Pack up for the beach. The cheerful people and gulls singing a cappella in the sunshine culminate the summer spirit. Here’s a great recipe to highlight any beachcombing day.

Chilled Summer Vegetable Terrine

The secret to a good terrine is the flavor and making sure that the ingredients are packed tightly into the loaf mold. First, line a non-metal loaf mold with plastic wrap. Then follow the directions for this colorful vegetable presentation that is a feast for the eyes and palate.

Prepare shaved linear slices of cucumber by marinating in:
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1 Tbl. vinegar
1 Tbl. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 sliced onion
for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Prepare whole thin carrots by shaving off the skin and steaming. Prepare shaved asparagus by steaming. Both the carrots and the asparagus can be steamed with quartered slices of red and yellow bell peppers. Boiled eggplant can be used as a filler for the terrine.

Once the plastic wrap has been placed in the mold, line the mold with the thin linear slices of the marinated cucumbers, slightly overlapping. Then fill the mold with alternating rows of the whole steam carrots and the whole shaved asparagus. Add thin layers of chopped eggplant between the rows of carrots and asparagus. Add a row red and yellow bell peppers for color and flavor. Press the vegetables down gently, to pack the rows tightly.

On the stove, heat 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock, as needed for the size of the terrine. Add unflavored gelatin by following the directions on the package. When cool enough, pour the stock over the vegetables in the terrine. Chill the mixture until set and serve cold.
When unmolded, the vegetable terrine can be artistically decorated or sliced for plating. The cut slices will resemble artistic confetti for a delightful summer celebratory moment.