Jenny's Goat Cheese & Basil

I learned this delicious recipe from my friend Jenny. It's so popular, people often request it from me or ask how I make it. I usually make it by sight (how Jenny showed me) which can be frustrating to the recipe lovers. Perhaps these pictures will illustrate how easy it really is!

Unless you add coarse salt to the mix* this is literally all you need: Goat cheese, a stalk of basil and some extra virgin olive oil. I get the large double pack of goat cheese logs at Costco (so cheap!), this is about half of one large log. My basil is looking a teensy bit wilty, but that won't matter.

My favorite way to cut basil for this spread is to stack the leaves on top of each other, like cards. Then roll it up (long ways- parallel to the stem) into a basil tube. Then slice the tube down the center and then slice across. You can see below the basil has been rolled up and sliced down the middle, now I am proceeding to slice it into small strips. You can cut all the basil in one go this way.

This is a lot easier to do if you let your goat cheese warm up a little. Crumble it with a fork and sprinkle the basil on top. Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil in to start. You'll want this to be a paste-like consistency. If it seems too crumbly, add another tablespoon of olive oil. It's best to start small and work your way up to a nice spreadable texture. You can add more basil if you feel there isn't enough. In my experience a little basil can go a long way, and adding too much will ruin the creamy texture.

Top with a sprig and serve! This is really good on small slices of baguette toast. If you did not add salt, it's nice to leave a pinch bowl next to this spread so people can salt to their own preference.

*If you do decide to salt this, do so very lightly. The salt can overwhelm the flavors of the goat cheese and the basil, removing the delicacy.