of course

Want to elevate your next dinner party? Simply add a course. Easy to do when you offer a salad of mixed greens and an array of cheeses after the main. Notably French, a salad and cheese course is a wonderful way to extend the festivity, savor that last bit of red and a great tactic to appease a still hungry guest without breaking the bank on you preparing pricey seconds.

Making exactly what you need really keeps costs down. Personally I never serve more than six-ounces of meat or fish per person and I rarely offer seconds. My menu usually features a first-course and a salad course. Often I pass the tossed mixed greens in the salad bowl along with a platter of cheeses for guests to serve themselves right onto their dinner plates. It adds a Francophile flare and eliminates the need to wash another dish.

The emulsified dressing can be made days ahead of time making this course come together in a minute. Don’t skimp on the ingredients. Using superior oil and vinegar is key.

Combine the mustard, lemon juice, vinegar in a tall bowl with a hand blender. Add the garlic and shallots. 

With motor running slowly pour in olive and walnut oil. Pulse until combined.

Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

Stir in the fresh herbs right before serving.

An assortment of three cheeses looks pretty on a platter and satisfies most tastes. I usually choose a goat cheese such as Humbolt Fog, a triple cream like Saint Angel and a blue, Billy Blue from Carr Valley is delightful.

One to two hours before your guests arrive unwrap the cheeses and place on a decorative plate. Cover the plate with a sheet of plastic wrap and leave at room temperature. Remember cheese’s complex flavors don’t appear until they are at room temp, so it’s important to plan ahead. Right before serving uncover and place cheese knives on the plate.

A bakery fresh baguette is an essential component to this course. Though finding a superior loaf can be elusive. In Dayton Boosalis Bakery makes a first-rate baguette. Warm the baguette in a 350 degree oven for five minutes. Place the warm bread in a breadbasket or on a plate and pass alongside the cheese. I let guests tear their own hunk off the baguette.

Toss one generous handful of greens per person with one tablespoon of dressing in a pretty bowl. Toss at the table.

Pass the salad in the salad bowl, the bread and the cheese plate allowing your guests to help themselves. Bon appetit!