Goat's Cheese related tip or recipe - you could win a cheesy hamper worth £100

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

On 24 November 16 MNers, 2 MN Blogging Network bloggers, GeraldineMumsnet and NewGirlHelenMumsnet all went along to a cookery school in Central London to learn about, cook with and sample lots of French goat's cheeses.

This thread is for their feedback but we'd like to open this up to all of MN - so if you didn't attend please do add your own tip, comment or recipe featuring French goat's cheese to this thread. Everyone who does so will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win a hamper of French goat's cheeses, French wine and cheese labels worth £100. Feel free to upload your own recipes to the MN recipe pages or share any you learnt about on this thread.

If you attended the event, please let us know all about it - we'd like to know...

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share!

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?

After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite? Here's the list of cheeses you would have seen:
French goat's cheese log - French goat's cheese mini log - Spreadable fresh French goat's cheese - French goat's cheese camembert - Selles-sur-Cher

• Crottin de Chavignol - Sainte-Maure de Touraine - Valençay - Banon - Rocamadour - Tomme de chèvre

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses? If so, how?

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this? (RRP around £8.50)

Plus any other information you'd like to share with MN.

Many thanks
MNHQ

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?



For me, I loved it when Charlie, our Dorset Cheesemonger, called us Brothers in Cheese! But it would be hard to pick one highlight?the cheese tasting itself was pretty special.

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share!



I was interested in the hard goat?s cheese and the revelation that although we worry about use/sell by dates ? the French ?don?t give a monkey?s.?

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?



I did not know that Crottin means poo and is called such because it is a goat?s poo shape!

I was pleased by the variety of goat?s cheese and that it can be cooked so easily, with great effect.

After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite?

Crottin de Chavignol. The hard one I am stlll thinking about ? the aftertaste was a little strange in the mouth.

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses?

I was surprised how much one of the soft ones tasted like Philadephia?so much so that I would not have been able to tell the difference. If so, how?

It was soft creamy but perhaps a little milder than the taste I expected. Some were too chalky for me, but crumbled over a salad, they would work.

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?



The fact that my daughter, who hates goat cheese, scoffed the cheesecake without realizing? makes this really attractive.

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?



Of course. I am a woman! Low fat, less calories, eat more!

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?



Waitrose is pretty good.

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?



Muffins ? not so sure but the fishcakes were fab.

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?



I do recommend goat?s cheese but so many people wrinkle their noses and say ?smelly??they are living in the past!

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine?

Very smooth wine?brilliant with the fishcakes.

It was a grand day ? good-humoured, informative and wine-filled. Thank you.

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

Probably the moment when we realised that each enormous tray of cheese was designed to be shared between 4-5 people at most. Joy!

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share!

The advice on storage was helpful (particularly the suggestion we use an upside-down tupperware in place of a cheese box). I was reassured by the lack of concern around use-by dates, although cheese never lasts long enough in our house for that to be a massive issue.

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?

Like punkatheart (who I think was sharing a cheese tray with me), I hadn't known that crottin referred to the shape of goat poo. I will not be sharing that bit of info with the dcs in the near future...

After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite? Here's the list of cheeses you would have seen:
French goat's cheese log - French goat's cheese mini log - Spreadable fresh French goat's cheese - French goat's cheese camembert - Selles-sur-Cher

• Crottin de Chavignol - Sainte-Maure de Touraine - Valençay - Banon - Rocamadour - Tomme de chèvre

There were a few I really love, especially

1. The pyramid ash-covered cheese we tried first
2. The round, flat, slightly gooey ash covered cheese we had next
3. The 'cooking' quality chevre
4. The 'hard' cheese - was that Rocamadour?

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses? If so, how?

They were all very un-goaty: even the slightly smellier/runnier ones were much less offensive smelly or sharp than I might have hoped expected. I was particularly surprised at how much I liked the only hard cheese, as I have never been that keen on hard goats cheese when I have tried it previously.

The spreadable cheese tasted exactly like Philadelphia...I cant work out if this is a 'good' or a 'bad' thing, as Philly is probably cheaper....

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

Yes - the fishcake recipe was a revelation! I took a box of leftovers home, thinking I would use it over the next few weeks, and was that my 3 dcs came close to polishing off the lot after their dinner last night, when I offered them a taste. I'm much more confident that there would be an enthusiastic reception if I brought home goats cheese in future if I can bring myself to share it

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?

