Imeretian Cheese, Grape and Walnut Salad

By now, you have doubtlessly made pounds and pounds of the Imeretian cheese I blogged about earlier this week. You must be wondering “oh, what to do with all this delicious cheese?” Brush aside all the fuss about seasonal cooking, and try this very simple salad, one of the simplest posts on my entire blog! The dish is inspired by something I found in Michael Natkin’s Herbivoracious. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the book; I only found the one recipe interesting. But this salad tastes great, and uses typically Georgian ingredients.

Imeretian cheese, grape, and walnut salad
Yields 2 servings

4 oz cheese, cut into 4 large cubes
0.5 oz olive oil
6 oz seedless grapes of various colors, halved
1.4 oz walnut halves
2 tsp chopped chives
3 tsp basil chiffonade
salt
black pepper, ground

• In a non-stick pan over medium heat, sauté the cheese cubes in half of the olive oil until golden brown, just a few seconds on each side. Reserve in a bowl.
• In the same pan, sauté the grapes in the rest of the oil for one minute, stirring constantly.
• Transfer the grapes to the bowl, and add the walnuts, chives, and basil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss until combined. Serve immediately.