Berkeley Cook-in: Susan Hattie's Goat Cheese Torta

[Charlotte L. Blackmer]

Whee, it's been over a week since the whirl of the Berkeley RFC cookin.
It was a very enjoyable time (although I do confess that I had some
anxious moments due to the nastiness of the weather the week before;
rain, rain, go away, come again some other day).

I had a good time schmoozing and missed the McLeod's fruitcake (but not
the delicious cookies Arlene (?) made and KeithPie, thank goodness). The
buttons that Gene made were a real hoot, and I wasn't the least bothered
that I got a "generic" one - it was Very Cool anyway.

I caught up on Things I Missed (like the Habenero episode) at Thai
breakfast with the gang. :-)

Also this is probably a good place to announce that anyone is welcome to
my blackberries (hi Craig) when they get ripe but I take no
responsibilities for injuries :-)

I made hummus based on _Moosewood Cookbook_ recipe and was not terribly
impressed with the results, so I won't post that recipe. John
McChesney-Young's was better IMO (garlic, mmmm).

I also made a traditional cookin dish, Susan Hattie's Goat Cheese Torta.
I make this quite often and am always impressed at how popular it is with
the hungry hordes.

I do keep my version of the recipe on my web page at:

http://www.rahul.net/clb/goatcheese.txt

but it follows for those without web browsers:

____________________________________________________________________
Susan Hattie's Goat Cheese Torta, with notes from CLB

For Susan's other recipes, see her page at http://www.andreas.com/susan.html

6 oz goat cheese (use the plain kind that usually comes in a little
sausage-roll type package and soften it - clb)
4 oz cream cheese (softened - clb)
1 or more cloves garlic (to taste)
about 1/2 cup pesto (thicker is better)
about 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (oil-marinated kind).

Note from clb: I generally make a larger one with 10-11 oz goat cheese
and 8 oz cream cheese since I can reliably buy those sizes cheese :-) and
proportionally more pesto/tomatoes.

1. Mix cheeses together in bowl. Smoosh or mince garlic and add it.
2. Drain and chop tomatoes fine (I use paper towels to get as much oil
out as possible - clb).

To assemble:

Line a medium bowl with plastic wrap or cheesecloth. (NOTE: the bowl I
usually make mine in is about 20 fl. oz capacity.)
Put waxed paper or plastic wrap on a counter or cutting board and form a
circle of cheese on it with a spatula. Invert layer into bowl.
Put a layer of tomato or pesto on the cheese.
Make another cheese layer and invert into bowl.
Put a layer of pesto or tomato (whichever you didn't use before) on that
layer and cover it with another round of cheese.

Keep layering if you have made multiples of this recipe and have a large
bowl.

Chill for two hours or so and serve with crackers and/or baguette
slices. Fresh herbs are nice as a garnish. Even better the next day if
not inhaled the first :-)
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Eat it in good health.

CLB, who remembers Susan each time she does eat it
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Charlotte L. Blackmer http://www.rahul.net/clb
Berkeley Farm and Pleasure Palace (under construction)
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