Maggie Beer's Picnic Loaf Recipe

"Maggie Beer is an Australian Cook. She has many recipes to her name and wonderful career. Maggie is another of my favourite cook's who is just such a genuine person with a wonderful personality and recipes to match! I made a recipe so close to this over Easter and it was so enjoyed by everyone. This is a must try, although I must admit I used sweet potato and not pumpkin. I think this recipe could lend itself to a variation of any vegetable, but I am posting as written. Although Maggie does state in her introduction ~ It is the quality of the bread that's more important, & I entirely agree as I bought a good quality bread and this was superb."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 220°C. Rub the capsicums with a third of the oil and place on a baking dish. Roast the capsicums for 20 minutes or/and until blackened. Set aside to cool for a few minutes, then place in a plastic bag to cool off a bit.

Step 2

Blanch pumpkin in boiling water for five minutes. Drain and drizzle with half remaining oil, scatter with rosemary and season.

Step 3

Bake pumpkin in the oven for 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Deglaze pan with two-thirds of the verjuice then return to oven for a further 2-3 minutes.

Step 4

Place the zucchini in a separate tray and drizzle with remaining oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes until cooked but firm. Deglaze pan with remaining verjuice, then return to oven for two minutes.

Step 5

Peel & discard the skin and seeds from the capsicums.

Step 6

Halve bread horizontally and take out bread in the base and the lid to fit the vegetables. Place bread in oven for five minutes. Add parsley to the zucchini and season.