Weekend Recipe - Grilled Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Stuffing

This weekend (Sunday 6/22 from 9 to 4) we have our booth at the Arlington Heights Garden Walk and Unique Boutique, located on the Arlington Heights Historical Museum grounds. We decided to serve a cheese spread that is best with goat cheese, so in the process we worked with several blends of herbs tasting what went best with goat cheese.  One of the first we tried was using our Herbs De Provence in the soft white cheese.  This grill recipe is the result of those tests.  Such a decadent appetizer or salad course should not be this easy!  Try it on your grill soon!

Grilled Stuffed Orange Tomatoes

       with Black Olives and Provencal Goat Cheese

4 orange tomatoes (you can use red)
1 15 oz. can black olives, sliced
1/2 cup goat cheese, flavored with herbs (see below)

Cut a cone around the stem bud, cutting out the center portion of the tomato. Scoop out the seeds.

Make the flavored goat cheese by blending ½ cup goat cheese with 2 tsp. Herbs de Provence or 1 Tbls of mixed chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, lavender buds and oregano.

In a mixing bowl, toss the black olive slices and the goat cheese and stuff into the awaiting tomatoes.

Place the stuffed tomatoes on a hot grill and grill for about 5-8 minutes, or until goat cheese gets oozy…and the tomato skin begins to wrinkle.

The Backyard Patch makes many blends to mix into goat or cream cheese that make entertaining fun and easy.  You can find them all here.

Weekend Recipe - Chicken Roll ups with Herbed Goat Cheese

Chicken Roll-Ups with Herbed Goat Cheese  (Serves 4)

3 ounces soft goat cheese, broken into small pieces

3 Tbls. Dried herbs in any combination  but  chives, thyme, savory and sage will all work well.

8 chicken breast cutlets, (about 11/2 pounds)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 large bunch arugula (about 4 ounces), stems trimmed

2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Blend the herbs into the goat cheese and allow to stand for 15 minutes before prepping recipe.  Season chicken with salt and pepper. On a clean work surface, lay cutlets flat, with smooth sides down. Layer each cutlet with arugula; crumble goat cheese in the center. Starting with the narrow end, roll up chicken tightly; seal with a toothpick.

In a large nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook, seam side down, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn chicken. Brown side up.  Transfer skillet to oven.  Cook until juices run clear, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove toothpicks, slice chicken and serve as rondolettes over a bed of rice.