Judy wrote:

> I guess I don't see any sense in overloading a meatloaf with a bunch of
> different veggies, since I always have some type of veggies (usually
> steamed baby carrots) and baked potatoes. The only veggies I have used
> in one is onions, green pepper and sometimes tomatoes, which is actually
> a fruit, though I always have considered it more of a vegetable. I have
> also used a little grated carrot, but not often. That is why they call
> it a MEATloaf instead of a veggie loaf, IMO.

1. You might consider adding mushrooms or cooked eggplant; both of them
are fairly high in glutamate, which punches up the "meaty" flavors.
(Tomatoes are also high in glutamate, which is why, even though they're
fruits, they go better with savory dishes than as desserts.) You might
also like to add a little soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or Maggi
sauce for the same reason.

2. If you have kids who are averse to vegetables, serving a
vegetable-loaded meat loaf is a good way to trick them into eating more
healthily.

3. If you're going to add vegetables to meat loaf, each vegetable you
add should serve a purpose. For example, onions add both a savory and a
sweet element. Carrots add sweetness and serve as a binder. Celery adds
a savory element which is hard to find elsewhere; it's one of those
ingredients that you don't normally notice, but when it's missing you
notice that *something* is missing.

4. I think there's a very large spectrum of acceptability when it comes
to the proportion of vegetables to meat. I don't mind when a meat loaf
contains a fair proportion of vegetables; I think it's a worse mistake
when it contains too high a proportion of meat, because then it gets dry
and tough.

Bob