It wasn't something I had considered previously, but I am now sold :)

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?

I knew there was a lot of choice, but had never had the opportunity to sample so many before, which was a great education.

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?

I will definitely make the fishcakes, and probably the cheesecake. I might make the salad (which was delicious, but which strikes me as a lot of work), and will be avoiding the muffin recipe until a braver MNetter tries again and convinces me that it does actually work (the ones we took home were beyond inedible)

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?

Yes, I already do, frequently :)

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this? (RRP around £8.50)

It was a pleasant addition to a lovely afternoon, but on the whole I prefer NZ Sauvignon for this price.

Thank you again for an absolutely brilliant cheese-tastic event - the cheese tasting, the cookery masterclass and the food were all so much more fun (actually, they were just so much 'more' everything: fun, interesting, filling, fatterning, time-consuming, alcoholic.....!!) than I was expecting!

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

Having a complete day out - with an afternoon hall pass from DH and a trip into London without kids....and being fed! Whats not to like! I really enjoyed the cooking sessions with Sophie...not overly "styled" - really accesible meals that you could plan to do at home. Our Cheesemonger was very passionate and knowledgable about the cheese, so made the whole experince more enjoyable.

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share! I must confess that my experience with goats cheese was limited to "whats on the supermarket shelf" - finding all those new textures and flavour strengths was actually surprisingly exciting! I loved the idea that the goats' diet heavily influences the taste of the cheese, and so the animals were really well looked after and spoiled to ensure consistency in the milk and therefore a consistent flavour in the cheese.

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before? The variety of strengths and flavours - from wonderfully light and creamy to chalky and pungent - plus the super runny and pleasantly strong. My experiences to date have been more one dimensional!

After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite? Here's the list of cheeses you would have seen:
French goat's cheese log - French goat's cheese mini log - Spreadable fresh French goat's cheese - French goat's cheese camembert - Selles-sur-Cher - Crottin de Chavignol - Sainte-Maure de Touraine - Valençay - Banon - Rocamadour - Tomme de chèvre.

I love the spreadable as it was so fresh and light. And the Tomme...smooth and strong without being overwhelmingly goaty....two on opposite ends of the spectrum! The Crottin and the Selles-sur-Cher were also lovely and smooth. The Crottin especially tasted like a summer meadow. Swoon! Yummy!

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses? If so, how?

As above - my experiences were limited to quite strong, pungent and chalky cheeses, so the freshness and mildness of the spreadable cheese was really surprising. ANd that Crottin....

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass? The resounding vote from the fattner household was a yes to the cheesecake! ANd the fishcakes were lovely. Ive already spotted a recipe elsewhere that I will now try....

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese? Yes...My son was dairy allergic, but could tolerate Goats milk. We used more English goats cheese in his diet, simply out of product availability.

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK? No, but I did have a look around today at the supermarket and was pleased to see more variety than before.

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home? Yes to fishcakes and cheesecake. Not sure about the muffins - they had a great flavour, but were too heavy for my liking. Liked the salad, and could see myself indulging in that....dont know that the family would like it though!

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member? The family have had a taster session of the samples I brought home...and then my neighbour and her son had a sample thismorning before the school run. The pressure is now on to recreate some of the recipes...

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this? (RRP around £8.50) Yes, very pleasant and drinkable.

I'd also like to say a big thank you all! for a really great experience - fun and educational, really good to meet some other MN's , and a nice way to spend a Thursday afternoon.

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

• Trying the ash covered cheeses - not something I would have tried normally as it looks horrible (it was all lovely)

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share!

• Goats cheese is good for the lactose intollerant
• storing in cling-film rather than tin foil.

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?

• above, plus the fact that certain ones types were 'controlled' (like champagne)

-The 'goat poo' one, which I shared at the breakfast table (DH knew already, but his French is pretty good although DS knew several other French words for poo)

After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite? Here's the list of cheeses you would have seen:
French goat's cheese log - French goat's cheese mini log - Spreadable fresh French goat's cheese - French goat's cheese camembert - Selles-sur-Cher

• Crottin de Chavignol - Sainte-Maure de Touraine - Valençay - Banon - Rocamadour - Tomme de chèvre
• The Crottin de Chavignol (the poo one)

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses? If so, how?

