Pasta with Goat Cheese (Chevre) Sauce; the Week That Was!

Last week it was lovely: warm, sunny, calm; balmy, even.  Perfect late spring weather.

I gently suggested to mon mari that, perhaps, just maybe, he should check the level of the heating fuel.

He, in his infinite wisdom and dramatically superior knowledge of all things, said: "Non".

Of course it would not be necessary.

Or course there was plenty of fuel.

I needn't worry my pretty, little head about such manly matters.

This week, with the wind howling, the sleet and hail beating against the windows, the temperatures dropping to the worst of winter, we ran out of fuel.

Usually, I rather enjoy being right.

No fuel means no heat.

And no hot water.

Not much enjoyment there!

Thankfully, my French has progressed to the point that I could sound sufficiently pathetic on the phone.  They managed to fit in a delivery later the next day.

My French has also progressed to the point that I managed to explain to Madame (the mother in this family run business) that "I had told mon mari last week....."

That may have helped more than my pathetic, freezing  plight... 
She understood the situation, completely!

Unfortunately, for mon mari, I have the proverbial 'memory like a steel trap'.

Not that I'd ever mention the incident again.... 

What with no electricity one day and no heat or hot water another, it's been an interesting week here in the Vendée.

Like the Chinese curse: May you live in interesting times.

One of the things I am currently interested in, now that the green garlic has disappeared, is how many ways I can use goat cheese.

One of my (over 200) cookbooks is 'The Book of Sauces'.  This recipe is very loosely based on one of theirs.  I mean, they do have goat cheese in common.... And pasta.

Which qualifies it for Presto Pasta Nights, started over a year ago by Ruth, of  Once Upon a Feast.  Visit her blog on Friday, to see all of the wonderful pastas.

Pasta with Goat Cheese Sauce
   serves 2

1 cup farfalle
1/2 box (2.5oz, 75gr) soft chevre (goat cheese) (the little cartons of creamy goat cheese, 5oz (150gr) Chavrie in the U.S., Chevraux in Europe)
1/4 chicken stock
2 tbs fresh snipped chives
cherry tomatoes

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
While pasta cooks: Heat stock in a small saucepan. Add goat cheese and chives, and stir until cheese is melted. Pour over pasta and serve....
With a few cherry tomato halves on top ...

I realize this is an incredibly difficult recipe, but, give it a go... You'll be glad you did!

In other news, I am now getting offers in French (as well as English) to help 'increase my rod', 'keep my women happy all night', etc.   And, occasionally in German...

Isn't life grand?

Comments

[Cakespy]

Le sigh...this sounds and looks so tasty. Almost good enough to make up for the lack of modern amenities...oh no! :-)

[Kevin]

I have done a few goat cheese pasta dishes lately. Goat cheese makes such a simple and tasty sauce for pasta!

[Lucy]

Katie, this looks wonderful, despite the fuel shortage.

Glad your French has progressed!

[Sue (coffeepot)]

Looks good and the difficulty is of my caliber.

Cold heatless nights don't keep many women happy, so the increase could be neccessary.

Glad you could get sympathy and advice with your French. I could only get confusion with mine.

Come to think of it..I often get confusion with English.

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Yum yum yum. The recipe does look tough, but I am willing to give it a try. (And anyway, the simplest recipes are always the best!)

[Mike]

Looks like it must taste great! And lol, sorry to hear about the heating fuel debacle..

[Ruth]

Sorry to hear about your little wintry adventure...;-(

As for your pasta dish...nothing better to warm the soul than creamy goat cheese. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.

[Zoomie]

How shocking to learn that French men are as insecure about their lovemaking equipment as English-speakers are! And here I thought they were born knowing how to "make be-ootifool museek togezzhair"!

[katie]

Cakespy, all is back to normal, and working again!

Kevin, I saw your goat cheese sauce...yum!

Lucy, slowly, ever so slowly.'

Sue, it's a rarity foe me as well - blank looks are much more common!

Lydia, if you need help, let me know...

Mike, it always happens at a bad time, don't'ch know!

Ruth, today was sunny and warm...there's hope!

Zoomie, really, I was soooo shocked! Unless I didn't read them correctly.... Sometimes I hit delete faster than intended..

[Zoomie]

See, now there's the difference between you and me - I'd feel compelled to read the whole thing! :-)

[katie]

Zoomie, I'm always torn between reading and skimming - and end up doing both!

[LisaRene]

I have certainly crumbled goat cheese on pasta but have never made a goat cheese cream sauce! Sounds lovely, particularly with the fresh chives.

[Bellini Valli]

I am drooling all over this dish Kate. We have a local goat cheese producer Carmeli's that I can envision in this tasty pasta!

[Elizabeth]

Mmmmm!!! I adore goat's cheese on pasta and invariable add at least some to any pasta dish to finish it. Not long ago, I sauteed beet slices with onions and dill seed, added a few toasted pecans and a little chicken stock and dill weed, then tossed it all with penne, then put a few coins of creamy goat's cheese on top so it melted on the hot pasta. It's a little more labour intensive than your chive and tomato one but only fractionally. I think you need to try it, Katie.

(I spent most of the winter encased in several sweaters and blankets because my husband said it was "raspy hot" whenever the furnace went on. Imagine my delight when the furnace failed entirely one day in January or so and my husband declared in a wounded tone, "It's freezing!! The furnace pilot light went out. I can't believe you didn't notice!" rrrrrr... when the house is kept at around 15C during the day and around 10C at night, why on earth would I notice that it has dropped to 10C during the day?)

[Katie]

LisaRene, I really like the creamy goat cheese and always have at least one box in the fridge.

Val, I want a local goat cheese person.... You'd think in France that would be easy...

Elizabeth, our house is usually 18C - practically balmy. I regularly wear 2 or 3 layers, also. But, I refuse to do without hot water..... I am not taking a cold shower in a cold bathroom in a cold house.... We must have our limits....
We can back from a trip to the U.S. 2 winters ago and the furnace wouldn't start - and it was a Friday night....no repairs possible until Monday....

[Elizabeth]

That's balmy indeed. The really sad thing about being perennially freezing at home is that I have inexplicably become acclimatized and am generally boiling hot anywhere else I go. I was on a job and someone came up to me outraged, showing me her thermometer that she carries in her case. "18C!!! It's only 18C in here. I can't work like this!" Meanwhile, I looked at her blankly and peeled off one of my many sweaters.

I wouldn't stand for no hot water either. How else could one take a hot bath in order to warm up?

One of our friends claims he is going to get a couple of goats so he can go into small scale goats' cheese production. I can't wait!!

-Elizabeth

[katie]

Elizabeth, I had a seperate thermostat put in my office so I could keep it cool... It had the additional benefit of keeping meetings very short.