Goat cheese must be the most controversial cheese. One does like it, another hate. What about you, dear reader? Do you like goat cheese or its odour is too pungent for you?
Whatever you goat cheese stance, I suggest you to try it! May be you will find you earthreal cheese! 🙂
I couldn’t find a good goat cheese, when I lived in Russia, there was no any variety even in supermarkets. You could find the goat milk, which was sold by farmers in the countryside, but usually only milk, they didn’t produce any goat cheese. There were plenty of soft and hard farmer cheeses but made from cow milk. Thus many people haven’t try goat cheese. Of course the situation has changed now.
I was amazed how many goat cheeses are sold in Dubai: fresh, soft and creamy, aged, etc, which are brought here from Europe (usually from France).
Once I watch a food-show and chef made a salad with mini cheese balls, covered with parsley. I liked the idea.. After several days I created my own appetizer to impress my guests.
It looks like a gourmet appetizer, and it’s certainly good if you don’t want to hang around the kitchen for hours. 😉
Mini Appetizer: Goat Cheese Balls
If you want to make it ahead of time, you can roll the balls and roast beetroots 1 to 2 days beforehand.
Ingredients:
150g soft goat cheese (I used honey-flavoured)
1 Tbsp cream cheese
a pinch of sea salt
1/3 tsp white or pink pepper, freshly ground
1-3 Tbsp walnuts, finely chopped
1-3 Tbsp fresh thyme, sage, flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1-2 small beetroots
1-2 small tomatoes
Dressing:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1/2 tsp liquid honey
Method:
- Wash and clean beets, cover with a foil and bake in preheated oven 200C/400F for 30-45 minutes, depends on the beets’ size.
- Cut the beets and tomatoes into equal circles, and arrange them on a serving plate.
- In a bowl combine goat and cream cheeses along with salt, pepper and walnuts. Spoon cheese mixture and form into balls (you can use table or teaspoon, depends on a size of your choice).
- Gentle roll the balls in herb mixture, coating well. Place onto vegetables.
- Serve immediately (with fresh arugula or young chard leaves, if desired), or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Optionally, you can make a dressing and pour over cheese balls and salad.
TIP: You can add 1-2 fresh or dried finely chopped figs into the cheese mixture.
I’m bringing this dish over to FF tonight! Hopefully, someone has brought a good bottle of wine.. 😉 And don’t forget to bring the good mood to the party!
ENJOY!
milkandbun 
Impressive-looking appetizer, Mila. I happen to love creamy goat cheese!
Thank you, Angie. I prefer soft and creamy goat cheese too 🙂
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I am in the Love goat cheese camp, yes even love the odor. It’s wonderful and so are your delicious little appetizers. Beet and goat cheese is a favorite of mine. Delicious.
Thanks, Suzanne! I love it also with pears and some acacia honey on top 🙂
So cute!
It is! 🙂
Looks great! I am not sure if I like goat cheese or not…I haven’t in the past, but I think I need to try it again! 🙂
You should try, Lori. Some of them are really nice; start with creamy version 🙂
Creamy sounds good!
I am a cheese lover, and goat cheese is no exception. Fantastic recipe! 🙂
Thank you, Jeannette! It’s pretty easy and can be made a day ahead, and of course delish! 🙂
Very pretty dish!
Thank you!
This is gorgeous and make a very impressive appetizer for guest. Love this!
Thank you, Cheri! I agree that it looks impressive.. like from a good restaurant 😀
love goat cheese and am certain I would love your recipe as well 🙂
Enjoy, Liz! 🙂
I love Goat cheese in pizza, never tried a starter.. Looks yummy
You should, especially yummy with beets or pears 🙂
Sure:)
So appetizing 🙂
Thank you, Linda!
So Pretty!
I agree – goat’s cheese is the ‘Marmite’ of the cheeseboard… loved or hated, but rarely anything in between.
These looks so tempting – I do like goats cheese, so they’d be perfect for us – and I love ‘nibbles’!
