About thyme

I’m not great at baking. When I recently attempted some fairly innocuous sundried tomato biscuits, I burnt them so badly I put them into a vase on a mantelpiece and mourned them (slight exaggeration, and I don't have a mantelpiece but you get the idea).

Happily, a few weeks ago, I tried a different (cheesy) recipe and the result was edible. In fact, it was crunchy, creamy, thyme flavours emerged, garlic was subtle. It tasted good! Admittedly, the stakes were higher this time as I had guests round, so a disaster would have been a lil embarrassing.

You might ask, what was this miraculous baking achievement? A tomato, thyme and goat’s cheese tart no less, inspired by The Guardian’s marvellous list of 10 best goat’s cheese recipes. As one of my favourite cheeses, this list is a real gem.

Tomato, thyme and goat’s cheese tart

The recipe uses ready-rolled puff pastry, so most of the hard work is already done. And if a baking novice like me can master this, then it must surely be foolproof.  I’d just caution that the tart would suit a maximum of four people rather than six for a main course, as it’s very light.

As for the other nine recipes on the list, I may well surf the wave of goat’s cheese baking success and attempt the rest. Watch this goat, I mean space.

Adventures in New York and New Mexico

It’s been a while since I posted any cheese. My excuse is taking a week off gallivanting in the States, along with the subsequent recovery from the inevitable wearisome jetlag.

While the U.S. is fantastic is many ways—huge portions, actual sunshine, stunning scenery et cetera—I’m not convinced I’d specifically go there to seek out the best cheese, especially compared with the consistently quality produce of the likes of France and Italy back in Europe.

I visited New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico to see my sister and my good friend, who happen to live in these two vastly different places. The contrast is quite extraordinary, from iconic cityscape to breathtaking arid mountains.

New Mexico

I greedily embraced New Mexican food, which doesn’t seem all that dissimilar from Mexican cuisine: avocado heaven!

Within the dairy realm, I enjoyed an exquisite flan from the respected Rancho De Chimayo Restaurante near famed Catholic pilgrimage center—El Santuario de Chimayo.

Back in arty Santa Fe (there are nearly 300 galleries!), I tried a grilled cheese sandwhich from The French Pastry Shop with Emmental, olives and tomato, which in fact was disappointing. I felt the cheese could have been softer and would have done well with some chutney. 

The enchiladas from Del Charro, a cosy laid-back pub/restaurant (Santa Fe's Central Perk), was a better experience: this cheese was definitely melted. It was also the first enchilada I've tried that included tofu. A healthy enchilada perhaps? Suuure.

While Santa Fe wins on the avocado front, as far as cheese goes, New York conquered my heart. My favourite cheese experience of the trip came courtesy of Brooklyn’s Hungry Ghost in Prospect Heights. Ever tried Brie with ham, mango chutney and garam masala mustard? I hadn’t either. Trust me, the marriage of creamy and curried flavours is sublime. We were hungover as hell and this exotic sandwich, accompanied by crunchy southern veg soup, worked a treat to nourish our tired and hungry souls; the ghosts of the night before were duly banished.

Hangover cure: Brie, ham, mango chutney and garam masala mustard sandwich with southern veg soup