A dear teacher friend in The Netherlands introduced me to goat cheese close to twenty years ago. Mary is an American, married to a Dutch man, and was a fellow teacher for the Department of Defense Schools in Germany. I believe it was at least one of their four boys with a cow’s milk allergy and therefore she served goat cheese with the local fresh baked brötchen (German bread similar to a French loaf). I had no idea what I’d been missing – the creamy texture and mild flavor, spread over the warm bread – a perfect pairing with salami, prosciutto and fresh fruit! I can still taste the wonderfulness.

Ever since that day, a salad or entree made with goat cheese will certainly get my attention. For instance, when we lived in middle Georgia, The Rookery in downtown Macon serves a Chevre Chicken entree made with grilled chicken, fresh chevre, prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, and green onion. I highly recommend it. In fact, I’m not sure I tried anything else on the menu as it was my absolute favorite! Recently, I was inspired to stuff chicken with goat cheese and somehow integrate a jar of homemade apricot preserves hanging out in the pantry. After a couple hours at the local ski hill followed by a 2 mile hike on a slushy trailhead with the dogs, we were more than ready for dinner, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the results.