Crispy Goat Cheese Salad

My husband and I eat salads just about all summer long. My biggest problem with salads though, is that I get bored. Sure, we often use a wide variety of 'add-ins', such as dried fruit, seeds, nuts, and croutons, but bottom line, it's still a salad. So when I come across a salad recipe that makes my mouth water, I'm thrilled.

This recipe uses Port Madison's tasty goat chevre and a soft, fresh head of red lettuce I picked up at the Phinney Neighborhood Farmers Market just hours before yesterday's dinner.

Crispy Goat Cheese Salad, adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Serves 4

• 2 rounds of plain goat chevre (from Port Madison Farms)
• 2 slices crusty bread or breadcrumbs
• 1 egg (from Skagit River Ranch)
  
• Olive oil (about 1/2 cup total)
  
• 1 Tbsp grainy mustard (from Sea Breeze Farms)
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 head of red buttery lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
  

1. If you're using crusty bread, slice it up and blend it in a food processor until it has the size and texture of breadcrumbs (you'll need about a cup or so). 
2. Place the breadcrumbs on a dish or in a shallow pie plate.
   
3. Slice each round of chevre into 6-8 slices.
   
4. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl with some salt and pepper.
   
5. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (you don't need much oil here).
6. Dip each round of cheese in the egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. 
7. Cook the cheese until brown and crispy on each side. Drain in paper towels.
8. To make the dressing, mix the mustard and white wine vinegar in a bowl. 
9. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and blend to emulsify. 
10. Plate 3-4 rounds of crispy goat cheese and toss the greens with the dressing. Enjoy!
    

Patricia's Notes: Originally this recipe called for boiled potato wedges, but I completely forgot the potatoes at the market this weekend, If you do want to add the potatoes, boil 3 large potatoes until fork tender and slice into chunks to serve with the salad. We both loved this recipe. The mustard vinaigrette was a bit on the spicy side, but it went very well with the buttery greens and the creamy cheese. I tried not to use much oil in the fry pan and the cheese rounds were very light and not at all greasy.


Topics: Recipe , Salad