Whether you serve this tasty pâté as an elegant starter or as a sandwich filling, you’ll enjoy the pungent earthiness of the mushrooms. Portabella mushrooms are used here for their strong flavor, but there are many mushrooms to choose from. Just pick your favorite.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• sea salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion and cook over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes until soft.
2. Add the minced garlic, mushrooms, and rosemary, and cook until the mushrooms are tender.
3. Continue to cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated; cool. Remove the rosemary.
4. Put the mushroom mixture in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides once in a while.
5. Shape the pâté into oval quenelles. Heat a dessert spoon in hot water, leave it wet, scoop up some pâté, and roll it between the bowl and the spoon to form a quenelle. Slide it off the spoon and onto a plate. Alternatively, press into ramekins and garnish with fresh herbs.
6. Serve at room temperature with crackers or toast.

VARIATIONS:

MEXICAN PATE:

• Prepare the basic recipe, but add 1–2 chopped red chile peppers with the mushrooms and use 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro in place of the rosemary, parsley, and thyme. Serve with chunks of avocado dipped in lime juice.

MUSHROOM, HERB AND WALNUT PATE:

• Prepare the basic recipe, but replace the sunflower seeds with 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, which have been soaked in hot water for 2 hours.

MUSHROOM, HERB AND FENNEL PATE:

• Prepare the basic recipe. Toast 2 teaspoons fennel seeds in a dry skillet for a minute or two until they start to pop. Add to the pâté after blending.

MUSHROOM, HERB AND EGGPLANT PATE:

• Prepare the basic recipe, using 1/2 pound mushrooms and 1 small eggplant. Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 1 hour, then wipe off the excess water with paper towel. Roughly chop and cook with the mushrooms.