This rich, delicious, deeply savoury and aromatic nut roast has a crisp brown crust and a soft pate like centre.  Delicious served with hot English mustard

Ingredients (serves 2 very generously)

10g (a 1/3 of a ounce) of dried porcini mushrooms

40g (1 and a 1/2 ounces) of walnuts

40g (1 and a 1/2 ounces) of whole almonds

a large onion

a large or two small (130g or 4 and a 1/2 ounces) of carrots

130g (4 and a 1/2 ounces) of celery

a teaspoon of dried thyme

130g (4 and a 1/2 ounces) of chestnut mushrooms

5 cloves of garlic

a teaspoon of dark veg stock powder (or a cube)

200ml (7 fluid ounces) of oats

2 tablespoons of flax seeds (linseeds)

a teaspoon of smoked paprika

a teaspoon of dried chillies

a teaspoon of agave syrup

vegetable oil

salt and pepper

English mustard to serve (optional)

To accompany (just a guideline of course, this is whats in the photo..)

2 or 3 potatoes per person

1 parsnip per person

100g (3 and a 1/2 ounces) of greens per person

a handful of peas per person

For the gravy

2 teaspoons of cornflour

a teaspoon of dark soy sauce

a teaspoon of dark stock powder (or a cube)

Method

The loaf benefits from cooling slightly as it becomes firmer and easier to slice.  Serve after cooling with hot gravy (or piping hot and soft)

Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F, gas mark 6)

Put the dried porcini into a bowl with the walnuts and almonds and pour over 200ml (7 fluid ounces) of hot water and set aside

Pour a thin layer of vegetable oil into a large frying pan and heat on a low setting

Dice the onion, add to the pan, sprinkle with salt and sweat on a low heat while the rest of the vegetables are chopped

Dice the carrot (dont worry about spending too much time on this as it will all be blended later) and add to the pan, stir to coat

Slice the celery and add to the pan, grind in plenty of black pepper

Add the teaspoon of dried thyme, the dried chillies and the paprika

Add the mushrooms and give a good stir

Chop the garlic and add when the onions have softened

Cook for a further five minutes and add the soaked nuts and mushrooms to be the pan along with the teaspoon of stock powder (or stock cube), a squirt of agave syrup and the tablespoon of soy sauce

Stir in the 200ml (7 fluid ounces) of oats

Grind the flax (linseeds) in a pestle and mortar (or crush with a rolling pin) and add these, these are the thickening agents.

Put the whole lot into a food processor (or use a hand blender) and blend to a smooth paste.  Taste now and adjust seasoning as necessary

Generously oil a 9 inch loaf tin and spoon in the mixture.  Smooth the top over and brush with oil.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until browned on top and let it rest for a little before serving.

For the vegetables and gravy

Put some oil in a baking tray and put in the hot oven

Peel the potatoes and parsnips and put in a saucepan and cover with cold water, add salt, bring to the boil and simmer for ten minutes

Drain and retain the water, shake hard in the pan to roughen the surfaces (turn off the gas and do this over the hob to dry the vegetables).   Remove the hot oil from the oven and roll the potatoes and parsnips in it, put back in the oven and cook for 40 to 50 minutes until golden, basting occasionally

Wash and cut a v shape in the greens to remove the toughest part of the stalk.  Boil in the retained potato and parsnip water with a teaspoon of stock powder added, thicken with a teaspoon or two of cornflour blended into a little cold water), you may need more cornflour depending on the amount of liquid, add a dash of dark soy sauce and the peas five minutes before serving