Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Summer time is here.  It may seem a bit odd considering its September but all of a sudden the fog has dissipated to make way for clear skys and bright sunshine. The locals tell me that the real summer in San Francisco occurs in September and October so while the rest of the country bundles up in warm sweaters, people here are breaking out their summer wear and enjoying the warmth, sparkling water, and the beauty that is San Francisco.

My mother, who arrived in late August has really noticed and appreciated the change.   She's a fantastic cook and has been cooking up a storm since she arrived (I'm thinking of just keeping her here :)  In California, there are farmers markets almost every other day, and there's a huge one that takes place every Saturday by the ferry building.  The old ferry building has been converted into a space which houses specialty stores - one's dedicated to mushrooms, another has dozens of cheeses, and there's even a kale product stand alongside a speicalty honey store.  Interspersed between about twenty of these unique stores are places to eat from sandwiches, desserts, and seafood, which you can enjoy walking around or right outside by the water.

Last Saturday morning, my mother went to the ferry building farmer's market and picked up fresh flowers, beets, sweet corn, lettuce, fresh berries, sourdough bread, and made a delicious brunch.   We had a beet salad with a yogurt sauce, healthy berry smoothies, corn which was boiled in milk - so sweet I can't even describe how good it was- and breaded goat cheese salad with fresh lettuce.  It was all fantastic and we devoured everything.

The breaded goat cheese salad was one of my favorite items and I discovered that it is really easy to make. Just arrange the fresh lettuce in a bowl, cut out circular pieces from sliced bread or baguette, put round pieces of goat cheese coated with bread crumbs on top, and broil it in the oven.  Once the cheese is a golden color, place them on the lettuce and drizzle it with a simple dressing.  Its delicious with the crunchiness of the leaves complementing the gooey tanginess of the warm goat cheese as you bite into it.    If you're looking for a simple delicious summer salad or a side dish this is perfect.

Recipe for Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients
8 oz goat cheese
Fresh lettuce
2 slices of bread
olive oil
Bread crumbs
Walnuts (optional)


Dressing
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and place in a bowl

Slice 8 pieces of goat cheese and form into circles and dip them into bread crumbs.

Slice each piece of bread in half and then half again (4 pieces for each slice) and drizzle each side with a bit of olive oil.  You can cut around the cheese to make the bread into a more circular shape.

Place the goat cheese in the oven (or toaster oven) on broil until it turns a light brown color

While the cheese is in the oven add 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar to 4 tbsp of olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix it into the lettuce.

Place the warm goat cheese on the salad once you are done.

Sprinkle with walnuts (optional)