In the scheme of things, I realize a recipe for “salad” isn’t akin to discovering a new star. Personally, I’ve never been overly enthused by salad since it’s so frequently an afterthought. There’s something so not special about dumping one of those bags of wilted, sopping wet greens into a bowl and topping it with a bottled mix of stale herbs and rancid oil. But this salad–delicate greens tossed with roasted mushrooms, shavings of cheese, and a simple lemon-chive vinaigrette–is special. It’s also easy to make.

My original inspiration came from a mound of gorgeous chanterelles I spotted at the farmers’ market. We were hosting a dinner party that evening, so I decided to splurge on something special. I brought the chanterelles home and roasted them, which concentrated their flavor. Each bite tasted like pure mushroom essence. Since chanterelles are so expensive, I normally make the salad with cremini mushrooms, but you can choose whatever variety you like. Roast the mushrooms until they’re golden brown. This means waiting patiently while they initially release a lot of liquid, reabsorb it, and then finally turn golden. Allowing the mushrooms to reabsorb this flavorful liquid is the key to earning those tasty nuggets of flavor.

While the mushrooms cook, whisk together a simple vinaigrette. Homemade salad dressings taste far better than anything from a bottle and they take about 2 minutes to whip up. This one combines a little Dijon mustard for flavor and thickness, lemon zest and juice, fresh chives, and oil. I combine olive oil with a lighter tasting canola oil to let the lemon flavor shines through, but it’s definitely fine to use all of one type. (I’d probably choose olive oil in that case.) As long as you’re making it, you may even want to double the vinaigrette and keep the extra in your fridge for a couple of days.

For the final component, I make cheese “ribbons” using a carrot peeler. Pick up a wedge of semi-firm cheese–I’ve used a fresh Pecorino (not the super aged grating kind), Gruyere, and Chaubier with great results–and slide the peeler down the wedge to form the ribbons. Once the mushrooms cool down a bit, I toss them with a nice, dry mix of mesclun greens, the cheese, and the vinaigrette for a simple, elegant salad.

What are your favorite fall salads? Do you make your own dressings? Let us know in the comments. ~LbR