IBIZA

After a Fantastic summer visiting places like ‘’the Balearic Islands’’ what can I say ‘’Magic’’, Ibiza, Majorca, Minorca and the wonderful Formentera Islands floating serenely in the glittering Mediterranean and  from spectacular mountain scenery to hiking through  the Isolated beaches with its white sand and crystal blue waters. Meeting the locals, cooking with them local dishes and dining under an immaculate sunset with them, what can I say it doesn’t get any better?.

But what impressed me more than anything was the unusual hospitality of their inhabitants and that each of the Islands had a personality and local dishes of its own, but the best was the taste of the local goat cheese in Minorca, it was amazing we visited and observed how local cheese artisans produced this amazing cheese.

The charm of Minorca, ‘’The second biggest Island’’ lies in its rough grass, woodland and its abrupt cliffs, this land is hardly suited to intensive agriculture, but has been known since ancient  time for its Goats, the Greek seafarers called it Meloussa, the goat rearing land. He proudly stated that the Italians even preferred the Islands cheese to their own parmesan.

Queso Majorero owes its name to the fact that the goats in the meadows graze largely on Marjoran, imparting an outstanding flavour to the milk. The cheese is available in different stages of ripeness, and is also sometimes ripened with olive oil and paprika or even sometimes with gofio. The Ambor coloured , spicy Queso Herreno  from el hierro is also rubbed with paprika pepper and lightly smoked, Goat cheese from Formentera which is often smoked with almond wood, pine needles, or dried opuntia leaves, is lightly salted before ripening , on the outside the cheese is slightly brown in colour, while it is white to a pale yellow colour on the inside, it has a mild flavour and taste better eaten while it is fresh and still soft, easily the best goat cheeses I have eaten in my life.

I am leaving you friends with a fantastic recipe you can make at home but the goat cheese has to be of prime quality.

Chiao…

Stuffed baby Aubergines with Ratatuille, goat cheese and fresh rosemary. (For 4 pax)

4 Baby Eggplants

2 baby zucchinis

1 onion

3 Garlic cloves

1 small red pepper

1 glass tomato puree

Half glass olive oil

Good quality  matured goat cheese

Fresh Rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste.

Bake 3 of the eggplants in a hot oven until soft .

1 .In a frying pan start sautéing in the olive oil the onion, garlic, red pepper and rosemary,

2. Once it gets a nice light brownish colour add the 1 eggplant, Zucchini and tomato puree with 2 glasses of boiling water, salt and pepper.
3. Bring out the 3 eggplants from oven and cut in the middle, with a spoon bring out all the soft meat from the inside and add to the ratatouille that’s being cooking.
4. Leave the ratatouille to cook until all vegetables are soft and ready to stuff the eggplants skin.
5. Leave Ratatouille to cool for an hour and then start stuffing the eggplant skins .
6. Crumble with your hands all the goat cheese on the stuffed eggplant, drizzle some very good olive oil on top and some fresh rosemary,
7. Bake for 25 minutes in a hot oven.

BUEN PROVECHO !!!!