Courgette Mille Feuilles Layered zucchini & yellow squash with tomato coulis and pistou sauce

This is a lovely summery dish which can be made in advance and served cold. It combines fresh tomato coulis with lightly seared layers of zucchini, tangy goat cheese and basil pistou - the provence style pesto.

For 12 portions

2 zucchinis

2 yellow squash

4 or 5 large, over ripe beefsteak tomatoes

1 tangy young goats cheese log

2 dozen or so basil leaves plus basil top garnishes

3 medium sized garlic cloves

1/2 cup of good quality olive oil

A splash of good quality red wine or raspberry vinegar

A few pinches of finishing salt - fleure de sel from the Camargue or other flake salt

The juice of 1/2 a lemon, plus a bit of zest.

Optional:

Toasted pine nuts as a garnish

Start by cutting the raw zucchini and yellow squash in half then lengthwise to make 1/4 inch thick layers. Sear these in hot high heat non flavored oil, such as organic cold pressed sunflower oil, to a light golden brown on each side and set aside to cool.

Tomato Coulis

Use very red ripe tomatoes- I like the heirloom beefsteak variety for this. Core and plunge them into boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and rinse with cold water. Once they have cooled down, gently squeeze out the water by pressing them one by one gently between your hands - collect the water to drink as a refreshing beverage on its own.. tomato water:) this is an important step so that your coulis is not too watery! Once the water has been extracted place each tomato in a manual food mill and grind them, back and forth, over a bowl - what comes out is the pulp of the tomato, leaving the skins and seeds as waste to discard.

Season the tomato coulis with a splash of the vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly chopped basil. Set aside or refrigerate until serving. Salt is optional - taste it first!

Pistou Provencale

In a food processor add the rest of the fresh basil leaves with the garlic, 1/4 c of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice. Purée. Serve on top of or on the side of the zucchini.

The assembly

Once you’ve made the above recipes you’re ready to assemble your dish.

Layer 2-3 slices of the seared zucchini and yellow squash together with a teaspoon of fresh goats cheese in the center of each layer.

Place a couple of tablespoons of the tomato coulis on a plate, and the zucchini layers with goats cheese on top.

Garnish with the pistou sauce, toasted pine nuts and a sprig of fresh basil.

Et voila! This colorful dish can be served hours later, cold or at room temperature.