Bonnie: We’ve discovered another delicious chèvre to feature as a Bite. This creamy goat cheese with figs from Belle Chèvre actually comes from rural Alabama and is made by Tasia Malakasis, high-tech software marketer turned cheese maker. Belle Chèvre is combined with fig preserves, resulting in a not-too-sweet spread with little chunks of figs.  (The company makes a number of other flavors, but we feel Go “Fig”ure Chèvre is the best bite!)

As with all cheese, always serve it at room temperature, taking the eight-ounce tub out of the fridge at least an hour prior to serving for it to reach full flavor.

I like spreading it on a bagel, toast or just about any breakfast bread, or on crackers as an appetizer. But one of my favorite uses is turning it into a creamy salad dressing. I blend it with fresh lemon juice, spicy mustard, salt and pepper, then whisk in some extra virgin olive oil to create a light dressing. Of course, I add some cheese to the salad, too.

To keep a longer time (although it likely will disappear quite quickly), drizzle some olive oil over the top, which will keep it moist.

One more point: Generally a cheese made from goats’ milk is more easily digested by those who are lactose intolerant.

Bryan: Figs and goat cheese are simply classic; a superb combination of flavors, sticky and sweet, rich and creamy, truly delicious in every way…. What more can you ask for from a dish? Well, how about a slightly subtler version? One a bit more suitable for everyday consumption? One that I maybe can spread on a bagel? Hello Belle Chèvre’s Fig Breakfast Cheese. Hello morning.

Is there a more perfect way to start your day? The fig flavor is the best of the lot in my opinion (though the honey is to die for, as well). It is only one of four flavors comprising the entire Belle Chèvre breakfast collection, with the cinnamon, honey and coffee versions rounding out the crew.

It’s like cream cheese, but earthier, more of a barnyard taste but with a complex yet delicate underlying flavoring. The fig’s sweetness (and likewise the honey’s) superbly balances the creamy cheese for a heavenly eating experience.

Fig Chèvre is just what it says, combining goat cheese with fig preserves for a uniquely healthy spread, lower in fat and calories compared with your standard cows’ milk products. Belle Chèvre has been handcrafting French-style goat cheeses (in rural Alabama!) for more than 20 years. They do so with pride and with great success, collecting more than 50 national awards from the American Cheese Society and other prestigious institutions. Soooo worth a try.

Eric: Bless the French – from Alabama – for their tenacity in trying to incorporate cheese throughout every aspect of our culinary experience. Chèvre, for any of you who might not know, is the literal French translation for “goat” – and another random fact: Those people afflicted by an allergy to lactose are _not_ affected by Chèvre cheese.

Belle Chèvre, the company, has helped to redefine what it means to enjoy goat cheese for breakfast. I for one was completely taken aback by the texture (similar to a cream cheese), the taste (a subtle undertone of flavor whether fig, honey, cinnamon or coffee) and the nutrition (compared with other cheeses). Although the Belle Chèvre Go “Fig”ure cheese is the focal point of this review, each variety stands out with a particular flavor profile – all contributing to a delicious, artisan product line. Not only are the cheeses a great addition to breakfast, but they add a punch of texture and flavor to any course that calls for goat cheese. Go “Fig”ure!