6 ounces premium vodka
Half a large lemon, juiced
Generous shakes of salt and pepper
4 large dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 large dashes hot sauce
Bar Ingredients Pickled okra
Celery stalks
Fresh horseradish
Pimiento-stuffed olives
Hot sauce
Lemon or lime wedges
Set Up Large glasses
Ice
Let everyone assemble their own and customize as they choose. This leaves your hands as cook and host free to entertain.
DIY Breakfast Cheese
We use Belle Chèvre’s fromage blanc for our recipe (fromage blanc is a soft, often spreadable goat cheese), but if you cannot find it in your stores, you can use a goat cheese log moistened with milk or cream until it is a spreadable consistency. The amount needed will depend on how dry the log is.
Serves 4
1 cup fromage blanc
2 tablespoons honey
Mix the fromage blanc and the honey. Serve on your favorite breakfast bread. Enjoy!
Belle and The Bees Stuffed French Toast
A perfect breakfast or snack, this is a more nutritious version of French toast. Lightly sweetened goat cheese is the surprising, delicious filling for sweet bread. Strawberries add some freshness to the honey-flavored goat cheese, tucked in the toasty bread.
Serves 4
4 slices (about 2-inches-thick) dense bread, like challah
4 ounces Belle & The Bees Breakfast Cheese (honeyed goat cheese)
8 strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cut the bread slices almost in half, leaving one edge intact to form a pocket, similar in appearance to pita bread. Spread the cheese on the inside of each piece. Follow with a layer of strawberries and close the bread.
Heat pan over medium-high heat. Melt butter in pan. Whisk the buttermilk and the remaining five ingredients in a flat bowl. Dip the bread into the mixture, soaking sides and edges. Fry in pan until each side is golden brown.
Keep warm in a 250-degree oven while preparing remaining French toast in the same way.
Breakfast Quesadillas with Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese
The quesadilla is a go-to item in my house. Some times it is simply cheese that is toasted between two beautiful tortillas and served as a snack. This recipe is certainly an elevated example. You already know what I am going to say but … feel free to experiment once you are comfortable with the technique!
Serves 6–8
1 small red onion, thinly sliced crosswise
11 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons fresh chives, finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest, finely grated
¼ teaspoon black pepper
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas (not low-fat)
1 pound smoked salmon (preferably Nova), sliced
1 firm, ripe California avocado
2 teaspoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound (2 2/3 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Soak sliced onion in a bowl of ice and cold water 15 minutes; drain well and pat dry.
While onion soaks, stir together cheese, chives, zest, and pepper in a bowl until well combined.
Evenly spread about 1½ tablespoons cheese mixture over 2 tortillas (keep remaining tortillas covered with plastic wrap). Top one tortilla with an even layer of salmon, covering goat cheese completely; then top with other tortilla, cheese side down. Make 5 more quesadillas in same manner, then stack on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until ready to heat.
Halve, pit, and peel avocado, then cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Lightly brush avocado slices with lime juice and set aside.
Heat cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot, then reduce heat to moderate. Lightly brush 2 quesadillas on both sides with some oil, then toast on skillet (one at a time if necessary) until undersides are golden with some blackened spots, about 1 minute. Flip quesadillas over with a spatula and toast until undersides are golden with some blackened spots, 1–2 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet, arranging in one layer, and cover with foil to keep warm. Toast remaining quesadillas in same manner, using a second baking sheet.
Heat remaining oil in the same skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook tomatoes, stirring occasionally and seasoning with salt and pepper, until they just begin to soften, about 1 minute.
Transfer quesadillas to plates, then top with onion, avocado, and tomatoes.
Breakfast Suggestions
For a quick but very fulfilling breakfast, imitate the Mediterraneans and serve cheese and fruit and slices of cured meats (salami, for example). The breakfast table at my family’s house in Greece always has a hunk of feta on it.
Other breakfast ideas using goat cheese include serving it on toast with honey or jam or whipping it into biscuit recipes instead of buttermilk.
A great way to get vegetables to the table in the morning is to combine them with your eggs in a frittata, omelet, or scrambled eggs.
With the addition of a tortilla and some sour cream, non-traditional breakfast meats, such as braised roasts or even shredded chicken, can creatively turn scrambled eggs into a delicious Mexican-inspired dish.
Spring Pea and Goat Cheese Frittata
Frittatas are