• I think it was the Tomme de chevre (the one wrapped in fig leaves) whose flavour intensified with grapes (and not in a good way)
• The ash covering some didn't taste unpleasant (and that it wasn't manky mould!)

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

• Probably will cook with them beyond warming for a beetroot salad
• will definately try a whole cheeseboard of goats cheese at my next dinner party.

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?

• I was aware that it was easier to digest than cows cheese, and had been told that it has less cholestoral than cows (not sure if that's true...)

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?

• Kinda (worked in a deli as a student many moons ago), and was fed the stuff by the truck-load when a child on long, French holidays (the Loire was a popular destination with my parents)

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?

• Fishcakes seemed nice (I make them but don't eat fish myself). Still suspicious of savory muffins and will definately try the cheesecake (in the goody bag)

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?

• do and will continue to do so

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this? (RRP around £8.50)

• I am not a great white wine drinker, but I did enjoy this and was suprised at the cost of it (thought it was more around the £18-20 mark)

It was all great fun and the staff there were very friendly and knowledgable. Nice to meet other mums too.

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

I was another one of those people thrilled with the sheer quantity of cheese in front of us all. No need to fight anyone to hit cheese saturation point.....!

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share!

Really interesting information. I had no idea there were so many types of goats cheese. Always gratifying to hear that the french poopoo sell by dates, avoiding unpasturised cheese whilst pregnant, and all the rest of it!

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?

I had no idea it was supposedly low fat. I am convinced that my midriff padding is made up entirely of cheese, so perhaps a switch to goats cheese will help?!

*After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite? Here's the list of cheeses you would have seen:
French goat's cheese log - French goat's cheese mini log - Spreadable fresh French goat's cheese - French goat's cheese camembert - Selles-sur-Cher

• Crottin de Chavignol - Sainte-Maure de Touraine - Valençay - Banon - Rocamadour - Tomme de chèvre*

I LOVED the Rocamadour. Just delicious and nutty. Have a feeling I have spotted them before in the local Good Cheese Shop and it is quite expensive, but well worth it for a treat. Also loved the spreadable fresh goats cheese. Not so keen on the camembert (a new invention apparently, they haven't quite cracked it in my opinion.....) or the slightly bouncy mountain cheese (can't remember what that was called I'm afraid....).

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses? If so, how?

I was surprised that none of them were very "goaty", that distinctive way that they can be. Charlie our friendly cheese man explained that this was because the billy goats are now kept away from the nannies, and hence no cross-flavouring with eau de billy (definitely a good thing). Mind you, nearly all the cheese that we tasted were fairly mild, so something slightly more flavoursome might have been interesting.....

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

Yes, definitely. Not that it took too much to make me try a new cheese previously.....

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?

Not really, no. See my comments above re: the low fat quality of goats cheese...

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?

To a certain extent, but it was still useful to see them all together and taste them comparatively.

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?

Yes, I did enjoy them. The cheesecake went down a storm so I shall try that one quite soon, and I loved the miffins (even though they stuck to the muffin cases rather.....). Not quite so keen on the fishcakes. To be honest, I'm not sure the cheese added much to those....

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?

Yes.

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this? (RRP around £8.50)

Yes, loved it. Have got my free take home bottle in the fridge and will enjoying drinking it with a few friends tomorrow night. Would buy it again, yes.

Thank you so much for organising this event MN. I really enjoyed it (who doesn't love eating their body weight in cheese?!) and loved meeting some other MNers.

cheese? wine? why the chuff did i not know about this?

Because we didn't want to share...

Am so so jealous - I luffs goats cheese.

My most favourite lunch in the world is a toasted bagel slathered in cranberry jelly and pine nuts with tons of goats cheese ontop and grilled.

Mmmmmmmmmm

mmmmmm goat cheese with black pepper on water biscuits.
so unfair.

could MNHQ maybe do it for non-bloggers?

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

• Tasting all the cheeses. I had not been aware of how many there are, and how different they are.

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share!
-That it is lactose free, so a good alternative for people who are lactose intolerant. This relates to quite a few people in my family, so good to know I can still put on a good cheeseboard with options they can indulge in too.

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?
-That they grey cover is ash, not mould, and I found them very tasty! Especially the first with the pyramid shape.

