A Rustic Vegetable Terrine
The simplicity and rustic nature of this dish make it as colorful A layered tower of tender vegetables slide into a colorful mound on the plate. Tear off a chunk of crusty bread and soak up the juices. This is the perfect simple meal when you want an easy dish to prepare with a few pantry basics.
I often make this recipe on a day of cleaning out the gardens. It's a nice afternoon break and doesn’t require thought. I pull out odds and ends from the vegetable drawer and assemble the terrine. It then bakes for almost two hours while I head back out. Upon my return - dirty, tired and cold - a warm dinner welcomes me, and so good it smells.
When I say the dish has a rustic simplicity, this is actually quite the opposite of what anything 'terrine' typically conjures. A terrine, part of classical French cooking, refers to an oblong baking dish with deep sides in which ground or finely chopped and seasoned meats, or sometimes, vegetables are layered. It's either baked in a bain-marie (water bath) or molded by refrigerating. When the loaf is unmolded and sliced, the pretty layering is revealed. Often an intricate sauce is part of the recipe. I have great admiration for French cuisine, the Art of French Baking on my counter as I write. One its authors is Cloutide Dusoulier. She writes a wonderful French food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini and has several charming and authentic French recipes for terrines, including one with zucchini, carrots, herbs, eggs and goat cheese. Soon I will make her recipe. For now, I'm absorbed by the rose garden my husband and I are adding to our yard and myriad other projects. My cooking this Spring is efficient and healthful, to the point and meant to please.
This SimplyCooking® recipe breaks the rules for terrines. The process is far simpler, the ingredients basic; it's a broader interpretation that turns 'terrine' into a simple everyday recipe.
vegetable terrine
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 cloves peeled garlic
2 medium potatoes, Yukon Gold can be unpeeled
1 medium onion, peeled
1 zucchini
1/2 bell pepper
3 carrots, peeled
spinach leaves, about 1 cup
Salt, Celtic Sea Salt preferable
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning (or oregano, thyme, or rosemary or such)
1 14.5 oz tetra pack or jar of diced tomatoes or tomato puree
1 generous tsp. honey
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
Parmesan or goat cheese, grated (optional)
Measure out the oil and place peeled garlic cloves in the cup. Set aside while you prepare the dish.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice the vegetables (except spinach) very thinly, as thin as you can. Brush he sides and bottom of a loaf pan with some of the garlic oil, reserving the remainder for later. Layer half of the vegetables in the pan, starting with the potatoes and ending with the spinach. Arrange them neatly, pressing down as you go. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat the layering. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning. Empty the tomatoes into a bowl and stir in a generous spoonful of honey and spoon this over the vegetables. The pan will be mounded. Cover tightly with heavy duty foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 1 hour.
Remove the foil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and drizzle the reserved garlic infused oil over the top. Bake an additional 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before serving. Slice and top with a little grated Parmesan or goat cheese.
Note: For leftovers, let the baking dish cool completely, cover with wrap and refrigerate. Keep the leftovers in the original baking dish.
