Goat Cheese and Lentil Salad
by Laura Werlin
from Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials
(Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2007)
Makes 8 servings

I created this recipe in Colorado, where I had ready access to that state's Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy's sublime cheese called Haystack Peak. If you can get that cheese for this or any other dish, do it! The vinegar and the creaminess of the lentils are a perfect match for a creamy goat cheese. Ideally, your cheese should be at the perfect ripeness, where the cheese just under the rind has become creamy and the rest of the cheese tastes creamy and yet is still firm.

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Cook the lentils
1. Fill a 2-quart saucepan about halfway with water. Add the lentils and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a strainer or small-holed colander. Remove and discard the garlic and let cool to room temperature.

Make the dressing
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegars, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper to taste. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. Set aside. (You can make this 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate, but bring to room temperature before using.)

Make the salad
1. In a medium-size bowl, mix the lentils with the scallions, carrots, celery, and cucumber. Add the dressing and mix gently. Add a little salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Let sit for at least 15 minutes and preferably up to 1 hour at room temperature.

assemble
1. Cut the cheese horizontally two-thirds of the way down from the top. Cut the two pieces into quarters by crisscrossing to make 8 triangular pieces. If you're not using a pyramid-shape cheese, then simply cut the cheese into 1-ounce portions.

2. Put about 1/4 cup lentils on each of 8 salad plates. Lay a piece of cheese on the side of the salad (rather than directly in the center) but still touching the beans. Garnish each plate with a dill sprig.

 

[Leanne Abe] As a simple lunch dish, this salad is quick to toss together, literally. I made the dressing while the lentils were cooking and chopped the vegetables while they cooled (slightly warm lentils will absorb the dressing better, though). The balance of vinegars keeps the dressing from getting too tart, while the carrot and cucumber offer different levels of crunch. I think I would've liked the cheese incorporated into the lentils somehow, but it made for a lovely presentation, having the cheese sit next to the salad. Leftovers keep very well!

[Marilyn Canna] To avoid having too wet a salad, add the vinaigrette to taste, and don't pour it on the vegetables all at once. That said, the flavors blended well — the soft, nutty wedge of goat cheese complemented the tangy, dill-dressed medley beautifully. Lentils are quite versatile. After a few simple steps, this colorful recipe could be used as a salad, a side dish instead of rice, or even as an entrée — any time of the year.

[Anna Skinner] Haystack Peak cheese seems to be seasonal, according to the cheese monger at my local Whole Foods. I substituted Humboldt Fog for the Haystack Peak, as the recipe recommended. This was a simple dish, but it was still delicious because of the combination of goat cheese and lentils. Boiling the lentils with a clove of garlic was a nice touch, too, and really flavored them.