Laurie’s Hearty Market Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Every summer, I look forward to one particular meal at my friend Laurie’s house. It’s “just a salad,” except it isn’t. Packed with colorful farmers’ market vegetables, rich local goat cheese, and a generous drizzle of good olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, it’s the kind of salad that happily steals the spotlight from everything else on the table.

Laurie shops the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market nearly every Saturday during the growing season, and she graciously shared her recipe below. Think of it as a guide rather than a strict formula: swap vegetables in and out as the seasons change and make it your own.

Laurie’s Hearty Market Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Serves: 4–6 as a main dish

Ingredients

• ½ pound to 1 pound mixed spring greens (can toss in some arugula)
• 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
• Several colorful carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 wedge red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch cherry tomatoes, halved
• A handful of snow peas
• 1 bunch mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, diced
• Pepitas
• Sunflower seeds
• ½ jar Camino de Paz Farm’s Garlic Chèvre, crumbled (or your favorite local goat cheese)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• High-quality Balsamic Vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Wash and dry all vegetables thoroughly.
2. Arrange the mixed greens in a large serving bowl.
3. Layer the radishes, carrots, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, snow peas, mushrooms, onion, and avocado over the greens.
4. Sprinkle with pepitas, sunflower seeds, and crumbled garlic chèvre.
5. Just before serving, drizzle generously with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and toss lightly.

• Cook’s Note: This salad is wonderfully flexible. Swap vegetables based on what’s in season at the farmers’ market, and don’t hesitate to add seasonal favorites like roasted beets, steamed asparagus, or extra arugula.