13 Colorful Layers: Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese Terrine with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
A thick slice of terrine served with sun-dried tomato sauce
Looking for something different for a gathering or to start off a dinner? This beautiful terrine will surprise and please your guests with its layers of colors and flavors.
Sometimes you just have to spend a couple hours or more in the kitchen on just one appetizer, when you want to impress a few people. This dish is something you don’t see all that often, but aside from the time required, it’s really not difficult to prepare. It’s a perfect dish to wow your family or friends at holidays, dinners, cocktail parties, or any type of gathering. The terrine is served cold and must settle in the refrigerator at least 8 hours to firm up, so it’s a great dish to make the day before and bust out when the guests roll up.
This terrine here is basically a stack of delicious vegetables. In combination with the roasted peppers; the goat cheese, olive oil, and herb mixture in the center; and the sun-dried tomato sauce, they become part of a tower of varying tastes and textures. It’s nicely moist without being watery; this is from the olive oil and cheese, and from brushing the veggies with olive oil when roasting.
Terrine, by the way, comes from terre, the French word for Earth, and describes both a glazed earthenware pan and a loaf like this that is made in one. Earthenware terrines usually go for $100. I use a metal bread pan with no difficulties. Make sure whatever you use has a nonstick surface though, as you need to invert the pan and slide the terrine out at the end.
Now, this dish requires a tremendous amount of prep work, consisting of slicing, roasting, broiling, blanching, mixing, and arranging. It also calls for every type of vegetable on this Earth, so you’ll be picking up a basketfull of produce. But please don’t let these facts turn you away. Give yourself a few hours for shopping and prepping, put on some music, and take your time when assembling the terrine, and you’ll have something of which you can be proud.
Slicing it is a bit tricky. Use a serrated knife if you have one.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: FoodNetwork.com
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for oiling pans
1 (1-pound) globe eggplant, stem and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1 pound zucchini, stem and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, stem and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces soft, mild goat cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large red bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, cored, seeds and skins removed, cut into 3 or 4 large pieces
16 ounces fresh spinach, washed, stems removed, then blanched, squeezed dry, and coarsely chopped
2 large yellow bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, cored, seeds and skins removed, cut into 3 or 4 large pieces
1 recipe Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
Toasted croutons, for serving
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease with olive oil. Arrange some of the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash slices in a single layer on the sheets, slightly overlapping them. Brush with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake until soft and just golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining vegetable slices.
In a large bowl, combine the goat cheese with the basil, parsley, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and mix well.
In a 6-cup terrine (12 by 3 by 3 inches), arrange the eggplant slices crosswise over the bottom and up the sides, overlapping the slices to completely cover the terrine. The ends of the slices should overhang the sides of the terrine. Top the eggplant with thin layers of red bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, spinach, and yellow bell pepper. Crumble a layer of the goat cheese mixture on top of the yellow bell pepper, and repeat the layering with the remaining vegetable slices. Bring the overhanging eggplant slices up over the terrine. Wrap the terrine loosely in plastic wrap. Top with an equal-size terrine or a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil. Place a brick or heavy pot on top of the terrine and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or for up to 24 hours.
Remove the terrine from the refrigerator. Remove the weight and unwrap. Slice with a very sharp knife and serve 1 thick or 2 thin slices per person with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and toasted croutons.
Sun Dried Tomato Sauce
1 cup tightly packed sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed), reconstituted in hot water and drained
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper and puree on high speed. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until well combined. Pour into a container until ready to serve.
Yield: about 2 cups
Cook’s Notes: The recipe doesn’t say how to get the terrine out of the pan. The terrine will be packed in tightly from being under the weight, so let the terrine pan sit in a pan of warm water for a few minutes, to loosen the terrine. Then invert the terrine onto a serving platter or cutting board.
The Thirteen Layers:
Layer 1: Eggplant
Layer 2: Roasted Red Pepper
Layer 3: Zucchini
Layer 4: Yellow Squash
Layer 5: Spinach
Layer 6: Roasted Yellow Pepper
Layer 7: Goat Cheese Mixed with Olive Oil, Parsley, and Basil
Layer 8: Roasted Red Pepper
Layer 9: Zucchini
Layer 10: Yellow Squash
Layer 11: Spinach
Layer 12: Roasted Yellow Pepper
Layer 13: Eggplant from Layer 1, Folded Over to Seal the Terrine
And finally…
The finished product
December 14th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
wow this looks amazing and delicious
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:55 am
Terrines are so great for making in advance. Your sundried tomato sauce looks fantastic!
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:51 am
I have made this for Christmas but I put it in one of my mother’s old jello molds, this particular one is a fish, and redid the layers so that the eggplant,squash and zucchini were the “scales”. I’m going to make one for a fall party and use carrots(?) to make it a pumpkin. Lots of prep work, sooo impressive!
January 7th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
For an appetizer terrine that I make every Christmas (layers of provolone, pesto, garlic cream, sundried tomatoes) I use dampened cheesecloth to line the pan. This makes removing the terrine a cinch.