Picnic cob

Recipes~Plus

Cooking time: More than 1 hour

Healthy options: Healthy

Serves: 8

Type: Family

Tools

Kitchen friendly view

Ingredients

300g kumara, sliced 5mm thick
150g zucchini, sliced 5mm thick
Olive oil cooking spray
250g fresh ricotta, drained
1⁄4 cup grated fresh parmesan
1⁄4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
22-23cm round cob or cottage loaf
190g jar sun-dried tomato pesto
300g char-grilled red capsicum pieces, drained
250g char-grilled sliced eggplant, drained
Handful baby rocket or spinach leaves

Preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan forced. Place kumara and zucchini on a baking tray; lightly spray with oil. Bake for 10 minutes; turn vegies over. Bake for 5-10 minutes more until just tender. Cool. Combine cheeses and basil; season with salt and black pepper.

2. Cut a 2cm-thick lid from top of cob; remove interior bread, leaving a 2cm-thick shell. Spread pesto evenly inside shell and on inside of lid. Fill cob with layers of kumara, capsicum, zucchini, cheese mixture, eggplant and rocket. Replace lid.

3. Wrap cob tightly in plastic wrap to seal. Place on a tray, top with another tray holding heavy cans. Refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature. Cut using a serrated knife.

Buy char-grilled marinated vegetables from the supermarket deli, or bottled versions from grocery aisles. Crumb the bread removed from loaf; freeze in plastic food storage bags. Use to crumb schnitzels or rissoles. Increase the fibre: buy a wholemeal cob from your favourite bakery.

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