RED AND GREEN GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH WALNUTS -GUEST BLOG

My sister is the GUEST BLOGGER for this recipe. It is from America's Test Kitchen and the recipe ran in THE BOSTON GLOBE. Great salad and flavors and so perfect for the holidays! Thanks Linda for a delicious meal!

Serves 6

In this salad, inspired by a recipe from The Italian Country Table, rounds of goat cheese tinted red and green with paprika and minced chives lend an unmistakable Christmas vibe. I like the inner leaves of Boston, bibb, or other butter lettuce for their mild, sweet flavor and the visual drama of the colorful cheese against the lettuce’s pale green.

An 8-ounce log of fresh goat cheese should measure 6 inches, perfect for 12 ½-inch slices. To slice neatly, use a length of unflavored dental floss, nylon thread, or even fishing line. Allowing the rounds to lose their chill softens their exterior, which helps the paprika and chives adhere.

½ to 2/3 cup minced chives

1 tablespoon paprika, or more as needed

1 large log fresh goat cheese (at least 8 ounces), sliced into 12 ½-inch-thick rounds

1½ tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons minced shallot (about 1 very small)

Salt and pepper

¼ cup walnut oil

12 cups (loosely packed) torn Boston, bibb, or other butter lettuce (1½ to 2 small heads) or other mild mixed salad greens, washed and dried

½ cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup walnuts, toasted lightly, cooled, and chopped

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the chives in one shallow bowl and the paprika in a second. Dredge 6 cheese rounds on both sides in chives, pressing gently to help adhere and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Dredge the remaining 6 rounds in the paprika, and place them on the baking sheet.

In a large nonreactive bowl, mix the vinegar, mustard, shallot, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Vigorously whisk in the walnut oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

Add the lettuce, parsley leaves, walnuts, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste, and toss to coat. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Arrange the salad on individual serving plates, top each with one red and one green cheese round, and serve at once.