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Walnut Grove Recipes
Goats Cheese and Apple Croustade with a Roasted Walnut Vinaigrette
- 2 portion
- 180g goats cheese
- 2 large green apples
- 2 tbsp walnuts (roasted)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tsp mixed soft herbs
- 2 slices of country bread
- salad leaves (garnish)
- 1 tbsp fresh bread crumbs
Method
1. Peel, remove core and slice apples into 1cm slices. You need six slices of apple. Coat the apple in lemon juice to stop discoloration.
2. Blend goat's cheese until smooth, divide into six equal portions, roll into balls and set aside. Blend half the soft herbs with the breadcrumbs and set aside.
3. Cut 2 disks from the bread the same size as the apple. Gently fry the apple and the bread until they are golden brown.
4. Using the fried bread crouton as the base, starting with the apple, layer the apple and the flattened goats cheese balls. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb and herb mix and bake in a hot oven - 190° until golden brown (around 10 min's)
5. For the dressing, chop the roasted walnuts, add the oil, remaining herbs and vinegar, and season to taste. Serve straight from the oven with a few dressed salad leaves and the walnut vinaigrette.
Serving Suggestions
These can be made the morning before consumption, however keep the croutons separate (in an airtight container) or they will become soft. The walnut vinaigrette can also be made a few hours before, it is best served at room temperature. The vinaigrette will keep for a few days however it is always best when it had just been made a couple of hours before, because the walnuts will lose their crunch.
Serving Suggestions
This is a very rich and strong tasting starter, so you need to be careful about what you serve after it - we would serve a reasonably light dish that is not too rich or filling. It is a fantastic vegetarian dish, and is also great as a tasty lunch. Suitable for vegetarians.
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