Courgette, goat’s cheese, tomato and olivada

A flavorful tapa that combines the sweetness of the courgette, the sour of the goat’s cheese and the olivada (pate made with black olives).

The combination of colours is important too as it makes this tapa very attractive and more desirable 🙂

You can plate it up in different ways. If you cut the courgette lengthwise, you can roll it up like in the picture. Then you can serve them standing up or laying down, depends on the serving tray or platter you will serve them. You also can slice it widthwise and make round canapes.

I use to buy the olivada in cans from Spain as I like the pungy flavour of the black olives from Aragon (empeltre variety) but you can do it at home too. I highly recommend you then to use really good black olives, better unpitted as they have more flavour. I will post a recipe for olivada soon.

Ingredients (4 tapas)

1 big courgette

100 g spreadable goat’s cheese

80 g soft cheese

1 vine tomato

Olivada

Bread

Salt

Black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Slice the courgette with a mandoline (cut 3), salt and let it sweat for 15 minutes. Then dry them with kitchen paper.

2. Lay the courgette on a baking tray and season with black pepper. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil. Put in the oven and roast for 3/5 minute. Don’t over cooks as it will be soggy and difficult to work with. It’s better a bit crunchy.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. In a bowl mix the goat´s cheese and the soft cheese into a smooth and uniform texture. If it’s too thick, add a little bit of milk to get a spreadable texture.

4. Wash, seed, and chop the tomato into small dice. Pat the dice dry with a paper towel.

5. Toast the bread. With a cutter, cut the bread in rounds (Choose the size that it’s similar to the courgette, slightly bigger will help to grab the canape).

Spread the cheese mixture over a slice of courgette, cover with another slice and. Add the diced tomato and a little of olivada on top.

If you are looking for a wine to pair with this tapa, I recommend you a fresh white wine like Albarino from Galicia or Verdejo from Rueda. Although at Cambridge Wine Merchants we will pair it with this Portuguese Vinho Verde, Vilacetinho, and it was delicious! I’ts crispy, a bit fizzy and very fresh.

Grape: Avesso

A gently sparkling wine with low alcohol, hints of sweetness, a little herbal on the palette and gentle notes of blossom and apricot.

It should go well with the courgette and goats cheese, as this delicate wine should balance well with the flavours in the recipe.