Smoked Goat Cheese in Puff Pastry Pouch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 When the cheese is scooped out of the pasteurizer, it is handpacked in small flat top cone shaped molds with holes and left to drain.  When it drains, the small block is form then put in a smoker where it is smoked with indirect smoke from guaca wood.  There is no heat to "cook" the cheese.  The little flat top pyramids are then packed to sell. 

On the way home from the farm I mentioned to Anthony I wanted to do something specail with ours and he suggested wrapping in puff pastry.  I wanted to do a bit more, so I added toasted, chopped macnuts and some of my tomato confit/jam, then wrapped it up like a pouch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoked Chevre in Puff Pastry Pouch

We felt the vinegary-sweet confit was a perfect pairing without overpowering the delicate smokiness of the cheese.  Any other sweet-tart jam will probably work.

1 sheet puff pastry

1 ‘smoked pyramid" of goat cheese

1 teaspoon chopped and toasted macadamia nuts

3 Tablespoons tomato confit

Smooth and thin the puff pastry a bit with a rolling pin.  Place the smoked pyramid in the middle of the puff pastry sheet, sprinkle with the macadamia nuts and spoon the tomato confit over all.  Gather the ends of the puff pastry and hold them together as you would to make hobo's pouch.  Make sure to press it tight to "glue" it closed.

Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated 350oF oven for about 25 minutes or until golden and puffed.

Let it cool for a few minutes so cheese won't be runny.  Slice in wedges and serve with fresh fruit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I served it with mountain apples aka Malaysian apples and sliced papaya. 

The recipe for the tomato confit will be next 

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Sonia R. Martinez is a Gather Food Correspondent.

You can keep up with Tropical Taste a regular twice-monthly feature of Gather Essentials: Food

Sonia is a cookbook author and freelance food writer for several publications in Hawaii and is also a Hawaii Island Journal restaurant reviewer in partnership with her son Anthony Mathis.

She lives in a beautiful rural rainforest area on the Big Island of Hawaii
You can keep up with her adventures and ongoing love affair with Hawaii in her food & garden blog at Sonia Tastes Hawaii and her Gather contributions by clicking on http://foodiesleuth.gather.com/