Ode to Strawberries Part 2: Strawberry, Walnut, & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

The weather yesterday was crazy, like a scene out of the Wizard of Oz. Sofia and I were cruising the farmers market (a mini one in the park behind my house, just started, yay!) and buying strawberries. Well I was the one buying while Sofia was “sampling” more like grabbing at all of them on the table and trying to stuff them in her mouth…Anyway, it was hot and sunny, humid, and downright uncomfortable. We walked back to the house and I stripped my little bug down to her designer Costco diaper, filled our glasses with ice water, opened all the windows and tried to cool off. Then within minutes, the wind picked up, the sky turned dark, lightning and thunder ensued and it began to hail. Yikes! Then again, it did add a dose of excitement to our day. The power in the Pearl District (where Jon works) was knocked out still today so Jon got an impromptu 3 day weekend….

Those strawberries? Well, I made a salad with them. The type of salad that makes a fantastic lunch, but add some grilled chicken and you have dinner. It is also the type of salad that comes in handy if say a thunderstorm rolls through and your power is knocked out….

Riesling would go very well with this salad!

3 Ounces goat cheese, crumbled
½ Pint sliced strawberries, sliced
½ Cup walnut halves, toasted
10 Ounces fresh spinach
¼ Cup apple cider vinegar
½ Cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses or syrup*
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

* You might be asking yourself what you would do with the rest of a bottle of pomegranate molasses, besides making the obvious vinaigrette. Pomegranate molasses actually makes an excellent marinade for meats (I have coated a turkey in it several times) and also can be used in mixed drinks.

Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, pomegranate molasses, and thyme until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.
Place spinach in serving bowl, top with strawberries and walnuts. Sprinkle with goat cheese, and drizzle the vinaigrette over! Serve!

A Light Lunch : Goat Cheese & Tomato Tarts

My sister is the pickiest eater I know. She is getting better as she gets older, but her specific food likes/dislikes are known to drive the sanest of people a little crazy: "I don't like pasta, but I like linguine." and " I only like chocolate chip cookies, nothing else." that is only a small sampling of her many "foodisms" , which make me loco, especially when she is my house guest! Over the years I have learned not to cater to it, if she wants something she can go to the store and get it herself, but it is always nice when she actually likes the food I make. It never ceases to surprise me when she bites into something I have cooked and instead of making a face says "Lyndie this is pretty good."

Last Sunday afternoon when my sister was visiting, I made these for lunch, and they were a big hit all around, not a bite left. The flavors are light, summery, and fresh, balancing each other out and not overwhelming at all. I know it isn't tomato season yet, but there is a vendor at my farmer's market who sells these big, hydroponic, beefsteak tomatoes. They aren't quite up to the late summer standard, but they are ripe and juicy, just the thing you want to taste after a fresh tomato deprived winter. My sister called these "pizzas" even after I corrected her in my big sister voice that they were "tarts". But who am I kidding? Potato, patata.

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart
Serves 4
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets) I prefer Trader Joe's Artisan brand
2 large sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces garlic and herb goat cheese
1 large tomato cut into 4 slices (about 1/4 inch thick)
3 tablespoons basil, julienned
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more for sprinkling
Parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler

Roll out a puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry out into about an 11 x 11 square. using a 6 inch wide circle, saucer, or other round object as a guide (I used a salad plate) cut two circles out from the puff pastry. Repeat with the 2nd sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place circles on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This part is important, you don't want the pastry dough to be warm or it won't rise properly!)

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over med/med high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Saute for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are soft and almost all the moisture is gone from the skillet. Add salt, pepper, thyme and the wine. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, score a 1/4 inch wide border around each pastry circle. Make pricks inside the inner circle of the scored border of the puff pastry with a fork. Divide the grated Parmesan cheese into 4 , sprinkling the cheese on the inside of each scored border of the puff pastry circles. Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions on each pastry circle. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Sprinkle each tart with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Shave pieces of Parmesan on top of each tart. (About 5 to 6 shards).

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve!

Thin Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

My daughter loves spaghetti. This is not a newsflash, I mean who doesn’t like spaghetti? The problem is that some days I just don’t have the time or the want to make a spaghetti sauce that takes all day to cook. Yes, a good red sauce needs to cook all day, preferably be cooled down after cooking, and then reheated to get the most developed flavors. My Grandma Londa, who also happens to be an excellent cook, taught me this and is pretty adamant about it! So I usually try to reserve my spaghetti making to days when I am going to be home all day. Those days are usually Sundays, but there are just times during the week when I want that comfort of those flavors and I want Sofia to eat a big dinner, so I was delighted when I ran across this pasta recipe.

