Vegetable Terrine

This is from Good Housekeeping's Easy Entertaining, from the mid-70s. It comes out green, orange and white, like the Irish flag. A little adjustment (and some tomatoes) makes it into the Italian flag.

2lb turnips
1lb carrots
1lb spinach
2oz butter or margarine
1 onion
12oz mushrooms
finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
4 eggs
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp nutmet
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tomatoes
1/2 pint vinaigrette

Peel turnips, cut into chunks, put in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 mins.

Peel and slice the carrots, put in a saucepan with water, bring to the boil and cook until tender.

Drain turnips and carrots.

Cook the spinach, chop the onion finely, peel and slice mushrooms.

Melt 1 1/2oz butter in a frying pan, add onion and fry gently until soft. Add mushrooms and fry, stirring constantly, for a further 5 mins. Stir in the lemon rind and juice.

Blend the mushroom mixture until smooth. Transfer to small, heavy-based pan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the puree is fairly thick and dry.

Puree and dry the turnips, carrots and spinach in the same way and place each puree in a separate bowl.

Add 1 egg to each puree and mix well. Stir the coriander into the carrot puree, the grated nutmeg into the spinach and the chopped parsley into the mushroom.

Oil a terrine or loaf tin. Put a layer of turnip puree at the bottom, cover with a layer of carrot, followed by the spinach and finally the mushroom. Cover with foil and bake in a 180C/350F for 1 hour 20 mins. Remove and allow to cool slightly, then turn out onto a plate.

Skin and seed the tomatoes. Blend them with the vinaigrette and serve with the terrine.