Berry, Berry Good Salad

Have you ever seen such a gorgeous salad? This one just leaps off the page at you, enticing you to take a bite! I am making this salad for dinner tonight. I think I will pair it with a blackberry Merlot that I have been saving.

Don’t be freaked out by the idea of fried goat cheese. Have you ever had fried mozzarella sticks? Well, it’s a similar concept, but a much better choice of cheeses. Goat cheese is not going to turn into strings when it melts. It is actually going to melt, like lava contained in a crispy fried crust. Seriously, good eats – don’t skip that part!

Not only are there ripe blackberries in the salad, but it also is dressed with a savory blackberry vinaigrette that has a sweet touch of balsamic vinegar, kissed by honey. Are you drooling yet?

The pairing of fruit with meat is one of my favorite combinations, even without the lettuce, avocado, red onion and walnuts that comprise this particular salad. Fruit seems to bring out the flavor and texture of whatever meat it supports, in this case it is chicken breasts. I think it has to do with the yielding nature of fruit juxtaposed with meat’s firmness.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INSTRUCTIONS.

Quick Tip:  Get this salad completely ready, with the chicken cooked and everything fully assembled before you fry the goat cheese. The salad will taste best if the goat cheese is still warm and crispy on the outside with a melty center. Then add the dressing.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Kevin Lynch at closetcooking.com