Warm Arugula and Treviso Tartine with Midnight Moon Goat's Cheese

So simple... yet oh. So good.

There is nothing more appetizing to me than a dish full of color. Though summer produce is celebrated for its varied palette, the richness of winter colors appeals to me in a way that is far more alluring and sensual.

I came back from a yoga class today, not feeling too hungry, with a fierce appetite to cook. I tried a few fingerfulls of fresh baby arugula, then found a leftover half of an English muffin from eggs a few nights ago. The crisp, bitter taste of the greens jogged my sensory memory back to the day before, when I took a lunch break with my friend from work to eat at Quartino Bottega Organica, a quaint yet stylish little Italian restaurant-cum-wine bar on Bleecker Street near the Bowery that serves all organic food for discerning New Yorkers and European tourists alike. Our panini -- served like a pizza -- came with mozzerella tucked inside a round, whole-wheat crust, and was topped wildly with fresh arugula and slices of heirloom tomato. We agreed that it was a good idea, but lacked a principal ingredient: salt.

My tastebuds inspired me beyond the simplicity of Quartino's panini: I nix'd the mozzarella and substituted Cypress Grove Midnight Moon Goat Gouda with a bit of aged parmesan, roasted half of a tomato, and sautéd the arugula with onions and purple treviso. Treviso, or radicchio rosso, is a lettuce from the Veneto region in Northern Italy that looks like the love child of radicchio and endive. I prefer treviso over radicchio for some recipes because I find that treviso leaves are milder and softer than the tightly-bound, round radicchio bulb.

The colors of the dish were deliciously vibrant and the flavors were astonishingly complementary for a 10-minute meal.

And of course, there was just enough salt.


WARM ARUGULA AND TREVISO TARTINE WITH MIDNIGHT MOON GOAT'S CHEESE

Serves 2, as a light lunch or a snack

1 English muffin, or two slices of fresh, whole wheat bread
1 handful of fresh baby Arugula
2 large Treviso leaves
1/4 small yellow onion
1/8 c shaved Midnight Moon Goat's Cheese
1 Tbsp shaved Aged parmesan
1 large Vine-ripened Tomato
Herbes de Provence
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper


Preheat broiler to high, 450 degrees.

On a small plate, combine about 1 Tbsp olive oil with a generous pinch of Herbs de Provence, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut tomato in half along its girth. Rub the cut side of both tomatoes down into the herbed olive oil mixture. Place tomatoes, oily side up, in a broiler pan and place directly under broiler, about 10mins, or until soft and beginning to brown.

Chop treviso leaves into bite-sized pieces. Slice onion into thin, half-moon slices. Heat a sauté pan on the stove, and sauté the onions on medium heat. Once onions have become transparent and are beginning to brown, turn off heat on pan and add arugula and treviso. Sauté leaves with heat off, pushing around with a wooden spoon, until greens wilt. Set aside.

Warm bread in oven at 375-degrees so it just begins to toast.* Remove, and sprinkle cheeses directly on bread. Add greens mixture on top, then another sprinkle of cheese. Position tartines on a baking sheet in oven on the middle rack. Bake until cheese melts and bread becomes crisp.

*Alternatively, keep an eye on bread and tartines so they do not burn, and bake in the same oven in which the tomatoes are broiling at 450-degrees.

Remove tartines and tomatoes from oven. Arrange a small handful of fresh arugula greens on plate, positioning one tomato on top. Place on tartine to the side.

Enjoy as a light meal or a snack, accompanied by a smooth and light Nebbiolo wine.

Buon appetito!