Day 77: Carrot Loaf ♥ (Savory Carrot-Mushroom Pâté)

Savory Carrot-Mushroom Pâté ♥ AVeggieVenture.com, a lovely vegetable spread. Low Cal. Low Carb. Gluten Free.
An earthy mixture of carrots and mushrooms, light and tasty. Perfect for an appetizer buffet or charcuterie platter. Low Cal. Low Carb. Gluten Free.

~recipe updated from the Recipe Box, first posted 2005!~
~more recently updated recipes~

So. It turns out that some times, you just need to know what a recipe is. The inspiring recipe called it "Savory Carrot Cake". But really, isn't something called "cake" light and airy? So back in 2005, I decided to call it "Carrot Loaf" and it got good reviews from my book club. But truly? I didn't have the faintest idea what it was meant to be.

Almost eleven years later, I re-visited the recipe. It still sounded good and heaven knows, a better photo was needed. But I really didn't know exactly what would emerge ...

Once again, first out of the oven, it confused me. It's not very thick, maybe a half inch. And it's not the least big cake-y, there's no flour after all. And it's not substantial either, not like a hippy-dippy nut loaf or lentil loaf from the 1970s.

But then it hit me! Oo la la – this is an appetizer, a spread, a vegetable pâté. And I fell in love with it! We ate it spread on crackers one night, spread on wonderful wheat toast the next morning. Whoosh, twas gone.

RECIPE for CARROT LOAF (SAVORY CARROT-MUSHROOM PÂTÉ)

Hands-on time: 55 minutes
Time to table: 3 hours
About 12

CARROTS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup good chicken stock
2 handsful cilantro (or fresh basil)

MUSHROOMS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 pound white mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

PÂTÉ
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper to taste

GARNISH, OPTIONAL
Mushroom slices, from middle of the mushroom including the stem

COOK THE CARROTS Melt the first tablespoon of butter on MEDIUM heat in a large skillet with a cover. Add the carrots and sauté until the edges begin to turn color, about 10 minutes. Pour the chicken broth over, cover and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 30 minutes. Transfer the carrots to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the cilantro/basil and process lightly, just until it's "barely chopped" and evenly distributed.

COOK THE MUSHROOMS While the carrots cook, melt the second tablespoon of butter in a small skillet. Add the shallot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Let cool.

MIX THE PÂTÉ Whisk together the eggs and Parmesan in a medium bowl. Add the puréed carrots, the shallot-mushroom mixture, salt and pepper, combine well.

BAKE Heat oven to 425F/220C. Line a loaf pan or an 8x8 pan with foil, letting the edges hang over two sides so that once the loaf is cooked, it can be easily lifted/removed from the pan. Spray the foil with baking spray.

GARNISH? I arranged a few slices of mushroom on the bottom of the loaf pan, next time, I'll try putting them on top.

Spread the mixture evenly across the bottom. Place the pan inside a larger baking pan with tall sides. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it's about half-way up the sides of the inner pan. Bake 40 minutes or until firm.

TO SERVE Serve warm or at room temperature, either in slices or spread across crackers or baguette slices.



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MORE CROWD-PLEASING PARTY APPETIZERS

~ Hot Corn Dip ~
~ Homemade Guacamole with Tomatillos ~
~ Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip ~
~ more appetizer recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Football Fever! ~
(a collection of snacks and game-friendly party fare)
~ Game-Day Pretzels ~
~ Easy Shrimp Bites ~
~ Party Nuts with Fresh Rosemary ~
~ more appetizer recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

SEASONAL EATING: THIS SAME WEEK ACROSS THE YEARS

Spinach with Cottage Cheese and Canned Beets Zucchini with Tomatoes & Cheddar Carrot Loaf Tomato Bread Pudding V Asparagus & Edamame Salad Simple Arugula Salad Lima Bean Hummus Roasted Asparagus with Anise First Tomatoes! Lemon Mint Cucumber Water Bok Choy Salad with Chinese Salad Dressing Classic Seven Layer Salad Fire-Charred Tomatoes Weight Watchers Spinach Dip Cauliflower "Potato" Salad The Miracle of Squash Blossoms Chinese Cucumber Salad

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2005 & 2016


Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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