Ingredients

• 3 large Carrots, cut into .5mm slices lengthwise
• 4 medium beetroots, washed and cut into .5mm slices
• 2 medium-large courgettes (green and or yellow)
• 1 large or 2 medium aubergines
• 4 medium portabella mushrooms
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 large rounf loaf of bread
• leaves from one bunch of basil
• 250g soft goats cheese
• 100g baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Roasted Vegetable: Trim the courgette and slice it lenghtwise into .5mm slicers, place them on a tray and sprinkle salt over them. Leave them to sweat for 5-10 minutes and then pat them dry and set aside. Repeat this process with the aubergine but leave them to sweat for 15-30 minutes. Heat an oven to 270°C. Coat the base of 3-4 oven trays with half of the oil, place the vegetales in single layers and pour over the remaining olive oil, add the srpigs of thyme and season them well. Place the vegetables in the oven and cook the aubergines and mushrooms for 15-20minutes and the carrots, beetroots and onions for 30-40 minutes turning them half way through their cooking time, they are ready when they are golden brown and tender. As the vegetables cook at different rates it is important to check them at regularly. When each variety of vegetable is cooked remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.
2. Picnic Loaf:Cut the top from the loaf of bread and scoop out the centre leaving a couple of centimetres of bread to the crust. Place alternating layers of the vegetables so that you have contrasting colours, with one layer of basil leaves then goats cheese and spinach leaves. The mushrooms work well as a final layer. Replace the top of the bread, and tie it together with some string (optionsl). Place the loaf in the refigerator for 1-2 hours before serving. This bread is best eaten the day it is prepared but will keep overnight in the refigerator.