ZAZZ IT UP
A new vegetarian pate recipe puts the pizzazz back into mushroom-based appetizers.
By James and Geneva Norton
James Norton / Heavy Table
I don't like bragging about my children unless I have no other choice. They are absolutely superb children, and I am terribly proud of them, but I understand that such pride can quickly get nauseating, and I take some care to avoid constantly proclaiming their wondrous qualities.
Sadly, my six-year-old daughter Geneva has left me with no choice, as she earlier this summer decided to improvise her way into writing what sounded like a really good savory vegetarian pate.
Apropos of us having baby bella mushrooms left over after a cookout, she proposed sautéing the mushrooms with onions, and then cooking "that green vegetable we had at grandma's" (asparagus) and blending everything together to eat on toast. "We can call it 'Neva's Pizzazz Sauce!'" she declared before announcing that it would also make a pretty good "savory hamantaschen."
We felt obligated to follow through on her vision, using our grown-up knowledge of proportions, seasoning, and hot kitchen equipment to bring the concept to real-world fruition. The result was pretty darned delicious, and we crushed it for dinner, even though it's probably best suited as an appetizer served on toast points or potato chips.
James Norton / Heavy Table
NEVA'S PIZZAZZ SAUCE
12 oz. asparagus (weighed after trimming)
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
5 cups mushrooms, chopped (we liked using baby bellas)
Toast or crackers
2 oz. grated Parmesan or other finishing cheese
Preheat oven to 425. Place asparagus on baking sheet and rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile: Heat a large skillet on medium and melt butter. Sauté the onions until they start to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender and ready to eat, another 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If you over season a bit, that's fine; the toast will balance it out.
Blend asparagus with mushrooms and onion mixture until spreadable but still a little chunky. Serve on toast or crackers with a sprinkle of cheese.
James Norton / Heavy Table
Variant 1: Reserve about 1/4 of the mixture before blending and chop the asparagus. Serve this chunkier mixture on top of your smoothly spreading mixture to add texture and visual appeal.
Variant 2: Spread toast with cream cheese before topping with Pizzazz Sauce.
Variant 3: Cut Pizzazz Sauce 50/50 with cream cheese, put into pre-baked phyllo cups, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes to melt cheeses and warm.