Alice Waters' Baked Goat Cheese & Spring Greens Salad

By lorik

You'll need to prepare this the day before you plan on serving to allow the goat cheese to marinate in the herbs and olive oil overnight. So worth it, it's delicious! This dish is perfect for any springtime event or party.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh, mild goat cheese (such as Haystack's Boulder Chèvre)
• Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme, chopped
• Leaves from 1 small sprig rosemary, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup panko
• 1/2 baguette loaf, cut into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons walnut or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound baby lettuces or salad mix, washed and dried
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Shape the goat cheese into eight 1-inch-thick disks and put in a container just big enough to hold them in one layer. Sprinkle cheese with herbs and pour on olive oil. Cover and chill at least 12 hours and up to a week. One hour before baking, pop them in the freezer to firm up.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove cheese from marinade and roll all sides in panko, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Arrange on a large baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes, turning over halfway through. Add baguette slices for last 5 minutes of baking.

Whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, and walnut oil. Put lettuces in a large bowl, drizzle with just enough dressing to coat, and toss gently and thoroughly.

Divide lettuces among 4 plates, sprinkle with walnuts, and to each plate add 2 goat-cheese disks and a baguette slice. Serve immediately.