Thyme for a nutty little Christmas

If you’re anything like me, the very idea of Santa with his trousers rolled up enjoying Christmas on the beach is just plain wrong! Join in and help turn the world (and the calendar) upside down by insisting on a mid-winter Christmas!

But have you seen Mr. Claus lately? He’s certainly going to need to drop a little jelly from that belly if he’s going to fit down all those chimneys come December.

So, thanks to the good people at Craig Cotton Publishing, we have a healthy festive favourite, just in ‘thyme’ for a mid-winter Christmas.

Vegetarian Christmas Nutmeat Loaf with thyme stuffing
(Serves 4-6)

You will need

Loaf

200g mixed nuts (whole, unskinned almonds, cashews and fresh pinenuts)
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 small onion (finely chopped)
130g soft, white breadcrumbs
2 eggs
4 tbsp milk
Black pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ - 1/3 nutmeg, grated

Stuffing

180g soft, white breadcrumbs
Grated rind and juice of ½ lemon
10 springs pizza or common thyme (finely chopped)
10 sprigs lemon thyme (finely chopped)
A small handful of parsley (finely chopped)
Black pepper
80ml cooking oil or melted butter

Garnish

Extra nuts, roasted and roughly chopped
Extra sprigs of lemon thyme

To prepare

Chop nuts for the loaf mixture finely in a food processor and tip into a large bowl. In a small pan, sauté the onion in the oil until soft, then add to the nuts, along with the breadcrumbs.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk until combined. Pour into the nut mixture and add the seasonings. Stir with a fork to combine. Line the base and sides of a loaf tin (1.3-1.5 litres) with baking paper. Carefully spoon half the nut mixture into the tin and press evenly into the corners.

Combine all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Spoon onto the nut layer in the tin and spread evenly.

Cover with the remaining nut mixture and smooth the top. Cover with greased aluminium foil. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for approximately 1 hour. Uncover and, if necessary, bake for a further 5-10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Turn out onto a platter and garnish with toasted nuts and tiny sprigs of lemon thyme.

Serve with redcurrant jelly or Cumberland, apple or gooseberry sauce.

And… enjoy! 

For more wonderful recipes from The Cook’s Herb Garden Revisited, by Mary Browne, Helen Leach, Nancy Tichborne, click here for more information.

Please try this recipe and send us your feedback, or your recipes to share with our readers, by emailing us at: info@garden-nz.co.nz .