The Best Goat Cheese Torte Ever

Luscious. Splashy. Soothing. Invigorating. How can one torte do it all. Rich, intoxicating goat cheese with a layer of minty-herb spring green pesto and a layer of sweet-spring-song plum jam. How can you resist?
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This torte came to me at the perfect time. I am wrestling with elves and I cannot see my way clear to the end of their story. It's a famous story. It's not like I don't know how it ends. I just don't know who these elves are. And it's due in two weeks.

I mortgaged the homestead and sprung for Coach Farm's goat cheese. No elves were going to leave me any. I was going to follow Mario Batali's recipe - but he added butter to the goat cheese and I thought - if I'm going to spring for truly rich goat cheese it should be flavorful enough to stand on its own. I didn't want it mellow. I wanted the tang. I craved the hints of savory. In making that decision, I greatly eased the preparation.

The goat cheese needed no extras. It stood on its own scrumptious bottom and claimed the day. You could purchase jam - Chef Batali recommends fig jam which would add Italian summery sunshine. I made some jam - because I needed a little time at the stove to summon the elves.

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I knew I had a hit when my very theatrical, food-clueless friends began a discussion of the layers and wanted to know each ingredient - wished to taste the layers separately and then taste again with all the layers on one chunk of bread. A conversation starter! (Although theatricals are not noted for their lack of conversation.)

Adapted from a recipe by Bon Appetit, I made the easiest jam recipe on the planet. I lowered the sugar amount and created plum jam. It felt good to let the stove work its magic and transform fruit to jam. I like transformations but you probably knew that.

Chop 3-5 medium, ripe plums - no need to peel. Add two tablespoons honey (I used Mitica's Orange Blossom), 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, 4 tablespoons chopped, fresh rosemary and a pinch of Meyer lemon salt. (Pat from Mille Fiori Favoriti would approve of the salt choice. You can use a bit of sea salt.) Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan, lower to simmer and stir occasionally until the mixture thickens - about 20 minutes. Cool. Put in airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use (can be made two days ahread of time). Makes one cup.

The jam could be made with any stone fruit - apricots, nectarines or peaches. I'm also thinking berries - although would adjust cooking time and and lower the vinegar amount.

You can purchase basil pesto but I did go with the minty-herb pesto Mario Batali recommended. I changed it just a bit - more herby than nutty.

In a blender combine 1/2 cup fresh mint, 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, 1/4 cup fresh thyme, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts. Cover all with olive oil and blend - stop once to stir. makes 1/2 cup.

I left a few nuts chunky.

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Now the fun part:

Get a "hunk of 12-16 ounces of favorite goat cheese (not a skinny log and definitely not crumbles!) Coach Farm does come in the shape of a torte. A cheese shop would cut a chunk for you. "

1. Prepare dish to hold the goat cheese. The dish should easily fit the torte. Cut parchment paper to fit bottom of dish. Spray with Pam or oil the parchment.

2. Slice goat cheese into three equal layers. If the goat cheese is firm (put it in a freezer for ten minutes) it easily slices.

3. Put one layer on prepared parchment paper. Evenly spread the herb pesto on top of it.

4. Top the pesto with the second layer of goat cheese. Carefully spread the jam on top of the middle layer. Or not so carefully - mine oozed and I delighted in the ooze.

5. Add the third layer.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Do ahead: Can be refrigerated for two days.

To serve: Slide goat cheese on to serving plate. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle black pepper.

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There is no "goat-cheese-torte police." Whether you purchase your jam and pesto and just assemble the torte or do it all from scratch, it so satisfying to create something - especially when you have an "elf" problem as I do.
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I love how this torte touches so many places in your palate - dancing from creamy to minty to tangy to sweet to pepper to pillowy cream.

When elves remain silent, there's always this amazing goat cheese torte. Wishing everyone a loving Memorial Day filled with sweet appreciations. If you do happen upon the elves, please send them my way.

The Awful-No-Good-Horrible-Terrible-Trainwreck Ravioli

I started my day by crushing fennel seeds with a little salt. That went exceedingly well. Sometimes accomplishing the most minuscule of tasks gives me an out-of-proportion view of my abilities. These fennel seeds were part of a gift package from Sausage Debauchery. As I breathed in their heady aroma, I could do no wrong. I was-Italiana-cook from the mountains of Italy. I was one with the fennel.

This would be a finishing touch for my non-existent ravioli. I started backwards. My first mistake.

The ravioli filling was delicious - who needed the noodles? I swiped a small ramekin and had a few tablespoons on the side.

Herbed Goat-Cheese Mascarpone Ravioli Filling with a nod to Mario Batali

8 oz creamy, plain goat cheese

8 oz mascarpone

3 tbl chopped rosemary

4 tbl chopped thyme

3 tbl chopped sage

4 tbl chopped Italian parsley

1 tbl freshly ground nutmeg

Whip your goat cheese and mascarpone together till light and fluffy. Add your herbs and nutmeg and combine all until there are herbs in every spoonful. Salt and pepper to taste (I didn't. I was happy with herbs.) I remained on top of the mountain. Grandma would be proud. Her genes glowed.

I finally was able to break open the special "00" flour from Sausage Debauchery. I couldn't wait to sink my hands into some dough. I was in a pounding mood. But I had two laptops sitting on the kitchen table, 8 books, five days of mail, a newspaper, and English muffin and at least 45 pens, so I turned to the mixer.

Who truly did a good job.

Pasta Dough - for 80 raviolis (yes, 80. I need to rethink my life.)

4 cups 00 flour

additional flour for dusting (I used all-purpose)

4 eggs

4 tbl olive oil

a few grinds of salt

(If this sounds suspiciously like Laura Schenone's recipe that is because it is. It is also my mother's, although she says basically, you add flour and eggs until it feel like "this." My mother never really knew what "this" was and so has had a hard time handing me Grandma's wisdom as to ravioli. She didn't get the ravioli gene. Alas and alack, it appears mine is also dormant)

But I did get it all elasticky. I let it rest for an hour, actually cleared the kitchen table and set up my hand-crank pasta machine. (I am not Ms. Schenone - yet. I like the hand-crank machine.) My real challenge was keeping the dough free of animal fur. The fur flies off my dog when she breathes and the cat thinks he is the centerpiece of any table where the action is.

I cut 80 one-inch squares. And put a whopping tablespoon of filling in each. Methinks a wee bit too much.

I folded them into an envelope. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It wasn't. The dough was triple-thick on one side.... and super thin on the other. You may seem where I was going with this.

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I dusted wax paper with flour. Put the wax paper on a baking sheet. Laid the raviolis on it. And put on another dusted sheet and laid new raviolis on top of it and another and ....as I was doing that, I actually thought, "This is probably not a good idea. I bet they will be too heavy and stick to each other."

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Truer words were never spoken.

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On Easter Sunday, I peeled the raviolis from the top (undusted - I know, I know) leaving lots of little tears - in the noodles - on my eyelids. I then put them into gently simmering water so as not to disturb these little guys any more than was necessary.

And the filling leaked into the pasta water. I must say the pasta water was scrumptious - truly a savory, herb mixture. Which was good as I was finishing the raviolis with a Mario Batali method of dusting with the crushed fennel seeds (remember the fennel?), fennel fronds, dried orange peel (dried in the oven for 20 minutes) and - pasta water! Delicious, scrumptious, savory, herby-cheesey pasta water! I would cover my empty ravioli noodles (that now looked like wontons) with herbed-goat cheese pasta water.
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I really covered up those noodles. I was not in theatre for nothing. I know how to repaint, re-costume and cover, cover, cover when there are mistakes.

And so I did. And that was Easter dinner.