C is for capsicum and courgette

Yes, I know that B follows A, but Margaretha is going to show her recipe for beets on It's always teatime so I am going straight to C. This dish is also known as my Christmas terrine because it is one of my vegetarian alternatives for those who don't want goose or turkey at Christmas.
I vary the recipe according to what I have in my vegetable box or even the store cupboard because, if necessary, I can rustle it up in no time from jars of roasted peppers (capsicums), aubergines, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and almost any other selection from the deli shelves.

Today I had a few courgettes, an aubergine, a red pepper and a yellow pepper in the cold store (i.e. the garage!) so I cooked the dish from scratch.

1. I sliced the courgettes and aubergine thinly, spread them on baking sheets, drizzled with olive oil and roasted them in the hot oven until they were soft but not brown - about 15 minutes. I put the two peppers in the oven for about 30 minutes and then placed them in a bowl covered with cling wrap until the skin could be peeled off easily and the flesh sliced.
   
2. I cooked about 3 ounces of basmati rice but I could have used rice left over from another meal.
3. I found some goats cheese in the fridge but sometimes I use mozarella or grated cheddar.
4. The store cupboard yielded a jar of roasted tomatoes and one of piquante peppadews.
5. Then it was simply a matter of assembling the ingredients in a loaf pan. A layer of courgettes topped by a colourful pepper, a layer of cheese and then aubergine. Next the cooked rice and some basil leaves, the tomatoes and peperdews, more aubergine, the rest of the cheese, more coloured pepper and the final slices of courgette.
6. The terrine is covered with aluminium foil and baked for about 30 to 40 minutes until it heated right through.
7. Serve with a salad.

It sounds complicated but once the ingredients are assembled it is really easy to assemble, especially if you use all bottled vegetables. My Christmas Day dish looks more elegant because I prepare it the day before and take more care with the presentation. As I said yesterday, presentation is not one of my strengths but I promise that the flavour is always good.

Yesterday's vegetable had alternative names - aubergine and eggplant; today's courgette is also known as zucchini; Margaretha is covering B with her beets; I can see that I'll be through the vegetable alphabet in no time. If anyone else would like to join in please do, either in the comments, or on your own blog and leave a link here for us to follow.