• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1½ cups warm milk
• 4 ounces fresh soft goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, and tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups light cream or half-and-half
• 2 large bunches watercress, woody stems discarded
• 6 ripe Roma or other tomatoes, oven-dried and cut into large dice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 360°F.

Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, lightly coat the insides of six ½-cup soufflé dishes and refrigerate. Separate the eggs. You will need 4 egg whites and 3 egg yolks. (You can throw out or save the extra.) Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly.

Mash the goat cheese and add it to the milk mixture, along with the Parmesan and herbs. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat. Cool for a few minutes and then stir in the egg yolks. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Separately beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold quickly into the cheese mixture. Divide the mixture among the buttered dishes and smooth the surfaces. Place the dishes in a baking pan with raised sides, and pour boiling water into the pan to come two-thirds up the sides of the soufflé dishes. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the soufflés are firm to the touch and well puffed. Remove the soufflé dishes from the oven and the pan and cool slightly.

With your fingers, gently ease the soufflés out of the dishes and place them in a lightly buttered, ovenproof dish just large enough to hold them so that they are not touching. Cover loosely with plastic until ready to serve.

To serve, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the plastic and pour the cream over the soufflés to moisten them well. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the soufflés have swelled and are golden brown. Reserve the warmed cream from the baking dish.

Arrange the watercress on plates. Place a warm soufflé in the middle of each plate. Pour the warm cream over the soufflés and sprinkle the tomatoes and lemon zest over them. Serve immediately.