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If someone asked me to pass the terrine please I would be stumped for a second until I ask them if they wanted a dish or mold which is a glazed earthenware object, usually terra cotta, having vertical sides, a cover and is a mainstay of a French cuisine kitchen.
Or I would ask them if they were referring to the French forcemeat that is served at room temperature after it is cooked and if that is what they wanted they would be in the wrong kitchen.
However, if they wanted a terrine of fresh garden vegetables then they would be in the correct kitchen.
As an artist, I love the fact that terrines, whether purely vegetarian or made with meat, are made in layers that give an appealing array of colors to the eye before giving a grand treat to the palate.
As a grower of and cooker who uses a lot of herbs the terrine holds more appeal for me because many recipes include layers of herbs thus adding more texture, flavor and intrigue.
Terrines can easily be used as an appetizer or a main course and basically are simple to make.
Today, terrine pans or molds are not only earthenware, but metal and now even Teflon and silicone pans of either oblong or oval shape and are especially made for terrine cooking which requires uniform heating. Some of these pans now come with hinged sides and removable bottoms for ease of turning out one’s terrine.
The terrine whether it is sweet or savory is basically French country fare that can easily be adapted to the American kitchen.
Here is one of my favorite vegetable terrines.
Carrot and Turnip Terrine
I coat my terrine pan with butter and parmesan cheese on all the sides and the bottom.
(If you don’t have a terrine pan then use a 3 x 5 x 9 inch loaf pan and line with strips of wax paper on the bottom and sides. I would spray the sides and bottom with something like Pam and then the wax paper will easily adhere to the bottom and sides and then coat the wax paper with butter and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.)
In the meantime I have 3 pots of boiling water on the stove and into pot number one I put in about 4 chopped fresh carrots and cook until tender. In pot number two I put in 2 peeled medium turnips chopped into cubes and cook until tender. In pot number three I put in 2 cups of fresh shelled or frozen broad beans and cook until tender. If I use fresh broad beans I wait until I can handle them and pop off the skins.
I then put my carrots in my blender or food processor with 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of light cream and 1 egg and puree until smooth and I season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. When done I empty the blender or food processor, quickly rinse it out and then do the same thing with the turnips adding 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of light cream and 1 egg and puree until smooth again seasoning with salt and paper. Again I pour out the turnips into a separate bowl and then rinse the blender or food processor so I can now add the broad beans with 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of light cream and 1 egg and puree until smooth again seasoning with salt and pepper and I let these just sit until I am ready to add them to the terrine.
Prior to doing all the pureeing I preheat my oven to 325°F.
Now I pour my carrots into my prepared terrine or loaf pan, level out and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh chervil.
Here comes the lovely color as I add the next layer which is the board beans. I level them out onto of the carrots and add 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh chervil.
Finally I add the last layer of color which is to top the whole thing with the turnip puree.
Now I am ready to bake it in a Bain-Marie. Don’t get excited you don’t need to go out and buy a new appliance. Bain-Marie is a cooking method used whenever cooking a delicate dish such as an egg-set terrine. Just put a set your terrine pan in a larger pan filled with very hot water and place in the oven. I like to be safe, so I put my terrine in the larger pan, put the pan in the oven and gently pour my very, very hot water into the larger pan.
Now I bake this whole thing for about 90 minutes or until the terrine is firm to the touch and I can put a skewer into the center and it comes out clean.
I remove from oven, turn off oven, put on a cookie rack or other cooling rack and let it cool thoroughly before I turn this whole thing out.
Once I determine it is cool enough, I loosen the sides of the terrine by running a knife down its sides between the wax paper and the pan providing I used wax paper) or just down the sides of my terrine pan if I did not use wax paper. I put a plate on top of the terrine and invert the whole thing onto the plate. I now remove any wax paper and carefully using a very sharp knife I cut the terrine using a sawing motion and put individual slices on a plate.
I serve it with a nice sauce made from fresh tomatoes that I whipped up in the blender while the terrine was cooling. Just put 4 large or 8 medium tomatoes quartered into the blender with 1 small onion chopped fine, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic and a pinch of salt. Blend well and pour into a serving dish.
This is a great dish to make ahead of time and then serve the next day to your guests who will enjoy this and wonder how you accomplished this colorful, tasty masterpiece.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries and to take a walk through her pictorial garden or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Many of her articles written for Greenthumbarticles have paintings she has created of the subject and they can be seen at her “How to Do It” site. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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