This sauce is super easy and quick, and can be made with items in the pantry. The use of sun-dried tomatoes gives this dish that deep slow cooked flavor you get from homemade spaghetti sauce, but the whole dish can be thrown together in less than 20 minutes. I get my sun-dried tomatoes at Trader Joes, they are much cheaper there than the grocery store and you can buy them already julienned, thus reducing your cooking and cleanup time, which is exactly what you want in a good weeknight dinner. This recipe also calls for goat cheese, but this part is completely optional, I truthfully don’t think leaving it out takes away anything from the dish. If I have it on hand, I throw it in, if not I don’t. My daughter loves this dish almost as much as my trusty spaghetti (if it had ground beef, it would be a tie!) and I love that I can throw this dish together any old night and my taste buds are truly satisfied!

The idea for this sauce has been adapted from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentis, serves 4!

1 10 Ounce Jar Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil, Chopped. (Reserve the Oil!)
1 Small Yellow Onion, Chopped.
4 Garlic Cloves, Pressed or Grated (You can do minced, but I don't like big pieces of garlic in my sauce)
2 Cups Dry White Wine
¼ Cup Tomato Paste
1 Pound Thin Spaghetti (I always use Barilla)
3 Tablespoons Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
S & P
3 Ounces Fresh Goat Cheese (Optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling add thin spaghetti and cook until al dente (about 6-7 minutes). I usually start the sauce (below) and try to drop the thin spaghetti into the water about the same time I add the wine to the sauce.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir about 30 seconds. Immediately add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and simmer bout 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water. (I do this by sticking a mug into the pasta water before draining.) Add the pasta and parsley to the sauce, toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. If using, sprinkle with goat cheese and serve!

Sofia enjoying some weeknight spaghetti!

Goat Cheese

Among a long list of foods I can’t get enough of is goat cheese. Goat cheese is fantastic because not only does it taste great, but it is also a really versatile cheese, it can be used in recipes both sweet and savory. You can even plan a whole menu around the cheese though this is not recommended unless you have checked that all dinner guests are fans of the goat. Imagine my embarrassment when I cooked a dinner using goat cheese in all 3 courses, only to find out after the appetizer that my step mom Diane didn’t like goat cheese. I felt like such a bad host, so check first before you go goat cheese crazy like I did, which is easy to do because it is such a good cheese…..

Goat cheese is also a wonderful alternative for those that are lactose intolerant and it also has less fat then cow milk cheese. Trader Joe’s carries a goat milk yogurt from Redwood Hill Farms in Sonoma. There are many goat cheese artisans throughout Oregon and California producing local, fresh, exciting cheeses. You can often find them at Farmers Markets or specialty food shops, but there are also affordable, tasty chevres to be found at your supermarket. Try Laura Chenel, Redwood Hills , or Trader Joe’s brand. My local picks are Alsea Acres and Fraga Farms. Goat Cheese pairs really well with Pinot Gris/Grigio. Try Sweet Cheeks Winery Pinot Gris (2007) or Fetzer Pinot Grigio (2007). I use goat cheese a lot in my cooking, so I am sure this is just the first of several posts to come….

I made this goat cheese dip as an appetizer for Sofia’s BFF’s Ciana’s birthday party this past weekend. (For pic see above.) Happy 1st birthday Ciana! The dip was a big hit, (no leftovers is a good sign!) it was lemony, fresh and just screamed SPRINGTIME!


The Fairy Princesses: Kamryn, Sofia, & Ciana. The bday girl was turned away from the camera but her purple wings look fabulous!

Goat Cheese with Lemon and Herbs
4-5 Ounces Plain Goat Cheese/Chevre
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of Half a Lemon
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley and Lemon Thyme
Sprinkle of pepper

Take goat cheese out of fridge and bring to room temperature. Mix in small bowl with lemon juice, zest, herbs and a little pepper. Mix altogether and mold into serving dish. Sprinle with a little more zest on top for presentation. Pop dip back into fridge until guests arrive, serve with your favorite crackers!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
I served these Goat Cheese stuffed chicken breasts with my potato and parsnip puree.

Serves 4, but recipe can be easily doubled!
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Ounces Fresh Goat Cheese
½ Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
3 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Thyme , Chives)
½ Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Clove Minced Garlic
Kosher Salt & Pepper
¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
For Breading:
1 Cup Flour (All-Purpose)
2 Tablespoons Paprika (Hungarian)
1 Cup Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 Large Egg
2 Teaspoons Water

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Put chicken breasts on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket into the thick side of the chicken. Try to cut about ¾ of the way through, being careful not to cut through the chicken. Cut a pocket about 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches. Cut this pocket into all the chicken breasts. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese, butter, herbs, lemon juice and garlic. Season with S & P. Divide mixture into 4 equal pieces and stuff inside the chicken breast pockets. Press the edges of the chicken to seal. Season chicken with S & P. See Picture below, this is what the chicken should look like.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and paprika. In another bowl beat the egg with water. In a another bowl, put the breadcrumbs. Set it up assembly line style: flour, egg , breadcrumbs. Take each piece of chicken, dip both sides in flour, then egg, shaking to remove excess, then into the breadcrumbs. Set Aside. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Place skillet in the oven and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 10 more minutes. This dish tastes great with mashed potatoes and asparagus!