goat cheese with mint & cumin

Lots of relatives were in town for Easter last week. My aunt from Tuscon was here while it was sunny, but my cousins from Portland were here for the rain. How unfair is that? Anyway, I needed to whip up a quick appetizer for one of the get-togethers, so I turned to this trustworthy, compliment-producing standby. It takes 5 minutes and 5 ingredients. No one can believe how good something so simple can be. Serve it instead of a cheese platter; it’s much more interesting.

ingredients

1 log (about 8 oz) fresh goat cheese
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, shredded or chopped
seeded crackers or sliced baguette

directions

Remove goat cheese from package and place on a plate. Sprinkle cumin seeds over the log, then roll log to press seeds into cheese. Grind pepper to taste over the log; the more the spicier.

Transfer cheese to a serving platter, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with mint. Surround with crackers and garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.