Palace Kitchen Lavender Goat Cheese Fondue

 Favorite Vegetarian servings6 – 8 addedOctober 2018

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 – 3 lavender buds
• 11 ounces soft, fresh goat cheese, broken into chunks
• 1 tablespoon sliced chives
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• Toasted rustic bread cubes and apple wedges for serving

1. Slowly warm the whipping cream and lavender buds in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until hot but not boiling. (Yes, slowly! Chef Peterson says the process takes about an hour, so the lavender flavor can grab hold without having to overdo it.)
2. Gradually add the goat cheese and whisk until smooth. The thickness of the fondue may vary due to the particular brand of fresh goat cheese that you use. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If too thin add a little more cheese, if too thick add a little more cream.
3. Remove the fondue from the heat and whisk in the chives and black pepper.
4. Pour the warm fondue into a fondue pot and serve with chunks of toasted rustic bread and apple wedges for dunking.

Tips

• Palace Kitchen serves this fondue with “chunks of grilled or toasted rustic bread and wedges of tart apple,” but they also recommend trying it with cubes of ripe pear or even fennel bulbs.