Back Home and Basil Story — Retour chez moi et histoire de basilic

September 11, 2006


Millefeuille de tomate-mozzarella-pesto au basilic — Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil Pesto Millefeuille

The concept of Chez moi (At Home) is always ambiguous, isn’t it?

P. moved to the US from Ireland when he was eleven. To this day, his mum always tells us this story, after they had just moved to the US. One day, she took him and his sister for an ice-cream treat, in the suburbs of Chicago where they lived. Upon returning, she told P.: “Let’s go home“, to which he responded “Where? Ireland?”

Où est mon chez moi ?
Where is my home?

Not sure — it might take a lifetime to know the answer — but I however know that yesterday night, I felt I was back home, in Boston, after an enjoyable ten-day trip. It will take me a little while to settle back in the routine, so while this happens, I suggest that like me, you hurry up to make dishes like the one above, while your basil is yet not frozen. I came back to find mine a little shrivelled. I give it one week or two to survive. Maybe I should take the pot in and make a lot of pesto?

In any case, I cannot wait to let you know about my trip stories and meetings. Plein de belles et bonnes choses ! (Lots of pretty and good things!) And of course, read about your new food stories.

En attendant…
In the meantime….


Millefeuille de tomate-mozzarella-pesto

To make this millefeuille, make a fresh nice basil pesto with 1/2 cup fruity olive oil, 2 oz pine nuts, 3 garlic cloves, 2 oz freshly grated parmesan and a nice large bunch of fresh basil. Place the peeled garlic (without the germ) with the basil leaves, parmesan and pine nuts in a food processor. Mix well. Season with sea salt and pepper, then slowly pour the olive oil, while constantly stirring.
Use very fresh tomatoes (I use Heirloom) and a quality mozzarella. Then, make nice slices in the tomatoes ane mozzarella and simply layer them: a slice of tomato, pesto brushed on top, a slice of mozzarella and repeat for as many layers as the millefeuilles will stay up! (I did about 4 layers).
Pour a dash of olive oil and fleur de sel. Decorate with more basil leaves. Simple and delicious !

Le coin français

Pour réaliser ce millefeuille, faites un bon pesto de basilic frais avec 10 cl d’huile d’olive fruitée, 60 g de pignons de pin, 3 gousses d’ail, 60 g de parmesan frais râpé et un large bouquet de basilic frais. Placez les gousses d’ail pelées et dégermées dans un mixeur avec les pignons de pin, les feuilles de basilic, le parmesan. Mixez. Assaisonnez avec du sel de mer et du poivre, et ajoutez l’huile d’olive en filet, tout en remuant. La consistance doit être granuleuse. Utilisez des tomates de qualité, et une belle boule de mozzarella. Coupez de belles tranches fines dans les tomates et la mozzarella (de la même taille) et alternez une tranche de tomate, du pesto, de la mozzarella. Répétez les couches tant que les millefeuilles tiennent en place ! (environ 4 couches). Arrosez d’un filet d’huile d’olive et de fleur de sel. Décorez avec des feuilles de basilic fraîches. Simple et délicieux !

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Tagged as: Appetizers , Gluten Free , Vegetarian
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30 Comments »

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  1. C’est absolument magnifique !! A tomber même (sans jeu de mot par rapport au côté tour de pise du mille feuilles)

    Comment by Débo — On September, 11th, 2006 at 10:34 am

  2. J’adore ! avec ça dans son asiette c’est encore l’été

    Comment by Marmitedecathy — On September, 11th, 2006 at 12:00 pm

  3. Magnifique Tour de Pise, c’est comme en Italie.

    Comment by mamina — On September, 11th, 2006 at 12:04 pm

  4. TRop beau!on prolonge l’été…

    Comment by Chantal33 — On September, 11th, 2006 at 12:50 pm

  5. J’ai tout ce qu’il faut à la maison et j’ai justement refait du pesto hier ! superbe

    Comment by mercotte — On September, 11th, 2006 at 1:11 pm

  6. Tes recettes ont toujours l’air aussi bonnes que belles ! Félicitations !

    Comment by jujuly25 — On September, 11th, 2006 at 2:47 pm

  7. Oh, it’s a good idea, i like your sandwich !

    Comment by Fabienne — On September, 11th, 2006 at 2:48 pm

  8. il y a quelque chose de magique (de fascinant) dans cette petite tour qui ne tombe pas … et que l’on a envie de manger vite, vite avant qu’elle ne s’effondre !

    Comment by b@ — On September, 11th, 2006 at 3:47 pm

  9. nice and simple :)

    Comment by Kat — On September, 11th, 2006 at 7:07 pm

  10. this is such a creative and fresh way to present millefueille. Bea you are such an inspiration!

    Comment by jenjen — On September, 11th, 2006 at 10:06 pm

  11. Splendide! Es-tu allé faire des vacances à Pise (pour les couleurs, les saveur et l’inclinaison) par hasard ;-)
    Elle ne demande qu’une chose: Mangez-moi !!!

