French Cooking: Salade de fromage de chèvre

Crottin de Chavignol is probably the most famous cheese of the Loire Valley. It is made with whole goat’s milk, which comes mainly from mountain goats. The drained curd is put in molds for 24-36 hours. Then it is taken out, covered with charcoal ashes, and ripened and aged for three weeks. According to one story, this cheese was first shaped as a pyramid by a farmer. He believed that to drain his cheeses it would be best to put them in a cake mold shaped like a triangle. But my preferred story is that of Napoléon. When the Emperor was on his way back after losing his campaign in Egypt he stopped at Valençay. When he saw these little pyramid cheeses, they reminded him of the big pyramids in Egypt.  Angered–and in a huff–he pulled out his sword and chopped all the tops off the cheeses, giving us the flat-topped cheese we find today. This week’s French Cooking without a Fuss offers a classic recipe for Grilled Goat Cheese Salad. It’s a staple in the bistros and restaurants throughout France, and is a combination of warm crottin de Chavignol, bacon or lardons, frisée salad greens, garlic-rubbed bread or croutons, and a traditional red-wine vinaigrette. Salade de fromage de chèvre(Green Salad with Grilled Goat Cheese) For 4 persons Preparation time: 15 minutes Ingredients 1 heart from a head of lettuce or frisée (curly salad), washed and torn 4 small goat cheeses 1 tsp. thyme 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 slices bacon grilled and crumbled or 4 tbsp. grilled lardons 1 baguette, sliced, rubbed with garlic cloves, and grilled Vinaigrette: 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard ¼ cup vegetable oil salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 shallot, minced finely Put mustard and vegetable oil in a bowl. Blend well with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar. Mix well. Add the olive oil and the shallots and blend together. Add the lettuce and mix well. Divide the salad among four plates. Place the four goat cheeses on a baking sheet; rub each with olive oil and sprinkle with the thyme. Place under the broiler and let heat until slightly melted–do not let them collapse. With a spatula place one goat cheese on top of the lettuce on each salad plate. Sprinkle with the lardons or crumbled bacon. Serve with the grilled baguette slices. Et voilà! To try chèvre from the source, click on AutoEurope for great air fare discounts to France. April Paute moved to France over 10 years ago with her husband Jean Michel and 2 Siamese cats. Armed with only a dictionary and hand signals, she took on the challenge of requesting the local boucher decapitate a chicken for her. After living in Paris and Antibes, April & co. have settled in Toulouse, where she draws inspiration from her herb garden.