Vegetable and Polenta Terrine

Great for dinner-party guests who don’t eat meat, this unusual, delicious vegetarian terrine combines polenta with courgettes, onions, peppers, sunblush tomatoes and sweetcorn

Vegetable and Polenta Terrine

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 courgettes trimmed and sliced
  • 2 red onions peeled and sliced
  • 2 red peppers deseeded and sliced
  • 250 g 8oz polenta
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
  • 60 g 2oz butter
  • 75 g 2½oz Parmesan, grated
  • 198 g can sweetcorn drained
  • 8 sunblush tomatoes in oil drained
  • 8 basil leaves
  • 900 g 2lb loaf tin, lined with baking parchment

Instructions
 

  • Set the oven to gas mark 7 or 220°C. Put the oil, courgette, red onion and pepper into a large roasting tin. Stir to coat in oil, then roast for 20 mins until tender and beginning to char.
  • Put polenta into a pan, add some salt, garlic and 1 litre (1¾ pints) boiling water. Heat and stir for a few minus until thickened and coming away from the sides of pan. Stir in the butter, Parmesan and sweetcorn, and season with pepper.
  • Arrange tomatoes and basil on the base of loaf tin. Spoon over half of the warm polenta mixture and level surface. Arrange half of the roasted vegetables on top. Cover with the rest of the polenta, then arrange the rest of the roasted vegetables on top.
  • Cover with baking parchment and wrap in foil. Cool and chill for 4 hours, or overnight.
  • To serve: Set oven to gas mark 6 or 200°C. Warm in the oven for 25 mins. Turn out and slice.

Notes

Look out for instant polenta (find it in supermarkets). It thickens in just a couple of mins when heated.