Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.
My first thought when I saw the challenge was I don’t like pâté. But in all honesty, I haven’t eaten much pâté. The only time I remember eating it was on a cruise ship. I’m sure there probably is pâté that I would enjoy, although I’d have to get past the fact that I think it sort of looks like cat food. But I’m a Daring Cook, so I took a second look at the challenge and luckily, Evelyne and Valerie had posted a recipe for a vegetarian pâté, Tricolor Vegetable Pâté, which sounded flavorful and delicious.
My daughter and son-in-law joined us for dinner and I served the pâté and baguettes as an appetizer. Since the recipe makes way more pâté than we could eat, I also took half of it to my sweet neighbor who was having her kids and grandkids over for dinner. We all really enjoyed it. My neighbor said the top bean layer and the bottom pesto layer were their favorite flavors, but all three layers blended together really well. I don’t like red peppers, so I substituted sun dried tomatoes in the middle layer. This is definitely something I’d consider making again for a party.
For the bread, we could choose any recipe we wanted to use. I decided to make baguettes from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, a great cookbook that I have posted about before. The technique helps make making crusty, chewy artisan bread a snap. I made the dough the night before and shaped and baked the loaves the next morning. My daughter hadn’t had this bread before and she said, “Mom, this bread is so good. Where did you buy it.” Awwwww! It really does taste like a wonderful bakery bread.
Here’s a video with the basic dough recipe and directions on how to make the bread. It can be a bit frustrating the first time working with the wet dough, especially if you don’t flour your hands well. But once you get the hang of it, it’s a very easy process. In our dry climate, I use ½ cup less flour than they use in the video.
There’s my version of the pâté with the slight changes that I made.
Daring Cooks Tricolor Vegetable Pâté
Ingredients
White Bean Layer:
- 1 x 15-ounce / 900 ml cans cannellini white kidney beans, rinsed, drained thoroughly
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
Sun Dried Tomato Layer:
- 7- ounce / 210 ml jar sun dried tomatoes drained, chopped
- ¾ cup / 180 ml crumbled feta cheese about 4 ounces
Pesto Layer:
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup / 240 ml fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup / 240 ml fresh Italian parsley leaves
- ¼ cup / 60 ml toasted pine nuts
- 2 tbsp / 45 ml olive oil
- ½ cup / 120 ml low-fat ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Line your pan with plastic wrap, overlapping sides.
White Bean Layer:
- Mash beans in large bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and garlic and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom of prepared pan.
Sun Dried Tomato Layer:
- Combine tomatoes and feta in processor and blend until smooth.
- Spread pepper mixture evenly over bean layer in prepared dish.
Pesto Layer:
- Mince garlic in processor. Add basil, parsley and pine nuts and mince.
- With machine running, gradually add oil through feed tube and process until smooth. Mix in ricotta. Spread pesto evenly over red pepper layer.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- To unmold, invert pâté onto serving platter. Peel off plastic wrap from pâté. Garnish with herb sprigs and serve with sourdough bread slices.
[donotprint]A big thank you to everyone who entered my CSN Stores Giveaway. The winner is……
Pink Little Cake who said her dream bed would be on a beach. Mine too! CONGRATULATIONS! Have fun shopping.[/donotprint]
Lisa
I LOVE that you used sun dried tomato in lieu of the red pepper in the tricolor pate, and it looks gorgeous, as does your perfect bread! Looks like a bread you would at one of the top artisan bakeries!
On another note..your pink flamingo macs are stunning! I'm bummed I missed that challenge, but the humidity here and life stuff got in the way.
Kim
I've never had pate before, but I would love to try this vegetarian version. This is a gorgeous appetizer and I bet it was really wonderful with your homemade bread (which look spectacular)!
Chef Dennis
I love that bread recipe!!! and as far as pate goes the veggie version is for me!!
sweetlife
i love your pate, I have only eaten it a couple of times and it was wonderful, the color is amzing and the bread…wowo
sweetlife
Jamie
Oh I've so wanted to make vegetable paté but never have! I'll bet it was delicious and YUM homemade bread. I have to pull my Artisan Bread in 5 book back off the shelf and make this!
shaz
That's a beautiful pate Barbara, and the bread sounds fabulous. I'm going to have to get that book. Great job.
Rosa's Yummy Yums
A beautiful pâté and splendid baguettes! The perfect combination!
Cheers,
Rosa
climbhighak
You really nailed the bread. That is one beautiful looking loaf. It also appears that you were extra particular in the layering of your pate. Clean lines like that don't just happen by accident. Great work.
Mimi
Both the bread and the pate look delicious.
Mimi
elra
Barbara, you did such a wonderful job on this challenge. THe presentation look so neat as well.
Sinful Southern Sweets
Oh that bread is to die for!! And the pate is just lovely! Great job!
Baking Addict
Your pate and bread looks really delicious. I never used to like eating pate but have developed a taste for it recently. Don't have it too often though. Would definitely love some of yours 🙂
Faith
This is so pretty with the three layers…definitely the prettiest pate I've ever seen. 😉 Your bread looks amazing too!
tasteofbeirut
You cracked me up when you said pâté reminded you of cat food! You know what it does! but I have always loved it and ate tons of it with baguette and cornichons when I lived in France; then when I moved to America I promptly forgot it! Yours today is light and pleasant-looking and the three flavors work very well together.
Megan
First thing I think of when I think patver. I have a problem with that word association thing. The veggy one looks delicious. Love the colors and the layers!
Barbara
I'm not crazy about duck or liver pate, but there are a few I like. Yours would be on that list…not only does it make a pretty presentation, I love the ingredients in each layer. It really looks lovely, Barbara!
(Last week at a restaurant I had a rabbit pate with kumquat chutney and it was divine!)
Anula
Beautiful looking pate – and I just LOVE your bread, great result!
Cheers. Anula.
Pink Little Cake
Barbara, thank you so much for hosting the giveaway, I can't wait to go shopping. Your pate looks delicious, I love the layers of colors.
Ruth H.
Great job! Your pate looks yummy, an that bread is calling to me!! I am glad you fooled your daughter into thinking it was bought… Fun!
Jo
Your pate looks really good with the different colours and flavours. I've made that artisan bread before and I think it'll go really well with the pate. Great job!