The Veritable Veggie Salad

There are great moments mid-summer when everything in the garden is ready to eat and it's hard to choose.  This is when I came up with this salad.  Originally as a slap dash lunch I made for myself, I've gone on to serve this salad beside beautiful encrusted salmon filets for dinner with guests.  It features some of my favourite things: lots of veggies, warm toppings over cool lettuce leaves, my homemade dressing, and above all... goat's cheese, the stuff my husband and I hope paves heaven.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Enough leaf lettuce mix of your choice for two salads (wash and ready on plates)

1 handful of string beans (I use a combination of green and yellow) trimmed
1 small tender green zucchini cut into rounds
1 small tender yellow zucchini cut into rounds
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 tbsp of chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic diced
1 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of goat's cheese crumbled

My Homemade Dressing (I can't believe I'm doing this!)
2 tbsp of light olive oil
1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic diced finely
1 tsp of smooth Dijon mustard
1 tsp of fresh lemon juice
Pinch of kosher salt and cracked pepper

Directions:
Steam string beans and drain,  Heat olive oil in a pan, sautee garlic, and then the zucchinis and toss until al dente.  Now add string beans, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.  Cook until veggies are hot, but still firm and fresh.  (Don't let the tomatoes get mushy or watery is your tip.)  Remove from heat and add crumbled goat cheese, letting it melt just slightly.  Divide and serve immediately over prepared beds of lettuce, drizzling with homemade dressing.  This salad is delicious, healthy and absolutely stunning!