Blue Cheese And Dried Fruit Terrine Recipes

VEGETABLE TERRINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt it and blanch the beet greens for 1 minute. Remove the leaves and immediately rinse under ice-cold water to set their color. Gently lay flat on tea towels, and pat dry with another tea towel. They should be completely dry.
• Line a buttered terrine mold with a piece of parchment. Neatly lay in the beet leaves to cover the bottom and sides completely. They should dangle over the sides a bit so that they can be folded over the completed terrine later.
• Cook the cauliflower, carrots and peas one at a time in the same pot of boiling salted water, until very tender. Remove them and immediately rinse in ice-cold water to preserve their color. Drain well. Roast the pepper until very soft. Peel, seed and cut into pieces.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
• This terrine has five layers, so work one vegetable at a time. First put the cauliflower in the blender with 1/4 cup/60 ml cream and 1 egg. Pulse to a smooth puree. Pour into a small bowl and set aside. Rinse the blender and proceed with the remaining vegetables in the same manner, pouring their purees off into bowls and setting aside. Put the final egg and 1/4 cup/60 ml cream in the blender with the Parmesan cheese and puree to blend. Season each mixture with salt and pepper.
• If you pour one mixture on top of the other into the terrine, they will run together, so spoon them in instead. Start with the carrot, spooning it into the terrine and smoothing it out to the edges. Next, spoon over the cauliflower, followed by the peas. Spoon the Parmesan mixture over evenly, and end with the red pepper. If one leaks through to another layer, fear not: some think it is even more beautiful that way and in any case it will taste delicious. Fold the overhanging beet leaves over top to cover. Bake in a water bath until set, a good hour.
• Remove the terrine from the bath. Let it cool completely on a wire rack, and, if possible, chill in the refrigerator overnight so it sets well. At least half an hour before serving, turn the terrine out onto a cutting board or platter for serving in slices.

BLUE CHEESE AND DRIED FRUIT TERRINE

Steps:

• Mash the blue cheese and mascarpone together with the honey, if using, and pepper. (You can do this in the food processor, too, but it will cream the blue cheese so much that you get a greenish terrine. Not the end of the world, but just warning you.) Stir in the apricots, currants, figs, pistachios and walnuts. Season with pepper. Wrap in plastic and shape into a terrine. Refrigerate for several hours until firm. Serve with an assortment of rustic country breads or crackers and decorate with some whole dried fruits and nuts, if you like.

BLUE CHEESE AND SPICED WALNUT TERRINE

Steps:

• Mix salt, cumin, cardamom and pepper in medium bowl. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and sauté until light brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over nuts and sauté until sugar melts and turns pale amber, about 4 minutes. Transfer nut mixture to bowl with spices; toss to coat well. Let cool. Coarsely chop nuts.
• Lightly oil 8 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line pan with plastic wrap so that plastic extends over edges. Combine 12 ounces blue cheese, goat cheese, cream cheese and butter in processor and blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Stir in green onions and brandy. Mix parsley and chives in small bowl.
• Spoon 1/3 of cheese mixture into bottom of lined pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle 1/3 of remaining crumbled blue cheese evenly over cheese mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 of nuts over blue cheese. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of herb mixture. Repeat layering. Spread remaining cheese mixture evenly over top. Fold plastic over cheese to cover. Refrigerate overnight. Cover remaining blue cheese and herbs separately and refrigerate. Store remaining nuts at room temperature.
• Line platter with lettuce leaves. Unfold plastic from cheese. Carefully invert mold onto platter; remove pan and plastic. Sprinkle terrine with remaining blue cheese, nuts and herbs.