Roasted Vegetable Terrine

A pressed, layered terrine with no binder: roasted eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and bell peppers, a goat-cheese herb spread and a sun-dried-tomato walnut pesto, wrapped in spinach and weighted overnight.

Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is here for the Pâtés and Terrines section and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.

Ingredients

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large yellow bell pepper
• ½ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
• 1 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
• 1 large yellow squash, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
• Salt and pepper, as needed to season the roasted vegetables
• 2 pounds fresh spinach
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese
• ⅓ cup minced basil
• 2 tablespoons minced oregano
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced thyme
• ½ teaspoon chile flakes
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Broil the peppers 4 inches from the element, turning, until charred all over, about 30 minutes. Steam them covered 20 minutes, then peel and seed.
2. Brush the eggplant, zucchini and squash slices with oil, season, and roast at 450 °F until tender, 35–40 minutes. Blanch the spinach 2 minutes and squeeze it dry.
3. Mix ¼ cup of the oil with the goat cheese, half the basil, the oregano, parsley, thyme and half the chile flakes.
4. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in 2 cups boiling water 10 minutes. Drain, and purée with the remaining ¼ cup oil, basil and chile, the walnuts, Parmesan and vinegar.
5. Line a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving 4 inches of overhang, and line the sides with two-thirds of the spinach.
6. Layer: eggplant, half the pesto, zucchini, the goat cheese, peppers, the rest of the pesto, squash, and the remaining spinach.
7. Fold the plastic over, set a piece of cardboard on top, weight with three 15-ounce cans and chill at least 8 hours.
8. Turn out and slice 1 inch thick.

Notes

Source Adapted from “Roasted Vegetable Terrine,” Saveur (November 2012).

A terrine by mold, not by farce Nothing binds it but pressure and the soft cheese and pesto; vegetables have no gelatin of their own. It slices cleanly only when it is cold and well pressed — slice with a thin, hot knife.

The Pâtés and Terrines section’s Fish and Vegetable Terrines page (/pates-and-terrines/fish-and-vegetable/) covers the history and technique behind this dish.

The photo The photograph is a stand-in: a layered vegetable purée terrine, not this pressed roasted-vegetable one.