Zenith Point salad cheese (Printable Version)

A vivid salad arranged around an artisanal cheese wheel with fresh produce and toasted walnuts.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fresh Produce

01 - 2 cups baby arugula
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small watermelon radish, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

→ Nuts & Seeds

06 - 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
09 - 1 tsp honey
10 - 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese Centerpiece

12 - 1 small artisanal cheese wheel (approx. 8.8 oz), such as Saint-Marcellin, Brie, or local soft-ripened cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Place the cheese wheel on a small pedestal or plate in the corner of a large serving platter or board.
02 - Arrange the baby arugula in a sweeping arc radiating outward from the cheese wheel, creating visual lines directing toward the cheese.
03 - Place cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and watermelon radish slices in orderly rows, all angled toward the cheese wheel.
04 - Scatter pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts evenly over the arranged ingredients, maintaining the directional pattern.
05 - Whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
06 - Lightly drizzle the dressing over the salad, taking care to avoid the cheese wheel.
07 - Present immediately, allowing guests to cut from the cheese wheel and combine with the arranged ingredients.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks so impressive that people think you spent hours in the kitchen when really you just needed 20 minutes and a good eye for placement.
  • The cheese wheel becomes an interactive centerpiece—guests actually engage with the food instead of just eating it.
  • Every bite tastes completely different depending on which ingredients you pair with the cheese, so it never gets boring.
02 -
  • Assemble this salad as close to serving time as possible—once vegetables hit the platter, they start releasing water, and everything gets slippery and sad within an hour.
  • The directional arrangement isn't just decoration; it actually makes people eat the salad intentionally rather than mindlessly grazing, and that changes how they experience the flavors.
03 -
  • A slightly warm cheese wheel stays creamy and spreadable longer than cold cheese straight from the fridge—let it sit out for ten minutes before serving.
  • Slice all your vegetables ahead of time and store them separately, then do the actual arrangement just before guests arrive so everything looks fresh and hasn't started oxidizing.
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