Herbed Goat Cheese Spread

• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 12 oz. good quality chevre, at room temperature
• ¼ cup fresh chives, sliced
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 36-48 homemade croutons made from a baguette

Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a food processor. Process the cream cheese, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, till the cheese is smooth and creamy and there are no lumps. Add the chevre to the bowl, breaking it up with a fork into chunks the machine can process easier. Process the cheese mixture until the chevre is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Next, add the fresh herbs and process the cheese mixture until the herbs are finely chopped. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, process to blend, and remove cheese mixture to a serving bowl. Serve with homemade croutons. Makes 3 appetizers each for a group of 12, or 2 each for a group of 24.

Chef’s note: This spread keeps about a week in a plastic container in the refrigerator. This spread is very pretty when piped from a pastry bag with a large star tip. It can also be piped into potatoes, cucumber slices or small tomatoes, or even used as a filling for omelets- Let your imagination be your guide