Name: Salad of Crumbed Chèvre, Cherry Tomatoes, Green Beans, Peas and Dandelion
Ingredients: 1 egg, lightly beaten breadcrumbs, for coating; 2 tablespoons flour; 2 handfuls of dandelion leaves (or any slightly bitter leaves, such as escarole, frisée, curly endive or even trevissano); 3 handfuls of cherry tomatoes; 2 large handfuls of green peas, blanched and refreshed in iced water; 4 slices of chèvre, each about 150 g (or 8 of 75 g), straight from the fridge; salt and freshly ground black pepper; a little honey, maple syrup or sugar to taste (optional); 2 large handfuls of green beans, blanched and refreshed in iced water; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil; vegetable oil for frying; 240 ml apple juice or apple cider; 1 finger of peeled ginger, finely julienned or grated; 1 tart apple, such as a Granny Smith; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Salads

By Peter Gordon

Published 2005

About

A log of chèvre – a French cheese made from goats’ milk – is a lovely cheese to crumb and serve warm. It can have a dry texture, but softens up when heated and has an inherent acidity that goes well with sweet tomatoes and peas. The ginger in the dressing isn’t at all a traditional combination (so few of mine are), but its aromatic qualities really highlight and contrast with the chèvre. If you’re able to source the Japanese breadcrumbs called panko then try them – they have a fantastic tex