Goat Cheese and fresh Mozzarella Platter with Roasted Vegetables
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Goat Cheese and Fresh Mozzarella Platter with Roasted Vegetables

I have been doing this platter for about eight years now and love it today as much as I did the first time I made it. I stole the concept from a chef who openly admitted to stealing the idea from another chef that he once worked for. I know for a fact that two other chefs stole the idea from me once they saw it, and I really can’t blame them. Chefs are known for being the ultimate thieves. The only difference between cook and crook is an r. If you understand and accept this open poaching of ideas and recipes, you will get along a lot better in the industry. Fighting it is futile, sooner or later you will see one of your dishes (or one just like it) on another restaurant’s menu. The only problem is when your friend is charging more for your dish than you are; then imitation and flattery go out the window.

What you need to get together:

Goat cheese 2 ounces per person
Fresh mozzarella 2 ounces per person

Garlic 3 cloves per person, peeled and left whole
Shallots 1 per person, peeled and left whole
Artichoke hearts, halved 1 per person
Kalamata olives, halved 3 per person, use pitted olives
Roasted peppers, julienne ¼ pepper per person

Rosemary 1 stem
Thyme 2 stems
Basil 4 leaves
Oregano 2 stems

Olive oil enough to cover the vegetables ½ way while roasting

Crackers for service

How to put it all together:

1. Roast the garlic cloves and shallots with the fresh herbs in the olive oil until both are caramelized and tender. There are 2 ways to roast the garlic and shallots. The first way is on the stove top (see the roasted shallot and spinach salad for that technique), the second way is to roast them in the oven. To do this, place the garlic and shallots in an oven-proof dish and cover half way with olive oil. Make sure that the vegetables are coated well and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Poke a few holes in the top of the foil and place the dish in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Check the garlic and shallots after 20 minutes. The oil should be simmering and both the garlic and shallots should have some color to them and be tender. If the garlic and shallots are not caramelized enough and are not tender return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and check for doneness every 5 minutes or so. Be careful not to burn the garlic. You are looking for each clove to be sweet and ultimately spread like butter.
2. Once the garlic and shallots have roasted, add the olives, artichoke hearts and roasted peppers. The residual heat from the oil will heat up the added vegetables.
3. Season the roasted vegetables with salt and pepper and keep warm for service.
4. Arrange both the goat cheese and fresh mozzarella on a serving platter.
5. Spoon the roasted vegetables onto the platter and pour the warm olive oil around both the vegetables and cheeses.
6. Garnish the platter with some fresh herbs and serve with an assortment of crackers and/or flatbreads.

A few final thoughts about this recipe:

I listed the ingredients with per person measures. That way you can scale this recipe up or down depending on the amount of guests that you are feeding.
The key to this recipe is roasting the vegetables properly. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness that will ultimately enhance both the goat cheese and fresh mozzarella. Use either freshly-roasted peppers or canned roasted peppers, both work well. Make sure to buy mozzarella packed in water, the size is really irrelevant. I have used the large balls (shown) and the small ones.
I like to keep the cooked herbs in the oil and display them on the platter. It gives the finished product a rustic look. Also, serving this with a variety of crackers or flatbreads really enhances the effect. You can grill pita wedges or toast off slices of baguette. Let your imagination run with this platter. Maybe you want to add capers or different olives to your platter. Fine. You might want to add feta to the mix. Go ahead, be creative. Just remember, the key is to roast the garlic and shallots properly, after that, you have to work to mess this recipe up.