Chevre Bites: Cranberry & Toasted Almond Recipe

One of the blessings of springtime and the lush grass pastures on the homestead, after the does have birthed their kids, is a bountiful supply of rich goat’s milk that can be made into thick, creamy chevre. 

Chevre is also available in Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods-type grocery near you, so you can make Chevre Bites any time of the year.

How Healthy is Goat’s Milk?

Goat’s milk contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein, and fatty acids that are utilized by your body with ease.

It may also help with inflammation, unlike most dairy.

In fact, your body can digest goat’s milk in just 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours to digest cow’s milk.

Goat Milk and Chevre Health benefits

• Goat’s milk is less allergenic – It does not contain the complex protein that stimulate allergic reactions to cow’s milk.)
• Goat’s milk does not suppress the immune system.
• Goat’s milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk (An old statistic showed that goat’s milk will digest in a baby’s stomach in twenty minutes, whereas pasteurized cow’s milk takes eight hours. The difference is in the structure of the milk.)
• Goat’s milk has more buffering capacity than over the counter antacids. (The USDA and Prairie View A&M University in Texas have confirmed that goat’s milk has more acid-buffering capacity than cow’s milk, soy infant formula, and nonprescription antacid drugs.)
• Goat’s milk alkalinizes the digestive system.

Pg. 148 – “The Maker’s Diet” by Jordan Rubin:

• Goat’s milk contains twice the healthful medium-chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids, which are highly antimicrobial.
• Goat’s milk does not produce mucus; it does not stimulate a defense response from the human immune system.
• Goat’s milk is a rich source of the trace mineral selenium, a necessary nutrient, however, for its immune modulation and antioxidant properties.

We used to live close enough to a small family homestead where we had a goat share, so that is what we ate in spring and summer.

The rest of the year I buy Trader Joe’s ‘Silver Goat’ chevre logs (below left).

We love helping a small family farmer maintain the diverse rural lifestyle they love.

Our country needs more of that, plus we get an excellent product.

Though I don’t eat them often, hands down, my favorite midday power snack is goat chevre, and I am guilty of eating more than my fair share of this wonderful food.

Mixed with a bit of *truly raw honey and loads of healing cinnamon, I feel I can totally enjoy my snack without all the guilty feelings. It is also amazing mixed with fresh or dried herbs spread on a baguette.

Today, I decided to get a little more creative. It took about 10 minutes plus toasting the almonds.

They make an easy and beautiful go-to for get-togethers.

Goat Chevre Bites Recipe

Ingredients:

• 10-12 oz. of chilled goat cheese aka ‘chevre’  (or TJ’s chevre log) (keep chilled to prevent sticking to your hands)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped a bit finer with a knife
• 1/2 cup lightly toasted almonds (also toasted, salted pecans go nicely)
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt (optional, it adds minerals and just makes it taste even richer)

Optional, you could also use Michigan dried sweet cherries, apricot or date pieces; also consider pistachios or pecans in place of almonds!

Directions:

1. Mix dried cranberries and toasted almonds and spread them out on a plate.

2. Mix sea salt and cinnamon into the chevre and incorporate thoroughly.

3. Form little 3/4 to 1″ balls of chevre by rolling firmly in the palm of your hand.

4. Press/roll them in your cranberry/nut mixture

5. Put them onto parchment paper to store in the refrigerator, and that’s it!

You can put them into some pretty little paper baking liners to serve these melt-in-your-mouth wonders in.

Makes 18-20 bites approximately 3/4″ to 1″ each.

“And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.” ~Proverbs 27: 27

*Some honey is not truly raw, because it has been highly heated after coming onto the country from China. It has no pollen and may even be mostly high fructose corn syrup. Raw honey is thick and looks like this one.

Know your source!