Pasta with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes

This is another recipe that I made up, though it was inspired by a recipe in a great cookbook called While the Pasta Cooks.

You need:

1 lb. pasta, I like fusilli for this recipe

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 of a jar of pine nuts, toasted

Half of a jar of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small package (about 5 oz.) fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Put all ingredients except for the pasta in a large bowl. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients, and toss until the cheese has melted and coated the pasta.

You can also add defrosted frozen peas or broccoli to this if you want a full meal in a bowl. Alternately, serve a salad of tossed baby greens on the side with Italian dressing or homemade vinaigrette.

Baked Goat Cheese with Garlic Croutons

This recipe has been a favorite of mine since I was little, and never ceases to impress friends. It's fairly simple, and really really tasty. It's an appetizer, so you could follow it up with a big meal.

You need:

1 stick of butter

1 log of Montrachet (or other) goat cheese

Olive oil

1 tsp. dried thyme (plus a bit more to mix into the bread crumbs)

Pepperidge Farm rolls (any small narrow white bread should work, say, a baguette or ficelle)

Garlic cloves

Bag of mixed baby greens

Vinaigrette (dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and chopped garlic to taste)

The Plan:

• Cut the goat cheese log into half inch round slices (dental floss cuts it really well without breaking it up to much, or use a knife run under really hot water)
• Marinate the cheese rounds in olive oil with thyme mixed in, turning every once in a while over the course of a day.
• Cut six slices of bread per person, less than 1/2 inch thick.
• Melt a stick of butter, and brush butter on both sides of the bread slices.
• Bake these bread rounds at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes (or until golden brown)
• Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half.
• Rub the raw garlic on your butter toast rounds when they've cooled.
• Coat the marinated goat cheese rounds in bread crumbs seasoned with thyme.
• Place them in a baking dish that contains 1/4 cup olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until bubbly and golden, about 6-10 minutes.
• Toss the greens in the vinaigrette and serve one goat cheese round per person on a bed of dressed greens with the garlic croutons arranged around it.