Poppy Seed-crusted Goat Cheese with Crostini, Roasted Garlic and Fig Jam

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

Try making this easy version of Milestones’ delicious goat cheese share plate

Copy this at-home version of Milestones’ baked goat cheese share plate for a special occasion appetizer or decadent dinner

I just got back from an amazing family long weekend at the Water’s Edge Resort in Ucluelet with my husband, parents, brother and his girlfriend. It was another fabulous get together organized by my parents – read about our previous adventures in Tofino here – and even though it was rainy and grey it was so nice to experience Canada’s westernmost sand and surf again. The six of us hadn’t been together since Christmas and we had an unforgettable time catching up, walking, surfing and eating. 

I wanted to create a great snack for my family, one I had had a few weeks ago at Milestones in Yaletown when my husband, myself and another couple enjoyed an afternoon of live jazz at David Lam Park courtesy of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. We took a little break to fuel up and shared an incredibly delicious appetizer called the baked goat cheese and slow-roasted garlic flatbread plate. I knew right then that I was going to try and recreate it for our little island reunion.

Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery

I’m not sure how Milestones bakes the goat cheese and plates it without it falling apart, as theirs looked so much nicer, but mine still tasted just as great even though its presentation fell a bit short. I roasted the garlic ahead of time before we left Vancouver and reheated it in the oven for about 10 minutes right before serving because I knew everyone would be ravenous when we arrived.

This dish is definitely something I will make again and again; it was so easy to prepare and everyone absolutely loved it. 

Pair with the Perfect Red

The wine I chose was the Tolaini Al Passo 2007, which we recently had paired with the to-die-for braised beef short rib at CinCin. It’s my new favourite red, but reserved for special occasions at $29.99, and well worth the wild goose chase that I took my husband on to locate a bottle the night before our trip.

Poppy-crusted Goat Cheese with Crostini, Roasted Garlic and Fig Jam

Ingredients

• 1 large wheel of goat cheese
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 heads of roasted garlic (see below for instructions)
• 1/4 cup fig jam (I like the St Dalfour Royal Fig)
• 1 loaf skinny Italian bread, cut into very thin slices

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Spread out poppy seeds on small plate and carefully press each side and edge of goat cheese into seeds, evenly distributing them.
3. Place cheese on baking sheet and arrange bread slices in single layer on a separate baking sheet.
4. Bake cheese and bread, and reheat garlic if you’ve made ahead of time, for about 10 minutes, or until bread begins to brown and cheese begins to bubble.
5. Arrange all ingredients on a serving platter and enjoy immediately.

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients

• 2 bulbs garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Remove outer skin from garlic and slice off tops .
3. Place in roasting pan, drizzle with oil, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
4. Remove foil from garlic, turn off oven and return pan to sit in hot oven for another 15 to 30 minutes so garlic gets a bit brown.