After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite? Here's the list of cheeses you would have seen:
French goat's cheese log - French goat's cheese mini log - Spreadable fresh French goat's cheese - French goat's cheese camembert - Selles-sur-Cher

• Crottin de Chavignol - Sainte-Maure de Touraine - Valençay - Banon - Rocamadour - Tomme de chèvre

• I especially liked the mini log, and the cheese wrapped in leaves, that was a pleasant surprise.

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses? If so, how?
-How mild some of them were. Especially the spreadable cheese.

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?
-No.

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?
-No, I had seen some in Waitrose, but not had the courage to experiment.

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?
I loved the fishcakes, they were really tasty. Not sure about the muffins though. They were quite heavy, and were sticking to the paper. I might try them again, but in oiled latex cupcake cookware rather than muffin cases. And less cheese..... and olives. Maybe with 50/50 wholemeal flour, to be honest.

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?
-oh yes. I already do.

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this? (RRP around £8.50)
Yes yes yes. I would buy it again.

Plus any other information you'd like to share with MN.

I would just say thank you for such a great event, and for such a nice goody bag. The cheesecake was out of this world yummy, even the kids loved it. Is there a recipe?

Grill one side of thick slab of white bread. Slather with goats cheese, drizzle over honey and scatter a few walnuts. Grill til runny. Savour over.

Fail to use all the goats cheese and secretly scoff the rest whilst DH isn't lloking.

Goats cheese and red pepper soup is also divine and very easy, although not cheap due to the cos of peppers rather than the goats cheese. It's a Covent Garden recipe, can't pretend I'm that much of a chef to come up with it.

The highlight of the Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

The relelation that we were going to work our way through all that lovely cheese laid in front of us. We came, we saw, we gorged.

Tips and advice on French goat's cheese?

An unsexy, sealed plastic box or some cling film is best for storage as it prevents the cheese from drying out, and keeps in the texture and flavour.

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?

Yes, I hadn't realised that the rustic goats cheeses have traditionally been made and stored locally for eating almost right away so they are usually young cheeses.

A particular favourite?

My absolute favourite has to be the strong flavoured rind cheese wrapped up in leaves. Smelly and oozy in just the right amount.

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses?

After having a taste of the young rustic cheeses, I was surprised at how mild the more commercially available cheeses tasted. The stronger tasting speciality cheeses were also amazing.

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

I think I'll be using some more unusual varieties, and enjoying them more often.

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?

No, but its good to have another reason to eat more.

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?

No, I had usually sourced mine from the supermarket, it's off to the deli for me in the future.

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?

Great recepies, I particularly liked the salad snack of warm Crottin de chavignol with caramelised walnuts. Wonderful combination.

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?

Absolutely. Right after I've had mine.

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this?

I think I just might

A big thank you to NewGirlHelen and all the others who organised this lovely event. It was great to meet other MNetters, an real treat.

I love cheese, French cheese, goats cheese, and French goat's cheese. (I love cheese full stop!). But I rarely buy it in the UK as I don't think it travels well. When I've had it in France, perfectly ripe - whether aged or young - the flavours and textures are so gorgeous that I have no desire to be disappointed by what I would have in the UK.

Biggest cheese tip: eat it at room temperature.

Favourite cheese recipe: cut slice, eat slowly.

Wine, beer, tart fruit, room temperature tomatoes, preserves, toast, salad, olive oil - all lovely accompaniments, but not strictly necessary.

The highlight of the Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?

The general experience, really. Everything from the welcome, the passion of Charlie (?), the cheesemonger, having fun cooking with Sophie, the lovely ladies who welcomed us, offered coffee and wine throughout. Ah, and the cheese, always the cheese. Ok, I realise this sounds over the top, but honestly a fabulous experience.

A bonus was meeting other MN'ers - had a great time.

Tips and advice on French goat's cheese?

Advice on how to choose a cheese, and how, especially for a Banon, you can ask to feel it. I would never have had the confidence to do this otherwise. Confirmation that supermarkets do have good quality for reasonable prices, albeit not always the wide selection and more specialised ones. Nice to know decent cheeses can be enjoyed relatively often without breaking the bank.

Was there anything that surprised you about French goats cheese that you didn't know before?

I didn't know that lactose intolerant people can often eat goats cheese without problems. I knew it had slightly less lactose, but had no idea that the milk structure itself would make such a difference.

