Warm Goat's Cheese, Black Truffle and Walnut Salad

This is a lovely, easy-peasy starter that carries a whiff of Autumn. I appreciate truffle is quite expensive and not that easy to get hold of, so if you don't have any you can substitute it with truffle-infused oil or leave it out altogether, and use walnut oil for the dressing instead.

INGREDIENTS (for two people)

• A bag of mixed salad leaves (preferably organic)
• Two slices of farmhouse bread
• One small goat's cheese
• A handful of chopped walnuts
• A few shavings of black truffle
• 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• Salt

Dress the salad leaves with the olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt. Make sure they are evenly coated, then arrange them on two plates, with a generous scatter of chopped walnuts on top. 

Lightly toast the bread slices, then place them on a baking tray with half of the goat's cheese on top of each slice (rind side up). Place them under a hot grill for 3-4 minutes, or until the goat's cheese is soft and oozing but still retains its shape. 

Garnish each goat's cheese piece with a walnut's half, drizzle with olive oil, scatter with a few black truffle's shavings and serve immediately, while still warm.