BBQ! Warm Goat Cheese & Grilled Vegetable Salad

Janet Lynn’s Bistro in Waterloo, Ontario is known for its exceptional fresh California cuisine. This is one of their most popular salads.

Recipe originally appeared in the 15th edition of the Barbecue Genius Grillers Handbook, and can also be found at www.onthegrill.ca.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 lbs. goat cheese
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 slices
• 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 slices
• 1 red onion, cut into 6 wedges
• 6 large mushrooms (Portabello) wiped, stems removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 cups selection of salad leaves, washed and torn
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• splash balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. To prepare the goat cheese neatly, take a mug of very hot water and a thin-bladed knife. Dip the knife into the water, then cut a section of cheese. Repeat until you have 6 sections. Place the cheese flat on a grill tray or small cookie sheet.
2. Preheat the barbecue on HIGH.
3. Arrange all the prepared vegetables on a tray and brush lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh thyme.
4. Reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW.
5. Grill each vegetable separately until just cooked. The peppers take about 2 minutes while the mushroom caps, zucchini, eggplant and onion will take about 4 minutes each.
6. While cooking the vegetables, place the grill tray or cookie sheet of goat cheese on the top rack of the barbecue. The cheese should be just warm, not hot.
7. To serve, arrange the vegetables attractively on the plates and place a few mixed salad leaves in the centre of each arrangement. Top with a slice of warm goat cheese. Drizzle with virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with a little chopped fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper.