Mushroom Pecan Pate

Think of this as a vegetarian alternative to meatloaf.  It's hearty and quite satisfying with some mashed potatoes and green beans.  I've also tried adding ~1 C of butternut squash puree, with glorious success, although you'd need to extend the cooking time if you decide to follow suit.

1/2 pound button mushrooms (or crimini)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C dry sherry
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (or ~1 tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1.5 C pecans, toasted and chopped into fine bits
4 eggs, beaten
2 C mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (somehow, the Cafe Flora cookbook has omitted this step, so this is what I've inferred).  Grease an 8.5 x 4.5 - inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.

Chop the mushrooms by breaking them into chunks and putting the chunks into a food processor.  Process by pulsing until finely chopped. Note that it's better to do 2 batches than wind up with mushroom mush.

In a heavy-bottomed, deep saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent (~10 minutes).  Add the garlic and mushrooms, and cook for 8-10 minutes longer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.

Add the sherry, stirring to remove bits from the bottom of the pan, and if you're using dried thyme, add it, too.  Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated; the mixture should be moist and thick.  Mix in the salt and pepper and thyme (if fresh), and set aside to cool completely.

Once the mushroom mix is cool, fold in the remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for about an hour - first 30 minutes on the countertop, the rest in the fridge.  Don't attempt to unmold it until it's cold or it may fall apart…