Prepare the vegetables and baking dish. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a casserole dish with a little extra ghee or coconut oil. Dice the onion and celery. Remove the apple core with a corer or knife and dice the apple. Measure the chopped ingredients using the amounts in the ingredient list. If using the fresh-sage option, chop the leaves.

Warm the ghee or coconut oil in a roomy pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, apple, sage and thyme. Sauté while stirring for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened. The onion starts looking translucent at its edges and the celery becomes more flexible; the vegetables do not need deep browning.

Transfer the vegetable mixture to the greased casserole dish. Add the dry almond meal, raisins, pepper and salt. Mix through so the nut crumbs and raisins are distributed without dry pockets.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, then pour them over the casserole mixture. Mix gently until the vegetables are evenly coated. There should be no separate pool of yellow egg around the sides.

Spread the stuffing in an even, shallow layer. Use more baking space for a larger batch rather than piling it deeply into the same dish. Before baking, the mixture is moist and pale, with separate vegetables and scattered raisins visible. The surface has no browned crust yet.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 to 60 minutes. Begin checking at 45 minutes. The vegetables should be soft and the egg binding set through the center, with a lightly golden top and browned edges. If the center is still wet, continue baking and check again. Serve by spooning from the dish.