Baked Goat Cheese with Spring Lettuce Salad

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh, mild goat cheese (such as Haystack's Boulder Chèvre)
• Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme, chopped
• Leaves from 1 small sprig rosemary, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup panko (see Notes)
• 1/2 baguette, cut into eight 1/4-in.-thick slices
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons walnut or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound baby lettuces or salad mix, washed and dried
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. 1. Shape the goat cheese into eight 1-in.-thick disks and put in a container just big enough to hold them in one layer. Sprinkle cheese with herbs and pour on olive oil. Cover and chill at least 12 hours and up to a week (see Notes). One hour before baking, pop them in the freezer to firm up.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 400°. Remove cheese from marinade and roll all sides in panko, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Arrange on a large baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes, turning over halfway through. Add baguette slices for last 5 minutes of baking.
3. 3. Whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, and walnut oil. Put lettuces in a large bowl, drizzle with just enough dressing to coat, and toss gently and thoroughly.
4. 4. Divide lettuces among 4 plates, sprinkle with walnuts, and to each plate add 2 goat-cheese disks and a baguette slice. Serve immediately.
5. Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.