This is taken directly from the All-New Joy of Cooking (the one that just came out, not the older "new" one from the 70's).

I think I'm going to make this as a side dish for my birthday dinner this year, in small ramekins. But it could be a nice component of a hearty salad lunch kind of thing, or an appetizer, or even an hors d'... I want to play with it a bit.

Ahem....

8 servings

These are more substantial than traditional souffles, but they are wonderful in their own right. Serve them on a lightly dressed bed of field greens. Please read about souffles, page 137.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine:

• 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cornmeal

Generously butter eight 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups and sprinkle the insides with the cornmeal mixture, tilting in all directions until completely coated. Scatter any nuts that do not adhere ove the bottoms of the dishes.
Melt in a saucepan over medium heat:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Stir in until smooth:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in:

• 2/3 cup of milk.

Return to heat and, stirring very briskly, bring to a boil. (The mixture will be very thick.) Scrape into a bowl. Add and mash until the cheese is melted:

• 10 ounces fresh unripened goat cheese

beat in:

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, vry finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Beat until stiff but not dry:

• 5 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Stir one-quarter of the whites into the souffle base to lighten it, then fold in the rest. Pour into the prepared ramekins, and smooth the tops. Plae the ramekins in a water bath. Bake until a skewer insterted intothe center comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes in the water bath, then invert onto a greased baking sheet. The souffles can be served immediately or cooled, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

When ready to serve, heat the souffles in a 425 F oven until warmed through, 5 to 7 minutes.

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