Chèvre Chaud Salad

When I´m walking my dogs a place I frecuently like to pay a visit to on the way is an old farm dating back to
the 1300. It had burned down and was rebuilt in the late 1700. It is situated beautifully in the midst of a unique nature reserve. It is open year round and in winter they carve out the snow from underneath the outside tables so you have place for your legs and feet and provide you with some warm blankets. Indeed we were sitting outside last January having a cup of coffee and ALL the tables outside were occupied and people were actually having lunch at minus 2°C!! (It was a sunny day though :-) ). Inside it is the most cozy place you can imagine with low ceilings, beautiful old furniture and a blazing fire in the fireplace. And the first thing you perceive when you enter is the delicious smell of homebaked cakes and breads and freshly  baked waffles...

They don´t have a large menu at Långangens Gård, but the plates they offer are so tasty and the cakes can´t be made better at home.

One of my favorite dish there is a chèvre chaud salad. So on my way back from town today I thought I could make a similar version of this dish at home for a quick lunch.

I omitted the cucumber, bell pepper and tomato and added caramelized pine nuts, physalis (cape gooseberries), blackberries, fir honey and mild white onion.

click here for a printable version

Serves 2:

150 g            mixed greens
1 small          white onion, cut in thin wedges and washed and drained in a sieve to loose some sharpness
                     good quality balsamico
                     good quality olive oil
                     coarse sea salt
                     freshly grated black pepper

2 large           slices of french or italian country bread, toasted and cut in halves
350 g             goat cheese, cut into 4 slices

4-6               thin slices of San Daniele or other Parma ham
1 handful       physalis
1 handful       blackberries

30 g              pine nuts
2 tsp             organic sugar

2-3 tbsp       warmed fir honey


Heat a small, non-stick frying pan and caramelize the sugar and pine nuts stirring with a wooden spoon. When golden brown, remove from the pan onto a plate and let cool (don´t be tempted to lick off the caramel from the spoon!! A mistake you will only make once :) )

Wash and spin dry the salad, toss gently in a bowl with the salt, pepper, balsamico and olive oil.

Set each slice of cheese onto half a toasted breadslice. Place them on an ovenproof dish and grill in the oven until golden brown.

Arrange the salad on two large plates. Add two chèvre chaud crôutes on each salad, roll up two to three slices of procuito in a decorative way and place on the salad. Garnish with blackberries, physalis and pine nuts.

Drizzle the warm honey over the salad and serve immediately.

©Just Cook!