Vegetable Terrine

This requires a little bit of time to prepare, but the layers of colour in the slices make it worth it.

Ingredients:

• 320g frozen spinach
• 2 red peppers
• 2 yellow peppers
• 2 large aubergines, ends removed and sliced lengthwise into 0.5 cm slices
• 3 large courgettes, ends removed and sliced lengthwise into 0.5 cm slices
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeds removed and sliced lengthwise into 0.5 cm slices
• 100ml olive oil
• 250g soft goats cheese
• 12g fresh basil, finely chopped
• 25g flat leaved parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
2. Put the spinach in a saucepan over a medium-low heat an place a lid on it. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, while you prepare everything else.
3. Use a blow torch or a grill on high to char the outside of the peppers. Once they are charred, place in a plastic bag while still hot and tie a knot in the bag while they cool.
4. Spread the slices of aubergine, courgette and squash on baking trays and brush both sides with olive oil.
5. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until they start to colour.
6. While the slices are roasting (unless you have a huge oven they'll take two or three batches), mix the cheese, basil and parsley in a mixing bowl before seasoning with salt and pepper.
7. Use a tap of running water and your fingers to rub all the charred skin off the peppers. Slice the peeled flesh of the peppers into large but flat slices.
8. Once everything is ready, lay it all out on plates in front of you.
9. Line a 1 lb loaf tin with two long strips of cling film, one in each direction.
10. Carefully arrange the slices of aubergine around the inside of the tin, making sure the edges poke out the top by about an inch, but that there aren't any gaps.
11. Next place the various components into layers on the bottom of the dish in the following order (from first to last):
    1. red pepper
    2. courgette
    3. butternut squash
    4. spinach (all of it)
    5. yellow pepper
    6. goat cheese (you might not need all of it)
    7. yellow pepper
    8. courgette
    9. red pepper
12. Fold the edges of the aubergine back over the top of the terrine, followed by the cling film.
13. Place a large plate on top of the tin and about a kilogram of weight on the top of the plate.
14. Put into the fridge with something under it to catch the liquid which will be pressed out.
15. Leave to compress and chill for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours.
16. When ready to serve, undo the cling film, place a plate over the top, turn over and then gently tap the loaf tin to get the terrine to drop out.
17. Slice with a sharp knife and serve with a spoon of sun-dried tomato tapenade.

Serves 8 to 10 as a starter.