Pecan Paté
What dishes pair best with wine? We vote for ones loaded with meaty, savory, umami. Now one of the official "tastes," it literally means "essence of deliciousness" in its original Japanese. With their own savory flavors, red wines particularly love pairing with umami-rich foods--like, for example, our rich, creamy, savory Pecan Paté.
Try our utterly delicious Pecan Paté for an easy-to-make vegan appetizer that's best if prepared in advance. A perennial favorite with the Urban Legend wine club, it's a perfect complement to virtually any wine. Adapted from a recipe from Outpost Natural Foods (outpost.coop)
Ingredients
Directions
Spread pecans on a baking sheet (parchment paper optional) and toast 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until lightly browned. Do not overcook. Cool.
Place cooled pecans in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Stop the processor and scrape the bowl to help mix. Taste, and add additional tamari.
Refrigerate overnight or up to 5 days. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Spread on crackers, bread, or vegetables.
Mix your nuts. Try using both walnuts and pecans. We favor all pecans because of their meatiness and slight sweetness; walnuts add a hint of bitterness. Just toast them separately, because they brown at different rates.
There’s no need to add oil when toasting nuts.
If you're not keeping the recipe gluten free, you can use soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos instead of tamari. Or, try coconut aminos or a mixture of any or all. We suggest that you start with ¼ cup and add additional amounts to taste. Flavors will intensify after 24 hours of refrigeration.
We like the flavor of Sriracha; use the pepper you like. We’re not aiming from any sense of heat—just a little lift to the flavors.
Roasted garlic is a kitchen staple for us; we substitute roasted garlic for raw in most of our uncooked spreads and appetizers for a mellower, richer garlic flavor. To roast, cut the top tip off a head of garlic, and place the head in a shallow oven-roof dish cut side up. Drizzle olive oil in the cut section, and bake at 350 degrees until cloves are soft and browning lightly. Refrigerate. In a pinch, cut the garlic head as above, drizzle with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until soft.
Urban Legend Suggestions
Ingredients
Directions
Spread pecans on a baking sheet (parchment paper optional) and toast 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until lightly browned. Do not overcook. Cool.
Place cooled pecans in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Stop the processor and scrape the bowl to help mix. Taste, and add additional tamari.
Refrigerate overnight or up to 5 days. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Spread on crackers, bread, or vegetables.
Mix your nuts. Try using both walnuts and pecans. We favor all pecans because of their meatiness and slight sweetness; walnuts add a hint of bitterness. Just toast them separately, because they brown at different rates.
There’s no need to add oil when toasting nuts.
If you're not keeping the recipe gluten free, you can use soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos instead of tamari. Or, try coconut aminos or a mixture of any or all. We suggest that you start with ¼ cup and add additional amounts to taste. Flavors will intensify after 24 hours of refrigeration.
We like the flavor of Sriracha; use the pepper you like. We’re not aiming from any sense of heat—just a little lift to the flavors.
Roasted garlic is a kitchen staple for us; we substitute roasted garlic for raw in most of our uncooked spreads and appetizers for a mellower, richer garlic flavor. To roast, cut the top tip off a head of garlic, and place the head in a shallow oven-roof dish cut side up. Drizzle olive oil in the cut section, and bake at 350 degrees until cloves are soft and browning lightly. Refrigerate. In a pinch, cut the garlic head as above, drizzle with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until soft.
