Pate is a traditional French dish usually made of some type of liver or other meat that is ground or pureed and put in a mold and unturned to be served with bread or crackers. This is a vegetarian version made of creamy white beans. It might sound weird at first but go ahead and try it, you’ll be surprised.
Did you know: Arugula is actually an herb disguised as a leafy green, which is what you’ll mostly likely see it used as. It has a pungent, peppery kind of flavor that compliments the white beans in the pate here nicely. You can use it anywhere you would use a leafy green or herb, such as salads or on sandwiches as in this case, or even atop pizza. If you find you don’t like it, you can use almost anything in this sandwich from spinach to romaine lettuce with good results.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked white beans
1 tsp sesame tahini
2 small garlic cloves
2 whole dates, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp umeboshi vinegar
1 whole grain baguette
1 cup arugula leaves, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
Directions:
Place the beans, tahini, garlic, dates, lemon juice, vinegar, and ⅓ cup of water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The pate will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
To assemble sandwiches, slice the baguette horizontally and spread with the bean pate. Top with the arugula and tomato slices and cut into 4 sandwiches.
(makes 4 servings)
