It’s Farmer’s Market Season in the Nashville area. Our Franklin Farmer’s Market. The warm weather has hastened the season and last Saturday was like a day in May instead of March.
I am excited to bring together three of my favorite local farmers with the creation of a honey goat cheese salad dressing and a garden bowl of fresh lettuce. The honey is from Delvin Farms; the goat cheese is from Nobel Springs Goat Dairy Farm and the lettuce bowl is from Rainbow Hill Farms. We don’t have a large season for local lettuce in Tennessee, but when we do, I’m grateful to the farmers that produce it.
Have you ever had lettuce growing in your kitchen? Me neither, but this gorgeous salad bowl, featuring several types of local lettuces is sitting on the counter, and each day looks like a bunny (that would be me) has gotten to it. Having all this local lettuce at my fingertips called for a very special treatment, and, thus honey goat cheese salad dressing was born. Goat cheese and honey are natural partners and I stayed with a southern twist, using apple cider vinegar and a non-flavored grapeseed oil. It’s pungent and goes very well with the addition of apples or pears.
Not all goat cheese is created equally. I’ve written about Nobel Springs Dairy before featuring this beautiful FrenchTomato and Goat Cheese Tart. Since then, I’ve made my favorite appetizer, Golden and Red Beet Goat Cheese Crostini, a goat cheese cupcake that I have not yet posted, (stay tuned) and a pasta with goat cheese that is also on the way.
Nobel Springs Dairy is minutes from my house and I’ve had the luxury of a personal tour. There is an open house coming up on April 22, from 11:30 – 2:30 and if you are in the area, I urge you to go see this beautiful 230 acre property and meet the goats.
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons goat cheese (I used the spread, not the log)
- Put all ingredients in blender and blend.
- If doing by hand, start with mustard and honey. Add in vinegar, until thoroughly mixed.
- Whisk oil a little at a time.
- Whisk in goat cheese a little at a time.
Yum…I rememebr when I grew my own…
Noble Springs is a great dairy and I have had the pleasure of enjoying their fare from time to time. I have beautiful salad greens growing in my small kitchen garden right now and plan to have some for dinner and I might even make your terrific dressing to go along with them. Lovely post.
Thank you Teresa. I hope you’re having a happy Easter.
We have a local goat cheese farm here as well called Carmelli’s. In the forest fires a few years ago it burned to the ground, but they have resurrected it from the ashes and still make some of the best products out there. Love this salad. I can taste the silky Spring greens now.
The light in your kitchen is spectacular. So is the table. Of course I love fresh lettuce, but you knew that… GREG
I’d love an enormous bowl of this salad right now! 😀
ooh, this dressing sounds just lovely. goat cheese + honey are such a naturally wonderful combination + i love that you combined them here. thanks for the info on the open house, too – i don’t think we have any plans that afternoon, so i’m hoping my husband + i will go!
Yummy…I can already feel the tangy goat cheese marrying with the sweet honey in my mouth. Trying this soon.
Doesn’t get much better than plucking it out of the dirt. Sounds like a lovely dressing.
Lovely lettuce! it looks so fresh and delicate.
A wonderful salad! That dressing is irresistible.
Cheers,
Rosa