Vegetable Mousse Recipes

Steps:

• Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan, line it with wax paper.
• Grease again and set aside.
• Cook or steam carrots in a small amount of water.
• Cook artichoke hearts.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the spinach, onion and dill.
• Cook over medium heat until onion is tender and spinach is dry.
• Combine eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg - blend until smooth.
• In a blender or food processor combine 1/3 of the egg mixture with each of the vegetables.
• Arrange in even layers in the loaf pan with artichokes on the bottom, then carrots, then spinach on top.
• Place in a pan of simmering water that reaches halfway up the loaf pan and bake 1 1/4 hours at 375 degrees.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Invert onto a serving dish to unmold and remove wax paper.
• Let stand 20 minutes before serving or refrigerate and serve very cold.

Steps:

• Make pea mousse:
• Lightly oil terrine mold and line bottom and sides with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.
• Cook peas in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer peas with a slotted spoon (reserve cooking water) to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. When peas are cool, drain well, then transfer to several layers of paper towels and pat dry.
• Purée peas in a food processor, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary, until very smooth, about 1 minute, then force through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding skins. Add cheese, zest, juice, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine.
• Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold into pea mixture.
• Spread pea mousse evenly in terrine mold and chill.
• Make corn mousse while pea mousse chills:
• Return cooking water to a boil, then add corn and cook until very tender, about 6 minutes.
• While corn cooks, put milk in a medium bowl and sprinkle with gelatin, then let soften 1 minute. Add salt and pepper.
• Drain corn in cleaned medium-mesh sieve, then transfer to several layers of fresh paper towels and pat dry. Pulse in cleaned food processor, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary, until very smooth, about 1 minute.
• Force warm puréed corn through sieve with a large rubber spatula into milk mixture, discarding skins, and stir to combine. (Heat from corn will dissolve gelatin.) Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Beat cream in another bowl with electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold into corn mixture along with basil.
• Spread corn mousse on top of pea mousse in terrine mold and chill, its surface covered with lightly oiled parchment (oiled side down), until softly set (terrine will not be firm), at least 4 hours.
• Unmold terrine and make salad:
• Remove top layer of parchment and invert a platter on top of terrine mold. Invert mousse onto platter and carefully remove parchment.
• Toss tomatoes with oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, spoon tomato salad around terrine.

Steps:

• Brush 6 dariole moulds (100 ml/ 31⁄2 fl oz capacity) with mild olive oil and line the bases with discs of baking paper. Shell the peas and trim away and discard the cut end of the asparagus. Chop the asparagus into short lengths and put in a steamer with the peas. Steam for 3-5 minutes until the asparagus and peas are just tender but still bright green. Put 6 tbsp of steamed peas into a small bowl, spoon over the 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.
• Put the asparagus and the rest of the cooked peas in a food processor and whizz to a purée. Soften the gelatine in the wine or lemon juice in a small pan for 5 minutes, then put over a low heat until the gelatine is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
• Whisk the cream with the tarragon until it is thick but still glossy. Stir the gelatine into the purée and fold in the cream with plenty of salt and pepper. Divide the mixture between the moulds so they are three quarters full, then put in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until set.
• When ready to serve, run the blade of a small knife around the rim of the mousse and turn out each one on a small plate. Sprinkle the reserved peas around the base of each mousse and lay a tarragon sprig on top of each one. Drizzle a little more olive oil and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar over the peas. Serve straight away while still chilled.