2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
6 tablespoons pine nuts
generous ½ cup of cashews
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
7 ounces butternut squash, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
5 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh tarragon
A few good gratings of nutmeg
5 tablespoons rolled oats
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon brown rice flour
½ tablespoon ground chia seeds
Mushroom Gravy (see recipe below)
Method
1.You need roughly the top part of the butternut squash for this (the bit from the stem end to the bulge), so save the rest for later or use it as a side, roasted or mashed. Also you can roast the squash seeds with a drizzle of oil and seasoning for 10 minutes, then sprinkle them over sautéed greens.
2.Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment. Place the pine nuts and cashews on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. They should look golden and give off a toasty aroma when you take them out. Set aside to cool.
3.Meanwhile, place a large nonstick pan over medium heat and heat 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté the celery, squash, and carrot in the oil with lots of salt and pepper. When the celery has started to turn translucent, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and nutmeg and stir well.
4.Place half the nuts in a food processor with the oats and whiz up as fine as they will go. Coarsely chop the remaining nuts, so they aren't too chunky, then add these and the ground nut mixture to the pan. Add the flour and chia seeds and mix well.
5.Press into the prepared loaf pan, cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a cool rack for 15 minutes (it will still be nice and hot). Take it out of the pan and cut into slices; be gentle, as it can crumble. Prepare and serve with Mushroom Gravy.
