Iced Beet and Green Apple Mise en Bouche — Mise en bouche de betterave et pomme verte glacée
It looks the same, it has the same colour but it is different. I can reassure you as I add that I did not buy a full box of beets on sale. I just like them. And I believe that when one is in the mood of studying an ingredient closely, one has to play with it and test more texture and taste combinations. A mise en bouche was just what I wanted to try.
Mais? Hein? Quoi? (But, what?) You do not know what it is?
Mise en bouche de betterave et pomme verte - Beet and Green Apple Mise en Bouche
Une mise en bouche? Qu’est-ce que c’est? What is that? You probably know Amuse-bouche. Close enough, in French, we thought of inventing mise en bouche.
I hope you will not mind a little language exposé, so that at least you understand how it works and why it is called this way.
Bouche (n. f.) in French is the mouth.
Amuse (v.) is a conjugated form of the verb amuser, to please.
Mise (v.) is a conjugated form of the verb mettre, to put.
En (prep.) is a preposition meaning in.
Then it is just a question of putting the pieces of the puzzle next to each other. You will compose the following terms:
1. mise en bouche which means put in the mouth,
2. amuse bouche which means please the mouth.
A mise en bouche is the best way to start a meal, like a tease before more food is to come, so that you the eater gets ready and in the mood for more food to come. In other words, the mise en bouche should better be excellent as it is what will determine the state of mind in which you will find yourself as you are ready to enjoy a meal. In short, it is your first encounter with a meal. Les mises en bouche are usually full of concentrated flavours although they should not overpower your palate. I love them because they are tiny like any finger food is. Tout ce qui est petit est mignon (Small is cute) is commonly accepted, no?
(Note: And in case you want to know, in the restaurant world, a typically known term is a mise en place, which is the set of operations predecing the service. It goes from the setting up of the tables to the required ingredients and utensils in the kitchen, for the meals.)
Last night, we were invited to some friends’ for a BBQ. One of the first of the season, as we almost transitioned from winter into hot summer. Where did Spring go, the one I love so much? Missed! Parti, ou à dormir au placard! (gone or sleeping in the closet!) It was hot, ….already too hot. I think I am going to be dreading this heat. Amongst the fews things I made, I set my mind to preparing a cold mise en bouche, something to make you forget the heat and freshen you up. And what would be, to you, the nicest compliment someone could make about a dish you prepare? After the first taste of the mise en bouche, my friend Yvonne said: “Usually I do not like beets but this is very good. I do not feel the earthiness of the beets at all!” Aha! Bingo! You do not even need to like beets to enjoy this mise en bouche! See!
Very simple to make, refreshing and oui oui, la cerise sur le gâteau (the cherry on top of the cake), it is full of vitamins and super good for you.
You need:
- 14 oz cooked beets
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 cup freshly squeezed green apple juice (2 apples Granny Smith , about 1Lb)
- 1 shallot
- 4 mint leaves
- 1 Green apple Granny Smith (for decoration)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Steps:
- Wash and cook the beets.
- Peel and cut them in big pieces.
- Squeeze the juice of the apples and add the lemon juice.
- Remove the seeds from the peeled cucumber. Cut in big pieces.
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix well (minus the apple for decoration).
- Verify the seasoning.
- Slice the apple and squeeze with lemon juice.
- Decorate the glasses with the apple slices. Eat very cold.
Ingrédients :
- 400 g betteraves cuites
- 1/2 concombre
- 2 càs d’eau
- 250 ml de jus de pomme verte frais (2 pommes Granny Smith , soit environ 450 g)
- 1 échalotte
- 4 feuilles de menthe
- 1 Pomme verte Granny Smith (pour la decoration)
- Jus d’1/2 citron frais
Étapes :
- Lavez et faites cuire les betteraves.
- Pelez-les et coupez-les en gros cubes.
- Pressez le jus des pommes vertes et ajoutez le jus de citron.
- Épépinnez le concombre pelé. Coupez-le en gros dés.
- Mettez tous les ingédients dans un mixeur et mixez (sauf la pomme pour décoration).
- Rectifiez l’assaisonnement si nécessaire.
- Coupez de belles tranches de pommes que vous citronnez.
- Décorez-en les verres. Dégustez très frais.
C’est frais et plein de vitamines!
18 Comments »
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Just too pretty, Bea! I’ve got beets roasting in the oven right now!
Comment by Alanna — On June, 18th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Do you need to have a juicer to make this? If you don’t have a juicer how do you recommend juicing the apple?
The color is so striking - it makes for a very dramatic presentation.