It was also reassuring to know that the goats are treated really well and that many small producers are family businesses.

A particular favourite?

Despite thinking I'd prefer a softer one (I'm a big fan of Brie and Camembert), the firmer but creamy Tomme de chevre easily wins. Rich, smooth and melts on the tongue, without a strong "goaty" flavour. I think it would be an excellent addition to the cheese board even if people don't (think they) like goats cheese.

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses?

Yes. I was surprised at the variety of tastes and textures.

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

Yes. Having previously only grilled or eaten it with crackers / in salad, it's perhaps not surprising, but it has given me the confidence to experiment more.

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?

No.

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?

I've seen a couple, but haven't tried many. I tend not to buy expensive cheeses unless I know I like it, so having had the opportunity to taste a variety is appreciated.

Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes? Do you plan to recreate them at home?

Very much so. The salad was amazing, and something I'll try for a special occasion. The fish cakes, however, were delicious and so easy to make that it will become a regular lunchtime dish. The muffins were not my thing really. The cheesecake was lovely.

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?

Definitely. My husband, who isn't a fan, said he enjoyed the samples I brought home, and my 3-year old ate everything I put on his plate and asked for more!

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this?

I liked it a lot and yes, will be buying in future.

Thank you very much to French Goats Cheese and MNHQ.

Can't quite believe I missed this given that my love of cheese especially goats cheese, knows no bounds..

You know whilst there are some great recipes out there none of them have ever topped my own personal favourite, oatcakes, or super fresh baguette, room temperature chevre blanc and tomato chutney. Heaven on a plate.

I am interested in the cheesecake though, anyone care to share the recipe?

Yum, I love goats cheese - am so jealous!

One of my favourite things to eat is a courgette, split down the middle (lengthways), stuffed with goats cheese, then drizzled with olive oil an seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Pop it in the oven for around 20 minutes and it is divine! :)

combining my two new obsessions....pinterest - search for goats cheese. Lots of recipes on there for tarts (goats cheese plus combination of red onions/leeks/asparagus/spinach) - plus a really interesting looking one for aubergine in breadcrumbs, with goats cheese sandwiched between 2. Then served with a tomato and tarragon sauce. Im going to try this for lunch!

Can't even read this thread without feeling the need to buy copious amounts of cheeses. My DP made peppers stuffed with goats cheese for our first anniversary. Turns out he doesn't like goats cheese so made himself toast whilst I scoffed the lot .

The fishcake recipe sounds interesting would you be able to share?

lots of recipes here

fishcakes:

100g spreadable goats cheese
300g haddock, skinned and pin boned
200g smoked salmon (this was the hot smoked, rather than thin slithers - but I dont suppose it would matter to taste)
2tsp chopped parsley
2tsp chopped chives
1 lemon zest
300g maris piper potatoes, cooked & mashed
2tsp drained capers in vinegar
4 tbs plain flur
2 eggs
100g dried breadcrumbs
50ml veg oil for frying

Blitz haddock and salmon in food processor , - not to mush, just to chunks.
Mix herbs, lemon, capers. Lightly blitz.

Add mash -

Take tennis ball sized lump, mold into ball shape.

Press thumb into ball to make a deep hole. Fill with big spoon of cheese. mold around to seal.

Continue, makes about 5/6 fishcakes. Flatten fishcake into patty shape

Dust in flour, shake off excess. dip in egg and then into breadcrumbs. Shallow fry until just golden on outside - 3/4 mins a side, then bake in
200 degree oven for 10 mins.

When you cut open, the goats cheese is all runny .

cheesecake

Base:

85g butter
150g digestive biscuits
1tbs caster sugar

melt butter, blitz all in food processor, squish base into lined springform base.

Filling
275g caster sugar
900g spreadable goats cheese
3tbs plain flour
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
2tsp vanilla bean paste or seeds of 1 pod
2 orange zests
1 lemon juice
200ml sour cream

Hand beat or use a paddle to beat the cheese until light and fluffy- do not overwork. now use a whisk to add sugar, flour, vanilla, eggs, egg yolks - until smooth - finally add zest, juice and sour cream.

brush edges of cake tin with extra butter. Bake at 160 for 10 mins, then turn oven down to 120 and cook for further 40 mins. cake is set with a wobble when cooked. Leave to cool in the oven with door open for 2 hours.

