Goat Cheese Appetizer

We love this pretty, springy goat cheese appetizer for anything from an elegant starter at a dinner party to a light lunch to an alternative to bagels and cream cheese for Mother’s Day brunch. It comes together in no time at all — no cooking necessary — and makes a great addition to a buffet.

A few things from our kitchen pros: It’s best to serve it right away, but the log could also be coated up to a day ahead and refrigerated. Just make sure to take it out of the fridge about half an hour before serving to let it come to room temperature so that it spreads more easily.

What do you serve with goat cheese?

Any crisp vegetable works, or you can follow our example and serve with cucumber spears, sweet snap peas and endive leaves.

What kind of crackers go with goat cheese?

While we’re partial to a good crusty baguette or country loaf, we also love to spread it on crunchy crispbreads. Plain breads and crackers would go best with this recipe, since you’d want to showcase the fresh herbs and citrus.

We flavor our goat cheese log with a bright mix of fresh herbs and pink peppercorns (which are actually a berry and much milder than other peppercorns) and serve it atop a layer of fragrant Meyer lemon juice and olive oil. So, no matter what you serve with this creamy spread, make sure to get some of everything in each bite!