For more than five hundred years, the members of Supreme Tribunal of Athens met once a month on Areopagas, the Hill of Ares. After they had assembled and taken their seats, each member was given a plate made from lead. On each plate was a small loaf of bread, a flask of wine, a small pitcher of olive oil and several pieces of cheese that had been made from the milk of goats. When he commented on this practice, Democritus, often referred to as "the laughing philosopher", observed that the bread was to satisfy their hunger, the wine to clear their heads, the cheese to remind them of the beauty of life and the olive oil to keep their bowels unobstructed".

So long have goats' cheeses been popular in the region that during the rule of Pharaoh Tutankhamen 3,350 years ago, Egyptians believed that eating them would prevent tuberculosis, slow down the aging process and even improve one's sexual abilities. Tutankhamen himself so adored goats' cheese that he ordered 22 tubs of it in his burial chamber, some for him to eat while he waited to ascend to heaven and some as gifts for the gods who would welcome him to paradise.

The Pharaohs were not alone in their love for cheeses made from the milk of goats and no figure in region of the Eastern Mediterranean is better known better known for his passions than Polyphemus, the one-eyed Cyclops in Homer's Odyssey. Polyphemous enjoyed nothing more than milking his goats, thickening the milk and then making "rich and tangy cheese which he stored in straw baskets". A usually even tempered character, there was no reason to consider Polyphemus a monster. Only when he discovered that Odysseus and his crew members had eaten most of his precious cheeses did Polyphemus decide to become a carnivore and make Greek sailors a regular part of his diet.

Until about eight years, largely because Israels large dairies concentrated almost all of their efforts on making cheeses from cows' milk, goats' cheeses were virtually unavailable in Israel. Happily, with the development of a series of small, mostly family owned dairies, that situation has changed and as of this writing, at least seventeen dairies, are producing cheeses from the milk of goats and sheep. Many of these can that compete comfortably in quality with the best known cheeses of France, Greece and Turkey. It may be a "returning to our roots", or it may be a reflection of our increasing culinary awareness, but this is a movement bound to find an increasingly welcome reception among those who really care about what they eat.

Because the milk of goats and sheep is vastly different than cow's milk, most of us should not be put off by the high fat content (up to 45%) of these cheeses, for goat's milk cheeses are easily digestible and contain high levels of the type of cholesterol that nutritionists tell us is good for us. They are also rich with proteins, mineral salts and Vitamins A, B1, B2 and C.

The Very Best

For many years, when sophisticated Israelis traveled abroad they would invariably return with cheeses from whatever countries they had been visiting. No one questions the greatness of the best cheeses of France, England and Italy but at more and more Israeli dairies are now producing cheeses that compete comfortably with some of the best of Europe and Israelis no longer need airplane tickets to buy excellent cheeses. In fact, so good are some of these cheeses that many Israelis now buy them in anticipation of their trips abroad, bringing them as gifts to friends and family.

If there is any problem with these cheeses it is that some of them are very dear. Despite this drawback, many can be highly recommended and Israelis who are not certified dollar millionaires have learned to purchase 100 - 200 grams of each of 6 - 8 different cheeses and using those to make up marvelous cheese platters. Such a platter can be offered after dinner or served on its own with nothing more than good bread, the best butter you can find, and a full bodied red wine, there can be few better ways to please oneself or one guests.

Among the very best cheeses now available for such platters (some are available only in delicatessens and others in supermarkets) are those from:

Dairy / Names of Cheeses

Shai Zeltzer - tomme, ramon, rakefit, and chevre;

Barkanit - bar, shed, shachat, and marcelan;

Ein Camunim - St. Mor, Irit, Tal ha Galil, cnanit and their version of Brie;

Clil ba Galil - any of the hard and soft goats' cheeses and the aged cows' milk cheeses;

Haniel - blue cheese, mozarella with basil, and hard goats cheese.

Also among the very best are the cheeses from Meshek Blumenthal and Teva Ez.

Serving Goats' Cheeses

As with all fine cheeses, the ideal time to serve a variety of goats' milk cheeses during a meal is following the main course or salad (whichever comes last in the meal) and before the dessert course. They can, of course, also be served several hours after the meal, or as a light meal in themselves. Whether one chooses to put each cheese on a separate plate or to serve them together on a wooden cheese board is merely a question of personal taste.

Baskets of savory crackers (biscuits) and slices of dark bread and sliced baguette should be within easy reach of each of your guest. As to the question of butter, many American, English and German connoisseurs will tell you that butter is an unnecessary accompaniment to cheese, but most Frenchmen continue in their age-old habit of spreading a bit of butter on their bread before putting the cheese on it. Whatever your personal tastes, butter should be served on a separate plate so that each of your guests may decide to use it or not.

