I love beetroot and goat’s cheese as a combo. I always order it as a starter at the amazing Austrian themed Fischers restaurant in Marylebone High Street in London. I love the salty flavour of the goat’s cheese with the slightly sweet beetroot and sweet balsamic vinegar. My idea is to put this salad on crunchy bread to add more texture. It’s a really perfect starter or light meal or a snack.

Recipe

Serves 2 as a lunch or light meal or 4 as a starter.

Ingredients:
2 slices of bread roasted sourdough per person or toasted and drizzled with olive oil
200g creamy goat’s cheese log or goats cheese in a tub
A handful of baby salad leaves
Some pea shoots (optional)
A few beetroot balls (I buy the pre-cooked beetroot in natural juices in a vacuum pack)
A clove of garlic
A pea-sized speck of mustard, I use English
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of syrupy balsamic vinegar (I use Belazu balsamic vinegar di Modena) if not, use normal and add half a teaspoon of maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

How:
Place the toasted or roasted bread on plates. Grate a smidgeon of the garlic clove over the slices. The bread will act a grater. Mix the mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar together.
Chop or spread the goats cheese over each slice of toast. Place some baby leaves on to the bread next. Cut the beetroot into slices and lay on the leaves in a row. Next top with the pea shoots. Drizzle the dressing over the top of each tartine and season with salt and pepper. They might not need much salt as the cheese is quite salty. It should be served straight away otherwise the bread goes soggy and loses its crunchiness.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl