Warm goat’s cheese salad with Provence herbs and lavender honey

Did you know?

Warm goat cheese salad is a classic French creation, particularly popular in the 1980s and 1990s with the rise of “nouvelle cuisine” and “bistro” or “chic brasserie” menus.
It doesn’t have a single regional origin, but it is often associated with the gastronomy of the South of France and goat cheese regions (Provence, Ardèche, Drôme, Languedoc, etc.).

It’s a simple but refined dish, combining the crispness of toasted bread, the softness of melted goat’s cheese and the freshness of baby greens, often accompanied by honey, walnuts or local herbs.

Picodon cheese

is an AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée ) goat’s cheese produced mainly in the Drôme,Ardèche and certain communes in the Vaucluse, Gard and Hérault.

It’s made from raw goat’s milk, hand-milled, and often aged for a long time to develop its bloomy rind and powerful aromas.
The word Picodon comes from “picaoudou,” which means “little spicy” in Occitan—a nod to its distinctive flavor!

As for lavender honey, it is

a speciality of south-eastern France, notably in Drôme Provençale (France’s leading bee-keeping department!), Vaucluse,Plateau de Valensole andLubéron.

It is produced from the nectar of common lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and spike lavender, harvested between June and August.
This honey is renowned for its fine texture, light color, floral fragrance, and soothing properties.

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Cut the farmhouse bread into thick slices and lightly toast in the oven until crisp.
Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette by mixing extra-virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange the baby greens on individual plates.
Slice the goat’s cheese and arrange on the slices of toast. Sprinkle generously with fresh herbes de Provence and drizzle with lavender honey.
Put the bread slices in the oven for a few minutes, just long enough for the cheese to melt and the honey to caramelize.
Arrange the slices of warm cheese bread on top of the baby sprouts on each plate.
Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the salad just before serving.

This warm goat’s cheese salad with Provencal herbs and lavender honey on a bed of baby greens offers a perfect balance between the freshness of the vegetables, the richness of the goat’s cheese and the subtle sweetness of the lavender honey. It’s a refined and delicious starter that will delight your customers’ taste buds right from the start of their meal.