Recipe: Getting Creative with Goat Cheese

Nicolau Farms may be the newest vendor at , but they’re certainly not rookies. The Nicolau Family has been operating a farm for more than a decade and making goat cheese for cheese lovers throughout Southern California.

“Nicolau Farms is a true farmstead, meaning we do everything on the farm,” vendor Daniel Vereker said. “We are one of the last farmsteads in California doing what we do. We don’t import our curds or send our milk to a processing facility.”

The nearly 50 goats on Nicolau Farms are treated with homeopathic remedies, rather than hormones or antibiotics, and they are fed a natural, high-protein diet. In addition to making traditional goat cheese, Nicolau Farms offers flavor-infused varieties including spicy red pepper and garlic chive. Some other products that the farm offers include gourmet goat cheesecake with an almond crust, goat cheese ravioli, and goat cheese ice pops.

The best part about these products is that you get all of the taste, without all of the guilt; goat cheese is 40 percent lower in fat than cow cheese, and higher in protein.

Curious about how to incorporate goat cheese into your meals? Pick up a container from Nicolau Farms, and get started with this perfect summer salad recipe:

Radicchio Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette and Almond-Crusted Goat Cheese

For Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano

For Goat Cheese:
5 ounces plain goat cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 small heads radicchio

Directions:
In medium bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, honey and oil. Add olives, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Combine thoroughly and refrigerate until chilled (about 1 hour).

Slice goat cheese and roll 1-inch balls. Combine almonds and paprika in a shallow bowl. Roll balls in paprika almond mix until completely covered on all sides.

Rinse radicchio and cut into narrow slices. Put sliced radicchio into large bowl and slowly add vinaigrette dressing, coating the salad entirely. Top with goat cheese balls as you would with croutons.