We discovered that finding truly excellent pâtés is not so easy when we organized a comprehensive pâté and terrine tasting featuring no fewer than 6 manufacturers about a month ago. However, this makes it all the easier to distinguish quality and top-notch flavor from the less impressive examples. Among all the contenders, the terrines from Maison Telme stood out so much that the winner was quickly apparent: Maison Telme produces exceptional terrines with a high meat content, very juicy, without egg, milk, or bread, without colorings, flavor enhancers, or preservatives, but with a delicious jelly and a rich bouquet of aromas. You can tell that this family business is run with a lot of love and dedication – and the lovingly designed labels are also an eye-catcher.
At the beginning of the week, the long-awaited delivery from Provence finally arrived, and now the colorful jars and cans are piling up on our freshly restocked pâté shelf. As luck would have it, just 2 days later, a friend delighted us with rhubarb and zucchini grown in his own garden. And so the recipe of the week was quickly decided: zucchini stuffed with Provençal terrine! This time without any recipe template or long browsing through food blogs.
For me, stuffed vegetables are the prototype of "soul food": simple, hearty, and somehow full of memories. Personally, they remind me of my grandmother, of holidays in Provence, of childhood. But unlike my uncle's chicken fricassee, for which I also have fond childhood memories, stuffed vegetables are among the dishes that I still like to prepare myself today, simply and freely according to my mood.
Surely each and every one of you has your own (family) recipe ready. And as for which one is the best, that can certainly be debated at least as passionately as what belongs in a good potato salad ...
Our recipe of the week is deliberately kept very minimalist this time. It was important to me that both the wonderful garden zucchini and the delicious terrine take center stage in terms of flavor. That is why I used neither egg nor soaked bread for the stuffing, nor cheese and breadcrumbs for gratinating. Whether you choose to omit them is up to you.
Actually – this should be briefly mentioned here – the terrines from Maison Telme are almost too good to cook with. But since it can occasionally happen that you don't eat the whole jar at once, I would like to give you this quick recipe idea to use up the rest before it spoils.
Now, what we are going to do with the rhubarb, we have to think about again ...
Ingredients (depending on how many people are eating)
- Zucchini
- Rice
- Olive oil
- Piment d'Espelette (pepper also works, but the piment adds a nice red touch)
- Salt
- Parsley
- 1 large Maison Telme terrine (I used the pork terrine with red fruits)
Preparation:
Wash the zucchini and cut them lengthwise (do not hollow them out yet). Bring salted water to a simmer and blanch the zucchini in it for max. 5 minutes. The water should not boil vigorously or bubble, otherwise the delicate zucchini will overcook too quickly.
Now cut out the inside of the zucchini with the help of a knife and/or tablespoon and finely chop it with a large knife.
Put the rice on to cook.
Wash the parsley, chop it finely and add it to the chopped zucchini insides. Add the cooked rice to it until you like the mixture ratio. Now mix in the pâté. I chose the wonderful pork terrine with red fruits because I really like its sweet-sour fruit note, which pairs perfectly with the savory meat and simply adds a touch of summer ... If it goes towards pumpkin in autumn, I could also very well imagine using the duck terrine with fig instead.
Season the stuffing with olive oil, salt, and piment d'Espelette, but not too much, as the terrine is already well seasoned.
Finally, fill the hollowed-out zucchini halves with the stuffing and then bake them on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 200°C for approx. 20 minutes.
Bon appétit!
As a suitable wine pairing, we recommend the Marcillac Rouge "Lo Sang del pais" from southwestern France, which pairs excellently with meat dishes. It smells of stone fruits like sloe berries and mulberries, and of Assam tea. In the mouth, passion fruit and bay leaf unfold, it is pure-toned and clear. Medium-bodied, mild tannins, dynamic.
Alternatively, we recommend the Brouilly 2015 Georges Descombes. The bouquet is delicate and pure with aromas of plums and raspberries, complemented by flinty notes. The special freshness and fruit enchant you instantly! In the mouth, juicy aromas of ripe fruits unfold.
