{Recipe and Giveaway} A Taste of the Cheesy South from Tasia’s Table

Our focus on the South this week yields a bonus for Cheese+Champagne readers in the form of a new cheese-centric cookbook! Tasia Malakasis, the owner of Alabama-based Belle Chevre, began making delectable chevres and wildly creative goat-cheese breakfast spreads just five years ago, and she’s sharing her favorite Southern-inspired (and Greek-inspired, too!) family recipes in her new cookbook, Tasia’s Table. Colleen and I got a sneak preview of the cookbook a few weeks ago and cooked up a couple of the recipes – to make sure they were edible, you know – and rest assured they passed our taste tests. I’m happy to share the following recipe for a goat-tastic ravioli with a three-pepper relish. If you’re a chevre fan, you’ll love the prominent goat-cheese flavor of these tender pockets, and the relish is a tasty way to use those bell peppers you bought at the farmers market.

We are working with Tasia and her team to give a copy of Tasia’s Table to one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below. If you like us on Facebook or tweet a link to this post (include our @curdwise handle), you have additional chances to enter – just come back and leave another comment letting us know about your like and/or tweet. And if you can’t wait for the cookbook, enjoy the following recipe today!

Goat Cheese Ravioli with Three Peppers
Reprinted with permission from Tasia’s Table (NewSouth Books, 2012)
Serves 6 appetizer-size portions

Bell pepper mixture
2 small red bell peppers
2 small yellow bell peppers
1 small green bell pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
½ c onion, chopped
½ c tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar

Ravioli
Cornmeal for sprinkling
8 oz soft goat cheese (Belle Chevre, of course, if you can find it)
⅓ c Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus additional for sprinkling
¼ c mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp assorted fresh herbs (I used basil and chives)
18 wonton wrappers
4 tbsp (half-stick) butter
Pine nuts, toasted
Niçoise olives, pitted, thinly sliced
Chives, chopped

Char all peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in a paper bag; seal and let stand at room temperature for 15 min. Peel and seed peppers; chop.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and tomatoes and cook until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook until vegetables are very soft and onion is brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add chopped peppers and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Cook’s note: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

For ravioli, lightly sprinkle rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal. Mix goat cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano and mascarpone with assorted fresh herbs in medium bowl.

Arrange 6 wonton wrappers on work surface. Place 1 tablespoon cheese filling in center of each wrapper. Using fingertip, dampen edges of wrappers with water.

Fold all 4 corners up to meet in center, forming pyramid shape; seal all 4 edges tightly. Pinch top to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Cook’s note: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Cook butter in large skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Cook ravioli in pot of gently boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer ravioli to skillet with browned butter. Toss over medium heat.

Meanwhile, rewarm bell pepper mixture; divide among 6 plates. Using slotted spoon, top peppers on each plate with 3 ravioli. Drizzle with any remaining browned butter. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, toasted pine nuts, olives and chives.

Tagged as: alabama, american, american cheese month 2012, belle chevre, Cheese!, chevre, curdwise whistle stop tour, giveaway, goat, potato chips, recipe, Tasia Malakasis