One fall, a couple of years ago, Ryan and I attended a weekend conference near Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. The event was for a great cause, but by late Saturday afternoon I had reached my fill of meetings, brain storming sessions, and bad hotel catering. I convinced Ryan that we should skip the last workshop and steal away to nearby Charles Town to see what we could find.
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| Such a cute little onion! I was all out of shallots, so I used this little guy in the dressing. |
That evening was pure serendipity. Thanks to our little side trip, we discovered Dish, a bistro that had just opened a few weeks before. The menu was filled with simple "comfort" foods with a modern, healthy twist and everything was made from local, seasonal ingredients. In other words, right up our alley. Everything we tried was so good. We liked it so much that we skipped our morning events and returned for breakfast the next day.
One of our favorite parts of the meal was a spinach salad with warmed, crusted goat cheese. So simple and yet it was to die for. I may be a vegetarian, but I do not usually say this about salads. Ever. When we arrived home after the weekend, I was determined to recreate this leafy morsel.
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| Dental floss is a quick way to slice the cheese without "squashing" it with the weight of a knife |
I think I've come pretty close. This is such a great salad because it's so easy, very quick to put together and truly satisfying. It's a wonderful blend of complementary textures and flavors -- creamy with crunchy, savory with sweet.
Because it's so quick and easy to make, the salad is the perfect week day meal. The dressing makes enough for 2 dinner-sized salads and I usually have enough to make a salad for my lunch the next day. When I pack the salad for lunch, I simply crumble fresh goat cheese over the top. This is a lighter, even easier way to prepare the dish-- and it's just as delicious.
I don't normally add candied pecan topping to the salad, but it's been a tough week. I decided to treat myself after a long, hard day!