Comment by Geneve — On June, 18th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Oh Béa, So fresh, so… after the cold bortch, What a choice to prepare beets! I do like your “mise en bouche”…
Comment by Gamelle — On June, 18th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Bea and her love affair with beets! Toujour des belles photos!
Comment by relly — On June, 18th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Un site toujours agréable a consulter.
Bravo,
Stéphane
Comment by stephane — On June, 18th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Bea!!! I love beet… super Miam!!
Bisoux
Comment by Gourmet — On June, 18th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
Mais où vas-tu cehrcher toutes ces idées ?????
Comment by Corinne — On June, 18th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
Yes, I echo the question: how do you juice the apples?
This looks really refreshing and I would like very much to try it. Your photos as usual are spectacular!!
Comment by Tanna — On June, 18th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
I think you’re definitely teasing me! Je veux savoir quel gout ca a une ’soupe de betterave’. Et ben non j’ai jamais gouté.
Lovely pix. I love the ribbon, looks so cute!
xoxo
Fanny
Comment by fanny — On June, 19th, 2006 at 2:22 am
Ah ouiii ! Pour la fraîcheur, le goût & les vitamines !!! Merci.
Comment by Camille — On June, 19th, 2006 at 4:12 am
Absolutely beautiful! I’m sure it tasted lovely.
Btw, thanks for visiting my site.
Comment by mae — On June, 19th, 2006 at 9:46 am
ohh you have just given me inspiration for what to do with a bunch of beets I have been given. Thanks!
Comment by jenjen — On June, 19th, 2006 at 10:41 am
Je n’aime pas leur goût, mais tu en as fait quelque chose de très appétissant. Tu devrais leur apprendre “amuses-gueules”, à tes lecteurs anglophones, c’était beaucoup plus parlant comme terme je trouve.
Comment by Gracianne — On June, 19th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Alanna, thank you! I think this is just great timing then. Curious to know what you did with them!
Quand j’enseignais le francais aux etrangers, ils etaient tres amateurs de ce genre d’expression. Je ne peux pas m’empecher de remarquer les choses amusantes de notre langue!
Geneve, thanks for your nice email btw! As to juicing the apples, I am afraid I would not see how you could juice them without a juicer. If you are ready for the investment, do it as you can do tons of great things with one!
Gamelle, merci beaucoup!
Relly, ahaha, oui, oui comme tu le vois, j’adore les betteraves!!
Stephane, merci bien! ravie qu’il vous plaise!
Merci Sandra!
Corinne, tu es drole! Je ne sais pas, j’ai une imagination (ou un estomac!) sans fin!
Tanna, see my comment to Geneve. I am afraid I would only know of a juicer to do the green apple juice!
Fanny, I hope you try soon. For the veggie lover that you are, you have to love it!
Camille, ah oui merci. On a besoin de fraicheur, je t’assure!
Mae, thanks to you for visiting. Your blog is just beautiful!
Jenjen, great timing! Let me know how it turns out!
Gracianne, ahah, oui tu as raison, c’est plus parlant!
Comment by Béa — On June, 19th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Dis donc, ça me fait saliver alors que ce n’est que l’heure du goûter !
Comment by Le confit c'est pas gras — On June, 21st, 2006 at 10:18 am
[...] There is a darling little chocolate cafe near my apartment called The Chocolate Room. Every time we go there, we are given a tiny dish of unbelievable Valhrona sorbet as a mise en bouche which always ends up surpassing whatever we have ordered that day. We finally got a bit fed up with this (not that we’ll stop going back!) and decided to go home and figure out how to make our own. [...]
Pingback by Habeas Brulee » Blog Archive » Chocolate Cassis Sorbet — On June, 25th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
[...] I really liked their menu. The food looked original, and extremely French. A high quality for the ingredients used was obvious. Everything turned out to be a nice surprise, fresh and seasonal. I decided to go for two delicious appetizers, amongst which was a vanilla melon soup. Its colour, taste, and texture made it into a fully satisfying and light entrée (appetizer). “Mmmmm, je me demande bien ce qu’il y a dans cette soupe !” (I wonder what is in this soup!) I asked the waiting staff, but was giving the Ah-mais-c’est-le-secret-de-la-maison type of answer (house secret). Ah bon? Well, then I would still try to make my own! My version is simple, sweet and refreshing. You can serve it as a mise en bouche, or an appetizer! And it will be good enough until I return to Bistro Pères et filles. [...]
Pingback by La tartine gourmande » Blog Archive » Soupe de melon vanillée - Vanilla Melon Soup — On July, 12th, 2006 at 10:32 pm
La Tartine Gourmande does it again…
La Tartine Gourmande does it again…
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