Carpaccio de Betterave au Neige de Chèvre et Vinaigrette Miel-Lavande

Where the garden meets the plate in a whisper of springtime sweetness

 

The beetroot arrives on the table like a shy jewel, thinly shaved until the light can pass through it the way evening sun slips between half-closed shutters. We love this dish because it shows how modern French cuisine still bows to the land. Nothing unnecessary, nothing loud. Just the quiet pleasure of earth and flower, softened by a lace-fine snow of goat cheese.

 

We learned the vinaigrette from a beekeeper in Provence who believed lavender belonged as much in the kitchen as in her fields. A single spoonful of her honey would perfume the entire room. She said the secret was to warm it only with your hands, never on the fire. Let the aroma bloom slowly. Let it think of summer.

 

This carpaccio is the kind of start that steadies the appetite. It feels light yet luxurious, like walking through a cool stone corridor before stepping into a sunlit courtyard. You taste sweetness, acidity, the herbal drift of thyme. You feel the story of a place without needing to be told.

 

And so we share it with you here, as we make it on quiet Wednesdays: plating each beet slice the way one might arrange pressed flowers in a book, adding a crumble of cheese and a shimmer of lavender perfume. A dish to slow time, even for a moment.

 

 

Recipe

 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 medium beetroots, cooked and peeled

• 120 g goat cheese (4.2 oz), chilled until firm

• 1 tbsp honey (15 ml)

• 1 tsp dried culinary lavender (lightly crushed)

• 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 ml)

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (45 ml)

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• A few sprigs fresh thyme

• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

 

Instructions

Slice the cooked beetroots as thinly as your knife allows, almost transparent. Arrange them in circles on a cool plate. In a small bowl whisk honey, lavender, lemon juice and mustard until they surrender into one another. Stream in the olive oil until the vinaigrette turns glossy. Season gently.

 

Scatter thyme leaves across the beetroot. With a microplane, grate the chilled goat cheese over the plate until it resembles the first snowfall on a garden wall. Spoon the vinaigrette sparingly on top. Serve immediately, before the cheese begins to melt into the beetroot’s ruby sheen.

 

Wine pairing

 

A chilled Sancerre Rosé from the Loire brings herbs, minerality and soft red fruit that echo the beets without overwhelming them.