Susie's Goat Cheese Salad

by Susie Bynum 

Salad

• 8 oz goat cheese
• Roasted, finely chopped green pumpkin seeds
• Organic greens
• Dried cranberries
• 1 bunch leeks
• Light olive oil
• Salt
• 1/2 cup flour 

Dressing

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/8 cup Tamari Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbl grated fresh ginger
• 3 Tbl finely sliced green onion
• 1 tsp Umi plum vinegar (optional)
• 1 to 1 1/2 Tbl sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
  

Mix all dressing ingredients EXCEPT the olive oil in a blender until smooth; set blender on low speed and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until mixture is emulsified.

Marinate the cranberries in 1/2 cup of the dressing.

Shape the goat cheese into four patties. Coat with the pumpkin seeds and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Rinse the leeks and julienne the white parts only, discarding the rest.  While still damp, coat the leeks with flour and sauté in the hot oil until golden brown.  Set aside on paper towels to drain, and lightly salt.

Bake the goat cheese at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm. 

The presentation: Toss greens in dressing until lightly coated; place on plate.  Put one goat cheese patty on each plate, sprinkle with marinated cranberries and sautéed leeks.  Serve with warm bread and Davis Bynum Fumé Blanc.

Davis Bynum 2005 Fumé Blanc : Credit the cool Russian River Valley growing region for the crisp structure of this lovely wine. Produced from 100% sauvignon grapes, the wine displays unbridled aromas of vibrant stone fruit accompanied by subtle flinty notes in the background. Full yet firm, showing a very broad range of flavors. The Shone farm fruit brings an almost honeysuckle fatness along with its distinct minerality, while the King vineyard lends melon and fig notes. The addition of the Richiolli vineyard gives the ‘high notes’ of gooseberry and lime that distinguish Russian River Sauvignons.

Davis Bynum Winery 

Davis Bynum Winery is a pioneer of wine growing in the Russian River Valley and is widely recognized as the first producer of a vineyard-designated Pinot Noir with a Russian River Valley Appellation.  Davis Bynum Winery also has the distinction of being the first winery located on Westside Road in Healdsburg, CA. Davis Bynum farms 22 acres of organically grown vineyards on Westside Road in the "Middle Reach" of the Russian River Valley. They cultivate the land in a manner consistent with organic agricultural farming producing outstanding Russian River wines.