In honor of the store’s upcoming Semi-Annual Lemons and Leftovers Sale next week, I thought it might be fun to share a delicious, lemony recipe that’s perfect for summer entertaining. This is a recipe I got from Gourmet Pantry a few years ago, and it’s always been a crowd-pleaser. It’s also ridiculously easy {seriously, the only forethought you need is to let the goat cheese sit long enough to come to room temperature}.
Lemony Goat Cheese & Basil Dip
4 oz. goat cheese
zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced, fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, place the goat cheese and bring to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, zest 1 lemon. Cut and juice the lemon into the bowl.
Add 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Wash, dry and mince basil leaves yielding 2 tablespoons of basil.
Mince the garlic and smash with the heel of a knife. Add the minced basil, smashed garlic, salt and pepper to the lemon and oil mixture. Whisk the ingredients together until the lemon juice emulsifies the oil {I used a fork}.
Pour half the lemon-basil-oil mixture into the medium bowl with the goat cheese. With a fork {gee, that fork is coming in handy}, mix together very well until it is a smooth consistency.
Place the mixed goat cheese on a shallow serving dish and drizzle with the remaining lemon-basil-oil on top.
Serve with your favorite cracker or crostini. Enjoy!
If you want to download a pdf version of this recipe, just click here.