Topping:
200ml sour cream
1 lemon juice
2tsp caster or icing sugar

Mix together and pour over. Cover in cling film and set in fridge overnight. Serve with fresh berries.

Enjoy!

I love goat's cheese! Can't believe I missed this!

Ok, simple but delicious starter:

1 endive
Smooth goat's cheese.
Parsley

Break off the leaves of your endive carefully.
Spread goats cheese in the middle of the individual leaves.
Garnish with a sprig of parsley.
Arrange in a decreasing circle on a plate.
Enjoy!

We were served this as a starter in France and it was delicious! Dead simple to make and a brilliant starter or snack.

What was the highlight of your Easy Cheesey Chèvre masterclass experience?



I loved the whole experience. Having a whole table of cheeses to taste and savour. A fantastic, fun and interesting presentation about cheese. A whole group of lovely people to meet and chat to. What can be better than a day filled with cheese!

Did you find the cheese tasting seminar provided you with some interesting facts, tips and advice on French goat's cheese? If so please share!



That white wine is better to serve with cheese, especially goat?s cheese. That geographically the Loire (the mecca of french goat's cheese) is closer to the south of England than Stilton!

Was there anything that surprised you about French goat's cheese that you didn't know before?


Even the scary looking cheeses were milder, tastier and less ?goaty? than I expected. In fact goat?s cheese often served in UK eating establishments is far, far inferior to ANY we tasted!


After tasting the French goat's cheeses did you have a particular favourite? Here's the list of cheeses you would have seen:
French goat's cheese log - French goat's cheese mini log - Spreadable fresh French goat's cheese - French goat's cheese camembert - Selles-sur-Cher
- Crottin de Chavignol - Sainte-Maure de Touraine - Valençay - Banon - Rocamadour - Tomme de chèvre



I loved the tomme de chèvre (but then again tomme of any kind is one of my favourite cheeses). The rocamadour was surprisingly nice ? strong and pungent but far more accessible than the chestnut leaf wrapping implies. I really liked all the ash covered cheeses and will seek them out.

Were you surprised by any of the flavours of the French goat's cheeses? If so, how?

Have you been encouraged to experiment more with French goat's cheese as an ingredient following the masterclass?

I was very surprised by the spreadable fresh goat?s cheese. Having watched dp?s French granny eating it straight from the tub, I always imagined it was an acquired taste ? however, it was fresh, light and less cloying than Philly. I was so impressed I even bought some yesterday! I will definitely always place a goat?s cheese on a cheeseboard from now on, and not just rely on it toasted in a goat?s cheese salad

Were you previously aware of the nutritional benefits of French goat's cheese?



No and I didn?t know it was less calorific.

Were you aware of the variety of French goat's cheese available here in the UK?


I will certainly check out Waitrose for a good selection, but looking in Sainsbury?s yesterday, the varieties available were minimal with only one or two types of French goat?s cheese on sale (including the deli counter).


Did you enjoy Sophie's French goat's cheese recipes?

I thought they were ok but not my favourite part of the day. Definitely aimed towards the basic homecook rather than an aspirational cook. It was still fun though and Sophie was lovely!

Do you plan to recreate them at home?



I was interested that you could add the fish raw to the fish cake mix, and will certainly try that at home for the dds.

Would you recommend French goat's cheese to a friend or family member?



Certainly! In fact I?ll probably force them to eat goat?s cheese whenever I get to cook for them!

Did you enjoy the Caves de Tourangelles Touraine Sauvignon Blanc wine? Do you think you would buy this? (RRP around £8.50)



The wine was lovely ? light and refreshing and went perfectly with the caramelised garlic and left-over goat?s cheese tart that we had last night. If I knew where to buy it I would certainly consider purchasing it if we were eating a goat?s cheesy meal.

Plus any other information you'd like to share with MN. 


Thank you for a fantastic day ? it felt like a real treat (and with a goody bag to take home). Everyone involved in the day was welcoming, interesting and thoughtful. A truly great experience! 
Many thanks

I was supposed to go but had to cancel .
You all had sooo much fun .

Goats cheese and roasted vegetables is the meal I'm asking for if I ever get sent to death row as my final supper!

Didn't go but ds1 will only eat goat's cheese :ponce: He sniffs all cheese and rejects anything that comes from a cow.