Zenith Point Salad Cheese (Printable)

Fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, and artisanal cheese arranged for a dramatic salad presentation.

# Ingredient List:

→ Fresh Produce

01 - 2 cups baby arugula
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small watermelon radish, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

→ Nuts & Seeds

06 - 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon honey
10 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese Centerpiece

12 - 1 small artisanal cheese wheel (approximately 9 ounces), such as Saint-Marcellin, Brie, or soft-ripened local variety

# Directions:

01 - Place the artisanal cheese wheel on a small pedestal or plate at one corner of a large serving platter or board.
02 - Create a sweeping arc of baby arugula radiating outward from the cheese wheel, forming lines that visually direct toward the centerpiece.
03 - Lay halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and watermelon radish slices in neat rows angled toward the cheese wheel to maintain the directional pattern.
04 - Scatter pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts evenly along the arranged ingredients, preserving the visual convergence toward the cheese.
05 - Whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
06 - Lightly drizzle the dressing over the salad elements, taking care to avoid the cheese wheel to maintain its integrity.
07 - Present immediately, encouraging guests to slice the cheese and combine it with the arranged salad components.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent twenty minutes.
  • The cheese becomes the star, and every vegetable around it makes it taste even better.
  • No cooking required means you can make this on the hottest day or when you're too tired to turn on the oven.
02 -
  • Slice everything just before serving or the vegetables will weep liquid and turn your pretty pattern into a soggy mess within an hour.
  • The cheese wheel becomes better as it sits at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge thirty minutes before you arrange—cold cheese won't have that unctuous, spoonable texture that makes people fall in love.
03 -
  • Use a mandoline slicer for the cucumber and radish so everything is uniform—it's the difference between a thoughtful arrangement and something that looks accidentally put together.
  • Taste your dressing before you commit it to the board because the acidity and seasoning need to be perfect; this is your only ingredient doing the flavor work, so it has to shine.
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