This week’s recipe: Elodie Farms Review/Goat Cheese Salad Recipe

The October issue of Bon Appetit magazine called Durham “America’s Foodiest Small Town.” The author writes, “Imagine a place where foodies not only have a favorite chef, but also a favorite farmer; a place where the distance between the organic farm and the award-winning restaurant is mere miles.”

 

While the Triangle has a special affection for local food, many neighboring producers also offer chances to get out and explore the farms. One such opportunity is offered by goat farmer and artisan cheese maker, Dave Artigues, at Elodie Farms in Rougemont, a small town about a half hour due north of Durham. This past Sunday, a group of Fuqua students and partners made the trek to Rougemont for a crash course in cheese making. 

 

Elodie’s specialty is chèvre, a soft, creamy cheese which follows a relatively predictable process. You start by pasteurizing the goat’s milk by heating it and then adding a culture and rennet, an enzyme found in the stomachs of cows and goats. After the right amount of time and heat, the cheese is cut and stirred, resulting in the separation of the solid from the liquid part, which are also known as curds and whey. The final step is to pour the solid part into a container with holes and place a weight on top so that the cheese takes shape. Depending on whether the cheese is soft or hard, it is eaten immediately or stored for months.

 

Exploring the Triangle’s local food scene is a great way to get to know one of its quirkier sides. Now that the weather is cool again and local salad greens are available, celebrate fall with a warm goat cheese salad.   

 

INGREDIENTS

½ pound fresh goat cheese (one 2 by 5-inch log)

½ cup fine bread crumbs

½ cup toasted walnuts

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ pound garden lettuces, washed and dried

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400ºF.

2. In a food processor, pulse the ingredients until the nuts are ground, being careful not to over-grind.

3. Slice the goat cheese into 8 disks about ½ inch thick.  Roll the disks in the bread crumb mixture, coating them thoroughly.

4. Place the cheeses on a small baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes, until the cheese is warm.

5. Measure the vinegars into a small bowl and add a big pinch of salt. Whisk in the oil and a little pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

6. Toss the lettuces lightly with the vinaigrette and arrange on salad plates.

7. With a metal spatula, carefully place 2 disks of the baked cheese on each plate and serve.

 

SERVES 4

 

Have a question about creative culinary treats or know of a great restaurant in the Triangle? Let us know at fuquaculinary@gmail.com or on our new blog: http://fuquaeats.blogspot.com.