If your guest ask, as many will, whether they should cut away and discard the rind of these cheeses, let them know that even though this is their privilege it is unnecessary, for the rind is no less full of flavor than the cheeses themselves. You do not have to tell them about the Frenchman who, in 1972, beat his maid for cutting away and discarding the rind of his prized brie before bringing it to the table. The court in Lyons refused to punish him, accepting his plea that his was "a crime of passion".

In addition to being served on their own, goats' cheese are also ideal for fillings for crepes, are excellent when sprinkled over salads, make for unusual but tasty pizzas. Many of the cheeses reviewed in this article will also prove excellent when placed on a thin slice of baguette and grilled (do not use butter as the fat in the cheese is quite enough to moisten the bread) or as stuffings for pitted prunes that are baked in a hot oven. For a special treat, cut these cheeses into slices about 1 cm. thick, dip the slices first into an egg that has been lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon of water and then into breadcrumbs before frying them in hot oil.

Roasted Garlic with Goats' cheese

3/4 cup creme fraiche (See note at beginning of recipe)
16 - 20 whole heads of garlic
1/2 cup butter pepper to taste
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 kilo semi-hard goats' cheese
6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped finely
16 - 20 slices country style bread
olive oil (optional)

Note: If creme fraiche is not readily available simply make your own. Mix 3/4 cup of sweet cream with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of buttermilk in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to thicken the cream even more. The cream may then be used immediately or stored for several days. In addition to using it in the following recipe, creme fraiche may be served with fresh fruit and used in sauces and salad dressings that call for the use of sour cream.

With the point of a knife make an incision in each garlic bulb about 4 cm. from the top. Remove the first layer of skin from the tops so that the points of the cloves are showing.

Grease a baking dish and arrange the bulbs in the dish. Dot the bulbs with the butter, using 1/2 Tbsp. of butter for each bulb. Sprinkle with pepper. Pour the wine and stock into the baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes longer. The cloves will be done when some of the garlic comes off on the tip of a sharp knife that is inserted into the cloves. Remove from the oven.

Place all but 3 Tbsp. of the creme fraiche in a bowl and to this add the cheese, mashing together with a fork. Add the remaining creme fraiche if necessary and continue beating with a fork until the mixture has the texture of a thick puree. Add the chopped spring onions and mix well.

To serve, place 1 slice of bread and 1 garlic bulb on each plate, and place the remaining garlic on a serving plate in the center of the table. Pass the cheese mixture separately. Explain to your guests that they should spread the cheese on the bread; then, using a fork, they should press the garlic flesh out of each clove and spread it on top. The garlic may then be sprinkled with olive oil if desired. Serve with dry red wine as an appetizer. (Serves 8 or more).

Cheese and Mint Tart

225 gr. semi hard goats' cheese
the leaves of 8 sprigs of mint, chopped finely
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. butter
flaky pastry for one pie crust
3 duck, goose or veal sausages, cooked and sliced

Place the cheese and mint in a bowl and mash together with a fork. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy and then add them to the cheese, mixing well. Season sparingly with salt and pepper.

Butter a 23 cm. tart pan. Roll out the dough, line the tart pan, crimp the edges and place a layer of sliced sausage on the bottom of the tart pan. Carefully pour the cheese-egg mixture over and then bake in an oven that has been preheated to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) until the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean (about 35 - 40 minutes). The finished tart should be quite flat. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges. (Serves 6 as an intermediate course).

Fried Cheese

1/4 cup olive oil
2 - 3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 kilo semi-hard goats' or sheep's cheese
lemon wedges for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and in this saute the garlic until it is lightly browned. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and discard.

Cut the cheese into squares about 5 cm. on each side and about 1 centimeter thick. Place the slices in the hot oil and cook, turning once, until the exterior of the cheese is almost but not fully melted. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve hot with the lemon wedges. (Serves 4 as an hors d'oeuvre).

Note: If using the Greek style cheese known as "halumi", fry the cheese until it is nicely browned on both sides and when you turn the cheese to fry the second side add a generous amount of sesame seeds to the skillet.

Spinach Salad with Goats' Cheese

1 clove garlic, cut in half
1/2 kilo spinach, washed and picked over well
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, cut in wedges
1/2 cup feta cheese or Bulgarian cheese, crumbled
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. each oregano, salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. powdered mustard

With the garlic clove rub the inside of the salad bowl well. Tear the spinach by hand and drop it into the bowl. Add the eggs, onion, tomato and cheese and toss gently.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a jar, cover and mix well by shaking. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss the salad well but gently and serve. (Serves 4 - 6).

© Daniel Rogov