Emma 🙂
Thank you, Emma! I’m happy to see you here 🙂 I do like one-bite appetizers too!
I love goat cheese, so this appetizer is right up my alley 🙂 and it looks so lovely and vibrant 🙂
Thank you! When the food looks beautiful you want to eat it immediately! 🙂
I am also a goat cheese lover! The boys just had a pizza with goat cheese last night. I love it plain, herb flavored, fruit flavored, can’t get enough! This is an impressive appetizer but simple to make.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! 🙂 Which goat cheese do you use on your pizza- any, creamy or some particular one? I have some dough for pizza in my fridge 🙂
These look so good! I am definitely in the pro-goat’s cheese camp, although I reckon I might be put off a really pungent one 😉 I love your addition of thyme and walnuts – what a great combination of flavours.
I’m not a fan of strong cheeses also, especially which have almost gamey taste/smell… :X
Wow!
😀
I’m in the middle ground on goat cheese, I don’t hate it but I don’t particularly love it either. These balls look really good though, they might change me to a lover!
Michelle, you can try soft and creamy one first, Chevre, it can be flavoured with garlic, pepper, etc and it’s not strong at all. 🙂
This looks wonderful Mila. I absolutely love, adore and cherish goats cheese so I will be very happy to eat those that others don’t want!! We are really lucky here in the UK – we have the most incredible range from dry and crumbly to creamy and even blue that is made here or brought over from France. Love your recipe too – the presentation and photo are just stunning
Oh, yes, you’re very lucky indeed; I watched several food-shows, and they showed markets in the UK.. I’m so jealous every time, because it seems you can find anything, whatever you want there!
I’m not so enthusiastic about blue cheeses, can eat just one or two small slices, but they’re good in sauces or risotto 🙂
You are quite right about blue cheese – it is too rich to have more than a little but does make a fabulous sauce. And we are very lucky here in London especially with what we can get…lots of artisan food growers and makers plus the close proximity to France, Spain and Italy = foodies paradise!!
REALLY love it! Gorgeous photos and recipe, Mila! You are a star!! ⭐
Hahahaha Julianna, you’re the best commentator ever! 😀
Mila! Welcome to Fiesta Friday! I’m loving this. It’s so beautiful…so elegant.. and I know just as delicious. It’s the perfect dish to bring to the table this week… I’m printing this up as I’m typing. Your photos are so beautiful…
thanks so much for sharing! Have a lovely week.. ❤
Thanks for coming by, Prudy! Your words encourage me to make more stunning and tasty dishes!:)
Have a wonderful week too!
I am very happy to have found your beautiful blog!
I’m glad to welcome you, Monique! 🙂
What a nice presentation…your goat cheese balls sound great with the beets and tomatoes.
Thank you very much! 😀
I love goat cheese, my brother does not. On my post “mirror mirror” though, he ate goat cheese, cheese cake and didn’t even suspect. It is all about quality, region, age, type and preparation. These look great.
Beautiful! Great recipe. For me, the stinkier the better, whether cow, sheep, or goat cheese!!!
You are a gourmet! 😉
I love the flavors you have here — tomato, walnut, beetroot, honey . . . . can’t wait to try a bite! Thank you for bringing to the party!
You’re always welcome,Sue! 🙂
These are the perfect party appetizers, and your plating is so elegant! Love your blog, Mila! 😀
Oh, you’re so nice, Saucy! ❤ Thank you!
I love goat cheese! Bring it on! I love that you added a bit of crunch with the walnuts and placing then on top of beet makes them so much more fabulous. Delicious!
Crunchy-munchy-yum! 😀
Haven’t tried goat cheese, Mila, but these look so good. 🙂 Hope you have a lovely week! 🙂
I hope you will give a goat cheese and my appetizer a try! It is very tasty! 😉
LOVE goat cheese of any description. these look wonderful and nice and easy too. Way up my alley.
Thanks for stopping by! I love small appetizers 🙂
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