Recipe: Green Salad with Warmed Goat Cheese

I threw this together for a recent dinner party.  We thought we were getting two guests, one of whom was a vegetarian.  While this in no way meant that we were going to not eat meat, I wanted to ensure that there would be plenty on the table for this person to eat.  As it all turned out, I needn't have worried, because the vegetarian bowed out at the last minute.  Oh well.  The rest of us at least enjoy vegetables, and there weren't any leftovers so it all worked out in the end. 

 

I had kind of mixed feelings about this dish.  On the one hand, it was easy enough to throw together, at least once I obtained the greens.  On the other, the goat cheese was originally supposed to be fried, and this did not work out the way I had intended.  I may try it again with a different type of cheese, or maybe a different means of coating the rounds.  Then again, I may not.  It was still very easy to prepare!  I'm not sure exactly what quantity of salad greens I used, I just filled the bag until it looked like "enough."  I'm guessing about 4 cups, but I could be very wrong.  Use your best judgement.  In terms of the goat cheese, the log I bought was a little dry and the dredge did not adhere well.  I tried dipping the rounds in water first, which only held the dredge onto the rounds long enough to get them into the oil.  Then it all slipped off.  If I do it again, I'll probably try dipping them in egg.

 

Green Salad with Warmed Goat Cheese (serves 4; approx. $2.56/serving)

4 cups mixed seasonal greens, washed

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

3.5 oz log of fresh goat cheese, sliced into rounds

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons oregano, divided

1/2 teaspoon sumac

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Equipment:

• Shallow bowl for dredging
• Frying pan or skillet

1. In the bowl in which you are going to serve the salad, mix the greens and the olives well.
2. In another bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the red wine vinegar and half the oregano.  Mix very well and set aside.
3. In the shallow bowl for dredging combine the bread crumbs with the remaining oregano, the sumac and the thyme.
4. Just before serving, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. 
5. Dredge the rounds of goat cheese in the breadcrumb mixture and drop into the hot oil.
6. As the rounds cook, pour enough of the vinaigrette over the salad and mix again.  ("Enough" depends on your personal taste; I used about half of what I had prepared.  You may need to re-whisk your vinaigrette.)
7. When the goat cheese rounds have finished cooking, add them to the salad and mix yet again.
8. Serve immediately.

Technorati Tags: Salad,side dish,vegetarian food,goat cheese,sumac,oregano,thyme,original recipes