As you know if you have been reading this blog for a bit, I love nothing better than to cook with our children. Not with them as an ingredient, of course, but with them in the kitchen with me. Just in case you were wondering. I even like to cook with other people's children, although I do have a bias towards my own. But once in a while Olivia likes to take over.
There are many Saturday mornings that I have come downstairs to find her in the kitchen, shooing me away while she whips up a surprise. Often it has been pancakes but most recently it was lemon meringue pie. And if you have never had lemon meringue pie for breakfast, let me be the first to recommend it.
When I got home from work on Monday, Olivia had a plan in action. She had written up a menu for us on a chalkboard, café style. Gabe and I were happy to cede the kitchen to her. Among the menu items was this simple but delicious salad, a reminder that sometimes the best meals are simply prepared with high quality ingredients. The greens were from the farmers' market, and I love the way she noted on the menu that the goat cheese was from Cherry Glen.
Olivia was clearly energized by the process and proud of making the dinner herself, and we were eager to step into the role of her grateful customers. I'm thinking that this summer we should turn over the kitchen to the kids more often, although I think I can't encourage this too much or it will become more like a chore and less like their own creative initiative. But I'm hoping a hint or two will do the trick.
In Olivia's own words, here is the salad with warm goat cheese toasts that she made. She made the dressing, too, but didn't measure the ingredients so you're on your own there. She also uses a secret ingredient in her dressing which I have sworn not to reveal, but it will be much more fun if you add your own secret ingredient anyway. Every meal should have one, don't you think?
Olivia's Warm Goat Cheese Salad
This is for 6 people
about 2 tablespoons of goat cheese
12 little pieces of bread
some salad
some salad dressing:
red wine vinegar
olive oil
shallots
a lot of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
a secret ingredient
Warm the goat cheese in the microwave for 15 seconds or until it is a little melted. Brush a thin layer of warm cheese onto the bread. Put the breads onto a cookie sheet and bake them at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or until the bread is a little crisp.
Whisk together the salad dressing ingredients and dump it on the salad.
For each personal serving, put the salad in the middle of a plate and put the breads on the west and east sides of the plate.
Come on, I've got to know if the indian food possibly was served....
Posted by: Andrea | June 22, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Nope, we never made it to the Indian food. Until the next night, that is.
Posted by: Margy | June 23, 2010 at 09:56 PM