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THIS really is a simple recipe for a sophisticated French lunch, with lots of bitter chicory to fill up and excite your taste buds.

BAKED GOAT'S CHHESE AND CHICORY SALAD

Serves 6
Prep time 5-8 minutes
Cooking time 20-25 minutes

6 red or pale green chicory heads
3 logs of mild French goat’s cheese with a rind
Fresh herbs of your choice (we like a lot of thyme, but basil and flat-leaf parsley are good too)
Extra-virgin olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C.

Slice the chicory heads in two lengthways, then core them, removing the tough stalk and central core. Lay them end to end in a shallow ovenproof dish, or arrange two halves of chicory per person in individual dishes. Make sure the cut side is uppermost.

Slice each of the cheeses into four rounds and lay two on the chicory.

Sprinkle with herbs and salt and pepper, and spritz each cheesy cut surface of chicory with extra-virgin olive-oil.

Pop into the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until the chicory is cooked through and melty, and the cheese is bubbling.

Serve with a salad of mixed greens on the side.

Excerpted from Cook Yourself Thin: Quick and Easy by Kay Plunkett Hogge