Mushroom Pâté

Over the years I’ve made lots of mushroom pates.  I keep trying to find the perfect recipe, and this one comes pretty close for me.  There are a couple tweaks I might try next time I make it, but for now this is really tasty.  I got the recipe from one of my favorite sources, vegcooking.com.  (You’ll see it when you scroll down the page I’ve linked to.)

I made this pate for a couple of our friends who aren’t vegan, and it was a huge hit!  It’s really easy to make but tastes like it isn’t.  The original recipe seemed like it would make a lot, so I halved it and have written out those measurements below.  If you’re making it for a larger crowd though, I’d recommend using the original measurements.

Shiitake Mushroom Pâté

Makes 2 cups

2 cups finely chopped white onion

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 cups finely chopped wild mushrooms (try shiitake, oyster, and hen-of-the-woods varieties)

1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoons dry thyme

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup toasted almonds, finely ground

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and thyme in 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil until the liquids evaporate. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the almonds and the remaining olive oil.

In a food processor, combine the mushroom mixture and the almond mixture until smooth.

Fold in the balsamic vinegar.

Chill and serve with crackers or vegetables or pipe into mushroom caps.

Notes: I used a mixture of shiitake and cremini mushrooms for this.  To toast the almonds, spread them on a baking sheet and place them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning the tray halfway through the cooking time.