Goat Cheese-Tomato-Avocado Salad

This is a liberal variation of Caprese Salad. Really, the only similarity is the way it's arranged on the plate and that it contains sliced tomatoes. The goat cheese rounds were rolled in panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and sautéed in butter to make them crispy on the outside, melty on the inside. The smoothness of the avocado is a nice textural contrast. Balsamic Vinaigrette adds depth of flavor. For the goat cheese, I used Belle Chèvre, which is made a couple of hours north of here in Elkmount, Alabama. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese-Tomato-Avocado Salad
1/2 cup panko
Pepper
1 small log goat cheese, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large tomato, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
Salt
Balsamic Vinaigrette

1. Combine panko and pepper to taste in a shallow dish. Roll goat cheese rounds in panko, coating on all sides. Melt butter in a skillet; cook breaded goat cheese rounds in hot butter until crispy, about 2 minutes on each side. On a serving plate, arrange sliced tomatoes, goat cheese rounds, and sliced avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette.