I HAVE not made a nut roast for ages, but the spices and yogurt
in this Walnut roast make it perfect for a summer
evening. It is enough for four.
olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon plain flour
140ml (¼ pt) vegetable stock
1 tablespoon tomato purée
110g (4 oz) walnuts, shelled and
chopped
110g (4 oz) brown breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon coriander leaves,
chopped
1 egg
vine leaves (or other leaves)
1 courgette
seasoning
For the sauce:
140g (5 oz) yogurt thickened with 1 teaspoon
cornflour
Or 140g (5 oz) full-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon tomato purée
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon coriander leaves, finely
chopped
Heat the oven to Gas 4/180°C/350°F. Line a small non-stick loaf
tin with a layer of leaves overlapping generously. Gently fry the
onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until they are tender. Add the
ground spices to warm through. Add the flour, and allow it to cook
for a minute. Add the stock and tomato purée, and heat and stir
till you have a thick vegetable sauce. Stir in the chopped nuts,
breadcrumbs, and herbs. Mix together with the egg, and season well.
Pack the nut roast into the loaf tin, neatly folding the leaves
across the top. Arrange thin slices of courgette on top, and bake
in the oven for one hour.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by mixing the ingredients together
gently in a saucepan. If you are using thin yogurt, stir the
cornflour in thoroughly while it is still cold, before heating it.
The loaf should be juicy, and the courgettes should roast to a
crisp, flaky garnish.
Another good supper dish is this Tomato fondue
- not much lighter than a cheese fondue, but with an agreeable
varied flavour:
a garlic clove
500g (1 lb) cheddar, grated
4 tomatoes
olive oil or butter
1-2 teaspoons chopped basil
pinch paprika, salt, and pepper
1 glass wine
Rub the inside of the fondue pot or an oven-to-table casserole
with the garlic clove. Peel, chop, and de-seed the tomatoes. (Drop
them whole into a bowl of boiling water till the skins burst, and
peel away easily.) Cook the tomatoes with the basil in some oil or
butter. Add a pinch of paprika and the wine. Just before you are
ready to serve the fondue, stir in the grated cheddar, and serve as
soon as it has melted. Serve with chunks of French bread.