French Salad Night

I’m on kind of a French food bend this week; I guess it is in reaction to having lived through the king of American food holidays: Thanksgiving.

It is no secret that I love French food. I especially love the simple preparations of fantastic ingredients. Today’s recipe is not really classically French, in fact I can’t even remember where I got the original idea for it, but the vinaigrette comes from a memory of one of my mother’s cookbooks from the late 60s. I believe it was called Classic French Country Cooking and featured those 60s era cooking photographs that made the food look strangely unappealing and alien.

In the back of this cookbook was a section called Sauces and featured a vinaigrette recipe that for years now has been my standby (with a little tweaking). I make a big batch of the vinaigrette and keep it in my fridge in an old salad dressing bottle. The olive oil does solidify in the fridge, but a trip in the microwave for about 10 seconds before I shake the vinaigrette does the trick. It works well on salad greens and also as a marinade for chicken or pork.

For this recipe I use a cheese slicer that looks like a thin piece of wire to cut the goat cheese. If you do not have one you can use unwaxed dental floss (with no flavoring). I usually serve this salad with some warm bread, home-made if I’m feeling very ambitious. Herbes de Provence are a mixture of herbs, such as rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme, and sometimes lavender flowers and other herbs. They are available in many specialty gourmet stores such as Williams Sonoma. If you do not have any you can use a mixture of your favorite dried herbs such as thyme, basil and rosemary.

So here is the recipe:

Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 2

6 cups of salad greens (I buy the pre-washed herb mixed greens)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
8 oz goat cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tsp Herbes de Provence

Basic Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp crushed garlic
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil

To make the vinaigrette:

In a medium sized bowl (I use a 4 cup measuring cup) mix the Dijon mustard, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper into a paste. Whisk in the red wine vinegar, then slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking as you go. The Dijon mustard will help combine the oil and vinegar. Pour into a bottle and store the remaining vinaigrette in your fridge for your next salad.

To make the salad:

Place the breadcrumbs and the Herbes de Provence in a shallow bowl and mix. Place the flour in another shallow bowl. In the third shallow bowl place the beaten egg. Cut the goat cheese into slices, I usually get about 4 for an 8 oz log. Dredge the goat cheese buttons carefully in the flour, then the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumb mixture onto the cheese so it sticks.

Place the breaded goat cheese onto a plate and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

When they have chilled preheat a small skillet on high heat. When it is ready drizzle it with olive oil and place the goat cheese buttons in the pan. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until they are golden and crisp.

Toss the lettuce, tomatoes and about 2 to 4 Tbsp of the vinaigrette in a large salad bowl until well dressed. Serve the salad in a large plate and top with the warm goat cheese buttons. Serve with warm bread.