Pesach: Nutloaf

Recipe by Zel Allen, author of the Nut Gourmet                 Passover: Nutloaf Recipe Type : Main Dish Cuisine: Festival Author: Zel Allen Serves: 6-8 Servings A special occasion entrée is usually a little fussier than an everyday family-style dish, but I’m betting on no regrets once you’ve tasted this scrumptious nutloaf that’s especially attractive when baked in a springform pan. For convenience, prepare it a day ahead. Just before warming, cover it with aluminum foil, shiny side down, and reheat it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Then present this majestic nutloaf with a delicious, savory, and charismatic Tomato Herb Gravy that brings a special vigor to the dish. Ingredients 2 medium onions 1 pound russet potatoes, unpeeled 3 cloves garlic, divided 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 2 cups whole almonds 1/3 cup walnuts 1/3 cup pecans 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1/3 cup water 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (optional) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Dash cayenne (optional) 1 large ripe tomato, diced Garnish 1 bunch fresh dill, basil, or parsley 1 orange, sliced Instructions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and place the pan on a baking sheet, or lightly oil an 8 x 8-inch ovenproof baking dish. Cut the onions in half. Coarsely chop one of the halves and set it aside. Cut the remaining onions into chunks and pulse-chop them in the food processor until minced. Transfer them to a large bowl and set aside. Scrub the potatoes, cut them into coarse chunks, and put them into a 2-quart saucepan. Coarsely chop 1 of the garlic cloves and add it to the saucepan along with the 1/2 coarsely chopped onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and water to cover. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Thoroughly drain the potatoes and onions in a colander to remove all the liquid, and transfer them to a medium bowl. Mash them with a fork or potato masher, and add them to the bowl with the reserved minced onions. Finely grind the almonds in the food processor and add them to the potato bowl. Process the walnuts and pecans until they are well ground but still retain a little crunchy texture, and add them to the potatoes. Finely mince the remaining garlic cloves and add them to the bowl along with the 2 medium tomatoes, water, nutritional yeast, if using, lemon juice, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, nutmeg, basil, thyme, marjoram, pepper, and optional cayenne. Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Spoon the nutloaf mixture into the prepared springform pan, pressing with the back of a spoon or your hands to compact the mixture. Arrange the diced tomato over top and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes. Use a flatware knife to loosen the edges of the loaf, place the springform pan on a large serving platter, then, release the springform collar. To serve, cut the loaf into wedges. Garnish the edges of the platter with fresh herbs and orange slices and serve. If desired, serve with Tomato Herb Gravy on the side. 3.5.3208