Remember the weekend in Todi when I tried to use only ingredients from our garden? Well, I failed to mention that I did make one big addition to the menu: the fruit of our visit to the goat farm outside of Orvieto.
Besides just eating way too much cheese, straight out of the pretty packaging, I also managed to use it in this salad. Which did indeed come from the garden. (And provided much needed roughage for our lactose heavy blow out.)
I picked the very last of the lettuces, a sturdy endive variety that managed to survive (and thrive) through the first cold nights of October. And then there were also the first tender leaves of cavolo nero which I love raw (see this salad I made last year).
Besides huge, fluffy white hunks of goat cheese, I also raided the pantry and found pine nuts and raisins.
The secret ingredient though, came straight from my herb garden: chives. I believe chives are one of the great under used salad greens. Whenever possible I use a huge bunch in any salad I make. And by huge bunch I mean at least a half of a cup chopped. Everyone LOVES my salads. Even people who say they don’t like salad love mine. And I am 100% convinced it’s the chives.
Of course, creamy fresh goat cheese straight from the farm doesn’t hurt either.
Goat Cheese Salad
(serves four)
5 cups lettuce (I used endive, but romaine will do fine), washed and chopped
3 cups chopped cavolo nero or kale, washed and chopped
1 bunch chives (1/2 cup finely chopped)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup crumbled fresh chevre
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon high quality balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt & pepper
Place salad ingredients in bowl.
Whisk mustard and honey in a small bowl till blended. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, stirring to emulsify. Add salt and pepper, then add vinegars, stirring.
Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.
Anonymous
I add pomegranate syrup (molasses) to my salad dressing and it’s amazing with dijon, olive oil, and balsamic!
Josephine Alexander
So enjoying this…..every day I’m happy to travel to Italy!
Elizabeth
@Anonymous: I use pomegranate molasses too! But didn’t have any out in Umbria, so had to wing it.