Mushroom and Walnut Pate

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Lately we’ve been counting mushroom species in the bush where we live and talking about how all this diversity tells us that the forest is healthy and strong.

It’s similar with us really. Mushrooms have incredibly powerful immune enhancing properties. There has been a lot of research on particular varieties such as codonopsis and shitake but the humble button or slightly more glamorous swiss-brown mushroom also have enzymes which stimulate the immune response.

I am a huge fan of the medicinal properties of all things fungus and have included 2 completely different but equally tasty mushroom soup recipes in my cookbook. Today I have a spectacular mushroom pate to share with you.

For someone who took a long time to come around to mushies I am a complete convert. For more dazzling information on the power of the fungus among-us check out Paul Stamets TED Talk “6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The World.”

Below are some of the fungi we found on one of our walks…

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Mushroom and Walnut Pate

¾ cup walnuts, soaked overnight

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon butter

1 medium brown onion, diced

1 (or 2 small) echallots

2 small cloves garlic (or 1 large), roughly chopped

3 sprigs thyme, washed and dried

½ a porcini stock cube, crumbled

1 tablespoon dry sherry

350g swiss brown mushrooms, stems removed and chopped

Squeeze ½ lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Soak the walnuts overnight.

In a frypan, heat olive oil on medium heat, add onions and echallots and sauté until almost soft, add butter and garlic. Saute on medium heat stirring regularly until onion is translucent. Reduce heat and add thyme leaves (just pull off the stem), stock and sherry. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft, stirring often.

Once mushrooms are soft and fragrant, place ingredients in frypan into a food processor along with walnuts and blitz until it forms a smooth paste. Add lemon and a little salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with your favourite crackers such as these beauties Seaweed Crackers 

Variations

  • Use half almonds and half walnuts or experiment with other nuts altogether.

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