Seared Goat Cheese Toasts with Spring Salad

Photo by Jamie Kimm

I love these types of salads that are just so easy.  Add a nice bottle of white wine and you're set for a great lunch or a lite dinner.  This is from Chef Brett Emerson of Contigo in San Fran.  Serves 4 

8 ounces Caña de Cabra, Bucheron or other mild, young goat cheese

4 (¼ -inch-thick) slices rustic bread

1½ tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing toast

Salt

1½ tablespoons Sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons minced shallot

1½ tablespoons hazelnut oil

1 medium fennel bulb, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into thin rounds

5 ounces wild arugula

8 ounces strawberries, stemmed and quartered

¼ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts, toasted

8 basil leaves, roughly torn, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut goat cheese into four ¾-inch rounds. (Briefly heat knife blade under hot water after each incision for neat slicing.) Refrigerate rounds until ready to use.

2. Place bread on a baking sheet and brush slices with olive oil. Bake bread in oven until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from oven and set aside. Preheat broiler.

3. Meanwhile, make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and shallots with a pinch of salt. Let shallots macerate 10 minutes, then whisk in 1½ tablespoons olive oil and hazelnut oil. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.

4. Make salad: In a large bowl, toss together fennel, arugula, strawberries, hazelnuts and basil, if using. Set aside.

5. Top toasts with cheese rounds, place under broiler and broil until cheese blackens in spots, 2 minutes.

6. Toss salad with enough vinaigrette to coat, and season with salt to taste. Distribute salad among four plates and place a warm goat cheese toast alongside each helping