Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
12 3/4-inch slices soft goat cheese
12slicesbaguette
1romaine heartthinly sliced crosswise
2headsBelgian endivethinly sliced crosswise
1bunch arugulawashed and dried, thick stems discarded
1cupthickly sliced thick-cut cooked baconwarmed if possible
Instructions
Marinate the cheeses: Whisk the oil, basil, shallots, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the goat cheeses in a shallow nonmetallic dish. Pour the marinade over the cheeses. Cover and refrigerate for about 24 hours. Remove the goat cheeses from the marinade, gently scraping off the herbs back into the marinade and reserving the marinade for the dressing.
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush the slices of baguette with olive oil. Spread on the baking sheet and bake about 4 minutes, until just barely crisp and golden. Remove the bread and set aside. Preheat the broiler.
Toss the romaine, endive and arugula in a bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of sherry vinegar to the reserved marinade. Toss the lettuces with the reserved marinade, then divide the salad between 6 plates. Place the broiler rack close to the source of the heat and preheat the broiler. Line the baking sheet aluminum foil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Place the goat cheese circles on the prepared pan. Broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheeses are just starting to melt. Transfer each cheese to a piece of toasted baguette and place on the side of one of the plates. Sprinkle over the bacon, dividing it evenly between the plates.
Notes
You can marinate the goat cheese for up to 24 hours, and then magically the marinade becomes the salad dressing, with the addition of just a touch more sherry vinegar. If you don’t need all of the dressing, you can store it in a jar in the fridge for another few days.