Goat Cheese with Honey and Marcona Almonds

It was so wonderful to be with my Gourmet Dinner Club (GDC) friends recently. Prior to the pandemic, we used to meet monthly. Now we’re fortunate if we meet every few months. Our host, Bryn S, picked a theme of ‘shop your fridge first.’ I signed up for an appetizer and signature cocktail (more on that in a future post).

I took my cue from some goat cheese (thank you, Vermont Creamery) that I had in my refrigerator. While I needed to supplement it with some more, it was a great place to start. Then I moved onto my cabinets – not quite the fridge but close enough. 

I had some yummy local honey from Rushton Farm CSA in Willistown Township, Pennsyvlania. It had come highly recommended and I was saving it for the right occasion. I used a heavy drizzle of honey on the goat cheese. 

I then reached for my supply of Marcona almonds. I chopped a bunch of them and sprinkled them atop the goat cheese. I also sprinkled just a little coarse sea salt on top as the Marcona almonds weren’t very salty (this is optional).

In order to include a bit of color, I sprinkled some dried lavender from my spice cabinet. This came from Mt Airy Lavender in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. I visited there last summer when their lavender was in full bloom. This was English lavender which is best for cooking. 

It was so simple and was a great mix of flavors – tangy, sweet, and salty. Nairn’s Original Oat Grahams (they’re delicious and gluten-free) were the perfect accompaniment and are one of Bryn’s favorites. 

It was fun being inspired by ingredients I had on hand. What’s in your fridge that might inspire you?