Goat Cheese in Olive Oil

This recipe can also be made with feta cheese. It tastes excellent with a crisp salad or on toasted rye bread. Serve it as a palatable surprise or when you want to impress guests arriving unannounced and you have no time to prepare an elaborate meal. Thyme's antifungal and antibacterial properties make it perfect for use in canning or preserving foods.

1 lb (500 g) young goat cheese (in a roll if possible) or Greek feta cheese
5 sprigs fresh herbs: thyme, basil, tarragon, oregano. Use separately or together
2 bay leaves
1 dozen black pepper corns
1 large clove garlic, quartered
1/2 liter cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil

Choose a one-litre, sealable glass container. Cut the cheese in two finger-thick slices and layer them alternatively with the herbs and peppercorns in the container. Fill with oil and seal it air-tight. Store in a cool place, such as a basement pantry, for one to two weeks while it matures. After this period the container can be moved into the fridge.

Use a clean fork each time you remove some cheese so that no bacteria enters the container. Be sure to keep the lid tightly closed. The cheese will keep up to 10 weeks

Source: alive #213, July 2000