Summer Tomato Terrine Recipes

SUMMER TOMATO TERRINE

Steps:

• Bring large pot of water to boil. Using slotted spoon, dip tomato in for a few seconds and remove. Repeat until skin cracks, and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. Slip skins off, and cut tomatoes in half. Remove cores and seeds. Cut flesh into 1/4-inch dice, and place in large bowl.
• In a small sauté pan over low heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and sauté garlic just until softened, not browned. Add to tomatoes with onion, vinegar and remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix well.
• Line an 11 1/2-by-4-by-3-inch terrine with plastic wrap. Remove crust from bread, and cut loaf lengthwise to make a slice 1/4 inch thick to fit bottom of mold. (If necessary, use more than one slice, fitting them together in an even layer.) Spoon a third of the tomatoes evenly across bread, and sprinkle with a third of the parsley.
• Top with another 1/4-inch layer of bread. Add a third of the tomatoes and a third of the parsley. Repeat with last layers of bread, tomato and parsley, and top with bread. Spread any juices over bread. Cover with plastic, and place brick or similar weight on top. Refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, lift terrine from mold and remove plastic wrap. Using a serrated knife, cut terrine into slices 1/2-inch thick. Serve 2 as side dish, or 3 as first course.

SUMMER VEGETABLE TERRINE

Steps:

• Roast beets:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Trim beets, leaving 1/2 inch of stems intact. Divide between 2 sheets of heavy-duty foil and wrap foil to enclose beets. Roast in a shallow baking pan until very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let steam in foil 15 minutes, then peel beets and cut into 1-inch-wide wedges if large. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make gelatin mixture while beets roast:
• Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of water, agitating them, then lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a 3-quart saucepan. Add carrots to leeks along with sliced celery, shallots, wine, salt, peppercorns, and 3 cups cold water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.
• Add celery leaves, herb stems, and coarse parts of chives and simmer 10 minutes. Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure or heatproof bowl, discarding solids. If stock measures more than 2 1/2 cups, return to saucepan and boil until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 10 to 15 minutes. If there is less, add water. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir gelatin into remaining 1/4 cup cold water and let stand 1 minute to soften, then add to hot stock, stirring until dissolved. Set aside.
• Prepare beans:
• Boil haricots verts and wax beans in separate batches in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until very tender, 6 to 7 minutes per batch, transferring with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain in a colander and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble terrine:
• Very lightly oil terrine, then line long sides and bottom with a sheet of plastic wrap, smoothing out any wrinkles and allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on each side. Pour about 1/2 cup gelatin mixture into terrine and quick-chill in freezer until just set, about 10 minutes.
• Lay one third of beans lengthwise over set gelatin layer. Sprinkle with one third of chopped herbs (including chives), then loosely top with half of beets, leaving some space between them (for gelatin to fill and hold vegetables together). Repeat layering with half of remaining beans and herbs and all of beets, then end with a third layer of beans and herbs. Stir remaining gelatin mixture again, then slowly pour in all but 1/2 cup (reserve remainder at room temperature), pushing down vegetables if necessary to just cover with gelatin mixture. Chill, uncovered, until top is set, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• If reserved 1/2 cup gelatin mixture has begun to set, heat until just liquefied but not hot, then pour over set terrine. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• To serve:
• Run a thin knife along short sides (ends) of terrine, then invert terrine onto a cutting board, gently pulling on plastic overhang to help unmold (discard plastic wrap). Carefully cut terrine with a very sharp knife into 8 slices, transferring each slice to a plate as cut, using a metal spatula to hold outside of each slice steady. Drizzle oil (1/4 cup) around plates and sprinkle fleur de sel and pepper over oil and terrine.

THE GYPSY CHICKS' SUMMER TERRINE FOR A PARTY!

Steps:

