Beetroot Terrine with Goat Cheese

This is the time when winter shakes hands with spring; the last remnants of winter cuisine are being prepared and we move on to greens. Refrigerators are emptied and space is made for the young shoots of spring. I said "uuuuuuuuuuuuuultimate call for the beetroot" - so I bought, I think, the last beetroots and horseradish roots from the silo. I made many dishes from them: a lot of salty sorbet by Crista - this summer it will be the refreshing delight that will accompany roasts and barbecues (there will be a big surprise, I guarantee; I think I will impress the sunburned and smoky ones - I have never brought such a thing to picnics, so thank you, Crista); beet granita, apples, sour cherries, and honey, the traditional beet salad with horseradish and... Beetroot terrine with goat cheese.

I started by roasting a medium beet; this takes time, so in the meantime, I mixed the goat cheese with sour cream and crushed caraway seeds in a mortar. In the end, I added a few green onion tops (preferably chives - if you have them...), and a bit of grated lemon peel for an extra touch of freshness. After two hours, the beet was ready; I took it out of the oven, let it cool a bit, and peeled it. Then, with the help of my already famous mandoline, I sliced the beet into thin rounds and proceeded to construct the terrine.

In a round mold (improvised by me to fit the beet slices - you surely have molds of all shapes and sizes), I laid down plastic wrap. I made the base from two slices of beet with the largest diameter, dressed the walls of the mold with the smaller beet slices, then added a generous layer of cheese, followed by a layer of grated horseradish, and finally, two more large slices of beet to close the terrine. I wrapped everything in plastic wrap and left it in the fridge until the next day, to solidify well.

The next day, I unwrapped the terrine and started to decorate it. I saved two tablespoons of onion-free cream cheese, caraway, and lemon peel, which I mixed with the juice left by the beet while slicing it; thus, I obtained a pink cream, which, although I’m not very pleased with the color, offers a nice contrast. I could have blended some spinach leaves into the cheese for a touch of green, but I let myself be carried away by laziness. It is a beautiful and tasty terrine, no less deceiving; it resembles a chocolate cake... but don’t get any ideas! This beetroot terrine with goat cheese is not only a feast for the eyes but also an explosion of flavors that will delight any spring table. Served as an appetizer or as a snack between meals, it will surely bring a smile to the faces of the guests.