Adapted from the recipe by America’s Test Kitchen, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
For the goat cheese:
- 3 ounces Melba Toasts, white, (2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs*
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives*
- 12 ounces goat cheese*, firm
- olive oil
For vinaigrette and salad:
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 14 cups hearty greens*
- ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- For the goat cheese: In a food processor, process Melba toasts to fine even crumbs, about 1½ minutes. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl and stir in pepper. Whisk eggs and mustard in medium bowl until combined. Combine thyme and chives in small bowl.
- Divide cheese into 12 evenly sized pieces. Coat each with herbs. Transfer to egg mixture, turn each piece to coat, transfer to Melba crumbs and turn each piece to coat, pressing crumbs into cheese. Freeze the cheese until firm, about 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to the upper position, heat to 475 degrees.
- Remove the cheese from freezer and brush tops and sides evenly with oil. Bake until crumbs are golden brown and cheese is slightly soft, 7 to 9 minutes, longer if the cheese is completely frozen. Using a thin metal spatula, transfer cheese to a paper towel-lined plate and cool for 3 minutes.
- For vinaigrette and salad: Combine vinegar, mustard, and shallot in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in oil. Season to taste with pepper.
- Place greens in large bowl, drizzle vinaigrette over and toss to coat. Divide greens among plates and place 2 rounds goat cheese on each salad. Serve immediately.
NOTES
If needed, roll each piece of cheese into a ball and roll the ball in the herb, egg, and crumbs. Then flatten each ball into a disk about 1½ inches wide and 1 inch thick.
One challenge that comes with buying fresh food directly from local farmers is the drive for convenience: Farmers and other food vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market can only sell what they grow, raise, or make in a particular time period, and in order to avoid spoilage, they bring to market what they anticipate they can sell. As a result, shoppers who arrive at the market later in the morning might find that a hoped-for item is no longer available.
The Farmers Market Federation created the app as part of its mission to strengthen the state’s food economy by making it more convenient for residents to buy directly from farmers. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s decision to participate in the project supports this mission and aims to build closer relationships between market shoppers and area farmers. 