• The bread tin I used is a common, medium size which measures about 7 ½ inches x 3 ½ at the bottom, with slightly flared sides. It is 2 ½ inches deep. (19 ½ cm x 8 cm at the bottom, 5 ½ cm deep).
• This is best started the afternoon before.
• Put the red peppers in an oven dish which holds them fairly snugly.
• Grill -- this will take about 20 minutes. Turn them frequently and make sure the pepper skins are wrinkly and slightly charred all over. Remove, cover and cool. When cool, peel the peppers thoroughly, slice, and remove all seeds and ribs. Save as much liquid as possible with the slices. Cover and save in fridge. (This can be done the afternoon before).
• Next morning, bring a pot of water to the boil, and dip in the chard leaves one by one, for 30 seconds each. Put on kitchen paper to drain - they only need to "relax", not cook.
• If using the dried mushrooms, let them soak in warm water and leave.
• Measure the tomato juice into a measuring cup - it should be 12 fluid oz or 375 ml. Pour a little of the juice into a small pot, add the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and sugar, and stir over low heat. Sprinkle over 4 teaspoons gelatine and stir in with the back of a spoon. Do NOT boil - all you want to do is dissolve the gelatine in warm to hot juice.
• When dissolved, stir into the rest of the juice.
• Oil your bread tin with olive oil. Cut the ribs from the chard with scissors, and line the bread tin with the chard, overlapping as neatly as possible. Pour the tomato juice into the prepared tin, then put it in the fridge to set while you continue.
• Clean the fresh mushrooms, and slice. In a pot, put the olive oil, and over medium heat fry the mushrooms. Add the soaked mushrooms (taken out of the soaking water by hand, and squeezed lightly. Keep the soaking liquid!). Cook the mushrooms until soft. (You can use any mushrooms, but try and get some cooking juice from them, to soak the gelatine in).
• While they cook, add the sherry, nutmeg, some salt and black pepper to the pot and stir.
• Process or puree the mushrooms until coarsely pureed, having remembered to keep some pot juices back. You should have about 1 ½ cups or 375 ml. Scrape into a bowl.
• Using 4 tablespoons of the mushroom soaking liquid or pot juices, put into the (rinsed) pot you used before, and sprinkle over 4 teaspoons gelatine. Again, using the back of a spoon, stir over low heat until the gelatine granules are dissolved. Stir this into the mushroom puree and mix well. The mushroom mixture will probably be very warm still at this stage, so let cool over a draft to lukewarm, stirring now and then but do not let it set. Carry on with the prep.
• Drain the artichoke hearts very well, then slice them up. You won't need them all, and it's not possible to slice them neatly.
• By now the first layer, the tomato juice, will have set. Scrape out the mushroom puree over the tomato layer and smooth out. Then lay one layer of artichoke pieces over the mushroom layer, pressing in very slightly. Season with black pepper and sprinkle with the lime juice. (Save leftovers for a salad). Put terrine back into fridge for mushroom layer to set.
• Cut up the peeled pepper slices, saving all the juice for the gelatine stage. (If not enough you may have to add a teaspoon or so of water). Save the juices to the small pot. (Just rinse after every use and use same pot!).
• Using your processor or blender, process the pepper flesh until smooth. Add the cream and process again. Add 1 teaspoon salt: this mixture definitely benefits from a little more salt than seems necessary.
• You should again have about 1 ½ cups puree (375 ml). Again, dissolve gelatine in the pepper juice, but this time you need more gelatine (6 teaspoons) because peppers do not set easily.
• If the mushroom mixture has set a little by now, scrape the pepper mixture over it, and smooth the top. The bread tin should be full by now.
• Sprinkle the top (which will be the bottom) with dried breadcrumbs. Use more, if necessary, to cover well, and pat flat lightly.
• With kitchen scissors, cut off the bits of chard leaves hanging over the sides of the tin.
• Cover the tin with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 4 hours or preferably overnight. Dipping the bottom of the bread tin in hot water helps when you try to turn out the terrine, and also loosen the sides carefully first, with the thin blade of a paring knife.
• Turn out on a rectangular dish, and garnish to taste. I only used sliced tomato and caperberries for a garnish. This is best served with mayonnaise flavoured with a little mustard, with a good vinaigrette, or even plain as it comes.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO TERRINE

Steps:

• Make vegetable broth:
• Core tomatoes and cut a shallow X in bottom of each, then blanch tomatoes in boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking.
• Peel tomatoes using tip of a small paring knife, reserving skins. With tomatoes standing on stem ends, cut off outer layer of flesh (follow curve of tomato) from each side, leaving seedy interior and reserving flesh and interior (with juices) separately.
• Make gelatin mixture:
• Very lightly oil terrine, then line long sides and bottom with a sheet of plastic wrap, smoothing any wrinkles and allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on each side.
• Whisk gelatin into cooled 1/2 cup broth and let stand 5 minutes for gelatin to soften. Add to hot broth, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Put gelatin mixture in a metal bowl and quick-chill by setting bowl in an ice bath and stirring occasionally until cool.
• Stir herbs into cooled gelatin mixture and continue to stir (in ice bath) until it has a syrupy consistency.
• Assemble terrine:
• Pour enough gelatin mixture into terrine to come 1/4 inch up sides. Put terrine in freezer 10 minutes to set gelatin.
• Completely cover set gelatin with a layer of tomato, rounded sides down. Pour a little of cooled (but not set) gelatin mixture over tomatoes to just cover them. Continue layering tomatoes and gelatin mixture. (Work quickly to keep gelatin mixture from setting; if it begins to set, remelt over barely simmering water, then quick-chill in ice bath, stirring gently, until syrupy.) Pour a final layer of gelatin mixture over top, letting it seep into spaces between tomatoes (make sure gelatin mixture covers tomatoes).
• Pour any remaining gelatin mixture into a shallow bowl and chill separately. Gently push down on surface of terrine to make sure there aren't any air pockets, then chill in refrigerator, covered, at least 8 hours.
• Run a thin knife along short sides (ends) of terrine, then invert onto a cutting board or a platter, gently pulling on plastic overhang to help unmold (discard plastic wrap). Carefully slice terrine with an electric knife or a very sharp thin knife, using a metal spatula to hold outside of each slice steady and transferring each slice to a plate. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Chop extra gelatin (from bowl) and serve on the side.

TOMATO TERRINE

Steps:

• Drain the tomatoes from oil, remove cores and discard skin. In a sauté pan, heat to a boil 2 cups of tomato water with the lemongrass and thyme. Off the heat, stir in the gelatin, then the vinegar. Add the tomatoes to the water, then place the pan in a bowl of ice to cool.
• When the liquid begins to set, lay tomatoes, cut side up, in a plastic wrap-lined terrine or loaf pan. Continue filling until you've used all the tomatoes. Pour a thin layer of tomato water over the tomatoes. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, unmold and slice with a bread knife.