one bite { goat cheese }

Since the new year I've been racking my brain on ways to breathe a little life back into the food portion of this blog.  I miss it.  But between chasing a toddler all day and building a small photography business, free time is not always on my side.

I'm not giving up though.  So to jump start a little creativity in the kitchen, I am starting a few new food series on Jackie's Joy.  The first is all about that "one bite" you just can't get enough of.  I'm building a series of finger food / appetizer recipes based around that concept - and it all starts with just one favorite ingredient.  I'll be turning to this gorgeous book, The Flavor Bible (given to me by my mother-in-law) as a guide for the perfect pairings when it comes to enhancing the flavor of one single ingredient.

For example.  One of my favorite ingredients is goat cheese.  A clear hit or miss in the cheese world.  You either love it or hate it.  But when combined with a very sweet ingredient, along with a little salt, the pungency of goat cheese tends to mellow out.  Now I'm not saying this one bite will convert you if you're not a fan of goat cheese - but it's worth a try.  And don't worry - any soft cheese would be a delicious alternative.

So for my "one bite" using goat cheese as the inspiration, I paired it with a little prosciutto and fig preserve to create a super flavorful crostini.  To assemble, simply slice a baguette and rub with a bit of olive oil.  Place under a high broiler for just a couple minutes - enough to lightly toast.  After removing from the oven, rub the toasted bread with a clove of garlic.  This gives off just a hint of garlicky goodness, without overpowering the remaining ingredients.  Next, top the crostini with a thinly shaved slice of prosciutto.  Spread with a bit of goat cheese, and then top with the fig preserve (typically found near jams or in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store). 

So there you have it.  All in one bite - sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy.  Delish and easy.

I'll be sharing more of my favorite one bite wonders in the coming weeks, but would love to pick your brain for your favorites as well.  In the comments section below, share a favorite ingredient and I'll do my best to build one bite around it!

enJOY!