    Amitié
    Claude

    Comment by Claude-Olivier — On September, 12th, 2006 at 1:27 am

  12. Depend on Béa to make the simplest into the sublime and elegant!
    Beautiful.

    Comment by Tanna — On September, 12th, 2006 at 1:30 am

  13. très très joli! quel plaisir de venir ici, c’est toujours coloré et inventif!

    Comment by peggy — On September, 12th, 2006 at 2:02 am

  14. I looks delicious, dear Bea! I am also confused about home sometimes. I decided one year to make it a special project to find the essence of home and put it in a little place in my heart. Its funny that instead of a house or a place, home for me has become memories of a boat.

    Comment by Lucy Vanel — On September, 12th, 2006 at 2:35 am

  15. Ton imagination me surprend toujours, et j’adore quand je viens sur ton blog.
    En ce qui concerne les racines de chacun, ca devient de plus en plus difficile puisqu’on demenage plus facilement et meme d’un pays a un autre.

    Je considere toujours le midi comme mes racines puisque c’est de la que venait ma grand mere, mais je n’y ai jamais habité, et ma grand meme morte, je n’y retourne plus. Alors ou sont mes racines?! pas facile de repondre à cette question et interessant. Pas forcement dans la terre.

    Comment by texmex — On September, 12th, 2006 at 3:01 am

  16. What an extraordinary and delicious take on the millefeuille! This looks beautifully executed, and I can only imagine how yummy it must have tasted!

    Comment by Ellie — On September, 12th, 2006 at 3:37 am

  17. Superb presentation! I love it. Heard about your trip over at Lara’s. I’m so jealous… :-)

    Comment by Mae — On September, 12th, 2006 at 5:40 am

  18. Béa: How do you keep that thing up? I didn’t notice any adhésive in the ingredients!

    Comment by David — On September, 12th, 2006 at 6:05 am

  19. C’est tres beau, mais comment tu fais pour la manger sans tout detruire?
    Bon retour at home.

    Comment by Gracianne — On September, 12th, 2006 at 7:40 am

  20. Yes, it also reminds me of a mille feuille. How on earth did you manage it without it falling over. it does look magnificent and am sure it must have tasted so also.

    Comment by Ed — On September, 12th, 2006 at 8:36 am

  21. Beautiful colors in this picture! Great high key picture :)

    Comment by Jeff — On September, 12th, 2006 at 9:04 am

  22. Encore une photo magnifique!

    Comment by helene — On September, 12th, 2006 at 11:20 am

  23. So simple and yet so elegant. Wow!
    I wish I could have a slice now.

    Dianka

    Comment by Dianka — On September, 12th, 2006 at 12:52 pm

  24. o my god, that picture looks amazing!! that oily basil pesto…
    I’m literary d r o o l i n g right now…
    can’t wait to read your new food stories =)

    Comment by julia — On September, 12th, 2006 at 1:02 pm

  25. Merci Debo!

    Cathy, oui tu as bien raison

    Mamina, oui completement ;-)

    Chantal, eh oui, si on pouvait en garder un peu, ca serait bien !

    Mercotte, j’espere que tu auras aime !

    Jujuly25, merci.

    Fabienne, thanks.

    B, c’est vrai qu’elle etait rigolote a regarder et a photographier.

    Kat, thanks.

    Jenjen, very sweet of you. Thanks.

    Claude-Olivier, ah mais si seulement, je n’y suis jamais alle, figure-toi.

    Tanna, thanks my dear ;-)

    Peggy, ahah, et tu vois, meme sans etre en Italie, j’y suis un peu.

    Lucy, yes you are right. It is such a vague concept and hard to know, it is also different places depending on the moment in life.

    Texmex, oui. Il y a sans doute un melange une fois qu’on voyage et qu’on vit ailleurs.

    Ellie, thanks.

    Mae, you will have to make a trip here, or us there!

    David, secret ingredient. It is a French thing, un je-ne-sais-quoi ;-)

    Gracianne, justement, tu la detruis ;-)

    Ed, well, it took some care, and I had to go slow. But it held -)

    Jeff, thanks a lot!

    Helene, merci

    Dianka, ;-)

    Julia, fresh pesto is the best, isn’t it?

    Comment by Béa — On September, 12th, 2006 at 10:06 pm

  26. C’est magnifique or in English bloody brilliat Bea.

    Comment by barbara — On September, 13th, 2006 at 1:43 am

  27. ton concept “at home” est crochu chez moi !

    Comment by lilizen — On September, 13th, 2006 at 3:18 am

  28. home is where your heart is.
    Thanks for this splendid food, and reminds me to harvest my basil :)

    Comment by gattina — On September, 13th, 2006 at 5:08 am

  29. Barbara, indeed!~ ;-)

    Lilizen, ah mais que oui !

    Gattina, yes make good use of it before it is too late!

    Comment by Béa — On September, 13th, 2006 at 7:31 am

  30. Welcome back, Bea, I am certain that you will have some amazing photos and beautiful tales!

    (please tell me that someday your prints will be availalbe for purchase! That tomato really needs to be in my kitchen…)

    Comment by s'kat — On September, 13th, 2006 at 1:48 pm

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