Nut loaf

I experimented recently with making a nut loaf. The aim is to create the centre of the main course of our self-sufficient Xmas dinner. As many of the ingredients as possible are to be picked wild or grown on the allotment as possible. Anyway, here is the recipe I came up with:

20 large sweet chestnuts
100g shelled hazel nuts
2 eggs
2 onions
One small stale loaf of brown bread
150g mushrooms
Teaspoon of 5 spice
Ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
450g kidney beans (in the final version for Xmas I will be using broad beans from the allotment)

Start by boiling the chestnuts for about 5 minutes. Then peel and chop them.
Chop the onions, hazel nuts and mushrooms and mash the beans.

Turn the loaf into breadcrumbs.

Add all the ingredients together and mix. The eggs and oil will help to bind it all together. Put the mixture into a baking tin and put in a preheated over at 200C for half an hour.

It can be eaten hot or cold.