Farm au Tableau

Yield: 2 Servings

Prep time: 25 mins | Cook: 15 mins | Artistic Assembly: 10 mins

Ingredients

The Landscape

200g Heirloom Baby Carrots (with tops)

100g Purple Radishes (sliced into ultra-thin rounds)

50g Pumpernickel Bread (toasted and crumbled into "dirt")

1 tbsp Black Sesame Seeds (to mix with the crumbs)

The Flora

100g Snap Peas (blanched and split to reveal seeds)

1 bunch Micro-greens (pea shoots or watercress)

4 Edible Violas or Nasturtiums

The Medium

150g Green Pea Puree (blitzed with mint and lemon)

100g Beetroot Reduction (strained and thickened)

50g Whipped Chèvre (Goat Cheese) with a hint of honey

Preparation

1. Constructing the "Soil"

Toast the pumpernickel bread until completely dry and brittle.

Pulse in a food processor with black sesame seeds and a pinch of salt until it resembles dark, rich topsoil.

2. Preparing the Elements

Carrots: Lightly steam the baby carrots so they remain snappy. Keep the green tops on; they act as the "trees" of your landscape.

Beetroot Paint: Simmer beetroot juice until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Pour into a squeeze bottle for precision.

Pea Puree: Blanch peas for 2 minutes, then shock in ice water. Blend with fresh mint leaves and a squeeze of lemon until perfectly smooth.

The Assembly

The Canvas: Use a large, flat white ceramic plate (your tableau).

Painting: Using a brush or a small offset spatula, "paint" a wide stroke of Green Pea Puree across the bottom third of the plate. Squeeze several "drops" of Beetroot Reduction and Whipped Chèvre in various sizes.

Grounding: Sprinkle a jagged line of the Pumpernickel Soil along the pea puree stroke.

Planting: Vertically nestle the Baby Carrots and Radish rounds into the soil so they appear to be growing out of the plate.

Detailing: Use tweezers to place Snap Peas and Micro-greens around the carrots. Finish by placing the Edible Flowers as if they have just bloomed on the farm.

Chef’s Note: This dish is a "Tableau"—it should look like a miniature garden captured in a frame. The contrast between the dark, crunchy bread crumbs and the vibrant, smooth vegetable purees provides both a visual and textural story of the farm.