A stunning but simple festive vegetarian centrepiece for the whole table to enjoy
L
ast year I wrote about how I lost my food fandango, got it back, and now simplify matters, especially in the kitchen. This means I no longer do feasts with lots of elements, even at Christmas, but I still adore a showstopper, especially one that the whole table, irrespective of dietary requirements, can enjoy together. This year’s offering is such a centrepiece, an aubergine timbale (timbale means drum) packed to the gunnels with vegetables, rice, nuts, fruit, spices and, should you wish it (you should), one of the finest cheeses to come out of Normandy: Boursin.
You will need a 23cm springform cake tin and two or three large baking trays (or you might need to bake in batches). In advance, you can roast the aubergines and squash and cook everything up until the rice (ie, the onions and spices, etc). Also worth knowing: you can bring this out of the oven an hour before serving and it reheats well in the microwave. Both dairy and dairy-free Boursin are now available.
Prep 20 min
