Salad of Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese with Black Olive Toasts
Created by Annie Wayte

Salad of Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese with Black Olive Toasts
A salad of greens, goat cheese, and asparagus is accented with olive-topped toast.

Ingredients:
Serves 8–10

  • 2 bunches   asparagus (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut in half crosswise
  • 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 2 lemons , plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds , toasted and crushed
  • 1 cup black olives , pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon capers , coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 bunch arugula , trimmed
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) fresh goat cheese
  • 16 thin slices of baguette , toasted
Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss asparagus, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, half of the lemon zest, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast on a rimmed baking sheet until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a dressing: Whisk 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pinch of pepper and coriander until blended. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing over the roasted asparagus and set aside.

Combine olives, parsley, capers, garlic, remaining olive oil and lemon zest in a bowl. Set aside.

To serve, arrange arugula and asparagus on a platter. Dot with small pieces of goat cheese. Drizzle remaining dressing over the top. Spoon olive mixture onto baguette toast, spreading to cover; arrange around the asparagus.