Goat Cheese With Honey-Pepper & Fig Balsamic Drizzle

Since moving to North Carolina I’ve found more time to visit my local farmer’s markets.  One of my favorite booths belongs to the “Goat Lady Dairy“.  I first discovered them when visiting the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market back in the summer while here on a visit.  After we completed our move I ventured out to our Farmer’s Curb Market right here in Greensboro only to discover another Goat Lady Dairy booth.  That small discovery made my day, as the Curb market is closer to home.

The City of Greensboro began the Curb Market in 1874 on Commerce Place downtown, where farmers backed their wagons to the curb to sell produce.  In the 1950’s, the Market moved to its current location, a former armory building.  Now scores of vendors and hundreds of customers enjoy this indoor market facility weekly.  Vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses, honey, baked goods and more await eager customers every Saturday from  7 a.m. until noon.  From May through December they also open their doors to shoppers on Wednesdays from 7a.m. to noon.

This past weekend I brought home a log of the tangy, creamy goat cheese.  It’s always such a hard decision to choose which cheese to buy.  I love their Farmers Cheese, similar to Feta yet less briny, with its crumbly texture, the Chèvre Camembert delicate and rich with a hint of mushroom, and the spreadable Goat Cheese flavored with Basil and Garlic, Orange, Fig and Honey or Roasted red pepper make quick and easy appetizers.  The one I choose most often is the Chèvre Log.  It it quite possibly their most favored cheese, used by chefs in many of Greensboro’s finer restaurants.

Today’s recipe is so easy to throw together for a party or a quick appetizer before dinner. What I like best is to make a couple for myself to snack on when mid-day hunger pangs strike.  It satisfies the desire for crunchy and creamy, with a touch of honeyed sweetness intensity from the balsamic and a bite from the fresh cracked pepper.  All of that in one little bite!

Enjoy!

Goat Cheese With Honey-Pepper & Fig Balsamic Drizzle

Ingredients:1 log of fresh/local goat cheeseRaw honeyFresh cracked pepperFig Balsamic Vinegar1 Fresh baguette, sliced into rounds

Remove cheese from refrigerator about 30 minutes before preparing to allow it to soften a bit.  Spread baguette slices out on a platter.  Slice goat cheese and lay a slice on each baguette.  Drizzle with honey.  Grind pepper over all and finish with a drizzle of fig balsamic.