The goat ricotta mixes with the vegetables and greens as you eat, adding a nice tang and a satisfying richness. This recipes serves 2 but could easily be scaled up to serve more. We ate this as a main, with some biscuits to round out the meal, but this would be a great side dish with a steak or a lamb chop.

When blanching the green beans, I prefer to err on the side of underdone rather than over. I would rather have the beans be a touch crunchy than mushy. Make sure you have an ice bath ready to go before you put the beans in. I went ahead and blanched more than the 6 oz needed for this salad. They were great to have on hand to throw into salads throughout the week.

Green Bean and Spinach Salad with Basil Vin and Goat Cheese Ricotta

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

⅓ cup whole milk ricotta

⅓ cup goat cheese

1 Tb lemon juice

½ tsp salt

6 oz green beans, blanched

2 oz baby spinach

⅓ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

3 Tb basil vinaigrette

To blanch the green beans: Fill a large pot with water, bring to a rapid boil, and then add 2 or 3 pinches of salt. Add the green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are cooked but still provide some resistance when bitten into (al dente). Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove from the water and pat dry. Trim the stem ends before using.

In a small bowl combine the ricotta, goat cheese, lemon juice, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Mix with a spoon until smooth and cohesive.

In a larger bowl, toss the green beans, spinach, and walnuts with the 3 Tb basil vin. Taste and add any additional dressing or salt, if needed.

On a plate or in an individual salad bowl, smear half of the cheese mixture over about half of the surface area of the plate or bowl. Top the plate with about half of the salad. Garnish with a few additional crumbles of goat cheese and pieces of toasted walnut. Repeat with the remaining plate.