The release of Sex and the City 2 is the perfect opportunity to get all your girl friends together for a nice meal and chinwag before heading out to the cinema in your best Manolo Blahniks. Why not quickly put together a French goats cheese log slice, roasted baby beetroot and parsnip salad, from the Easy Cheesey Chèvre recipe by top chef Sophie Wright, to wow your fashionista friends? Enjoying good food doesnt have to mean being chained to the kitchen for hours on end or spending a fortune in fancy restaurants. French goats cheeses are the perfect ingredient for a wide variety of quick and easy recipes that can be shared with family and friends or be devoured on your own.

French goats cheese logs have a soft texture and literally melt in the mouth. Billy Bûche says, Stylish food starts with Chèvre. The melted French goats cheese log slice goes deliciously well with the roasted baby beetroot and parsnips in this lipsmacking salad. Pour a glass of wine for you and your friends and delve in you deserve it.

Sophie Wrights French goats cheese log slice, roasted baby beetroot and parsnip salad

Preparation: 15 - 20 minutes Cooking: 20 minutes

Serves 4 as a starter or light lunch or dinner

Ingredients

4 French goats cheese log slices 2 large parsnips 8 baby beetroots 2 tbsp maple syrup 2 sprigs thyme 2 tbsp olive oil Sea salt and pepper 200g salad leaves (red chard, rocket, mâche, frisée)

Dressing 2 tbsp sherry vinegar 1 tbsp Dijon mustard Juice ½ lemon 1 tbsp chervil 1 tsp runny honey 3 tbsp hazelnut oil

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200˚C.

Remove the stalks from the baby beetroots and drop in a pan of simmering water and boil for 15 minutes until tender. Once cooked, cut the beetroots in half. Drain them well.

Peel the parsnips and cut into eighths from base to tip. Remove any of the tough core from the centre of the parsnip.

Lay them on a baking tray with the cooked and halved baby beetroots and coat in the maple syrup, olive oil and the thyme leaves which should be picked from the stalk. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Place in to the pre-heated oven and cook for 20 minutes until they start to turn crispy around the edges.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the dressing by combining the Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, honey and lemon juice. Using a mini whisk, slowly pour in the hazelnut oil until a smooth, thick dressing has been made. Season with salt and pepper and add in the fresh chervil.

Now, place the goats cheese log slices onto a separate baking tray and place into the hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes to allow the middle of the cheese to melt.

Now, mix the chosen salad leaves with the roasted parsnips and beetroots. Dress lightly before piling the salad on to 4 separate plates and then placing the hot cheese next to the salad. Drizzle with a little of the left-over dressing. ______________________________________

For more Easy Cheesey Chèvre recipes or information on French goats cheeses, visit www.frenchgoatscheese.com

For further information, please contact Laura Rylance or Chris Skyrme 020 7312 3619, laura.rylance@sopexa.com ; 020 7312 3644, chris.skyrme@sopexa.com

Notes to editors:

French goats cheeses are available from all good supermarkets and delicatessens.

Easy Cheesey Chèvre campaign Easy Cheesey Chèvre is the new campaign for French goats cheeses. It is funded by ANICAP (Association Nationale Interprofessionnelle Caprine), the government-recognised body which was established in 1983 to bring together French goats milk producers and processors, and FranceAgriMer, the national industry body for agriculture and fishery products supervised by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness of, and make consumers more familiar with, French goats cheeses, their flavours and styles and the different ways in which they can be simply prepared to eat in a wide range of dishes.

Sophie Wright Chef Sophie Wright is the new Easy Cheesey Chèvre Ambassador in the UK. Sophie was one of the UKs youngest award-winning chefs and has a truly engaging love for cookery and food. She was one of Britains youngest head chefs at the age of 20. Her TV appearances have included a regular slot on ITVs Daily Cooks!, UKTVs Market Kitchen and the popular BBC show Food Poker. She has recently published her first recipe book Easy Peasy and will be publishing In for 7, Dinner at 8 in May 2011.

Sophie is a big fan of French goats cheeses and their versatility and has created six recipes using these fantastic ingredients. You will find all the recipes on www.frenchgoatscheese.com.