Anticiplate

I know what you are thinking…ANOTHER salad. But, I am headed to Vail, Colorado for a Dance Festival with my company on Saturday. And, after only being back for two weeks with five weeks off, light dinners are a must.

Dancing in Vail, which is at an elevation off 8000 feet is much harder than dancing in Seattle. You lose your breath faster, and your muscles just don’t feel the same. Luckily, we have all been there before, so our company knows a little more of what to expect this time around. Last year, there was a girl who fainted, everyone had to take lots of oxygen supplements, and you didn’t see a person without a water bottle in had. This year, I am nervous because one of the ballets we do, Concerto Barroco, never leaves the stage. So, if you can’t catch your breath, you have to wait until the ballet is over. Twenty minutes. Scary.

At first, when I read this recipe off of Epicurious it made me a little curious. Spiced goat cheese and steamed potatoes. Sounds BORING, right. But, it got amazing reviews! It is loaded with ingredients which makes for interesting flavor combinations with every bite.

Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Goat Cheese Rounds:

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 c. goat cheese, rolled into grape sized balls

Dressing:

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp. dijon mustard

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and Black pepper

Salad:

1 lb. mini yukon gold potatoes or new potatoes, halved

1 lb. asparagus

1 husk of corn, husked and rinsed

1 bag (5 oz.) salad greens

1/3 c. packed fresh basil leaves

1 c. small tomatoes

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Dip the goat cheese balls into the mixture so they are evenly coated. Place on baking sheet. Chill until ready to serve. (Save leftover spice mixture).

Make dressing by whisking in the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season with Salt and Pepper. Add in half the extra spice mixture from the goat cheese. Whisk again.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Steam baby potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and sprinkle remaining spice mixture over the potatoes, cool. Steam asparagus until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain. Steam the corn for 1 minutes. Allow it to cool. Cut kernels off the sides of the husk.

Combine the greens and basil in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to lightly coat. Arrange on individual dinner plates. Add the asparagus and potatoes, and corn in the same bowl. Toss with remaining dressing. Top the greens with the potatoes, corn, and asparagus. Scatter tomatoes on top and surround goat cheese balls over the top.