Asparagus and Mushroom-Walnut Pate en Croute

Vegan Month of Food 2017

"Lines and Light"
(a line of original poetry or a photo of light every day for the month of October)

Day 4: Worst Catered Meal
(click HERE to see what others are sharing today)

"Light on a Thankful Bounty"
(October always makes me thankful.)

The worst catered meal I was ever served was many years ago. I was a new vegan, and the hostess kindly requested that the kitchen make a special meal for me. Great, I thought! We sat down to eat and everyone tucked right into their chicken breasts, their roast beef, their salmon fillets and I just sat there, waiting. I was pretty excited to see my 'special meal' because their plates were piled high with veggies - salad, baked potato, asparagus, etc. 

When my meal finally arrived, it was (and I am not even exaggerating one tiny bit) only a thin layer of puff pastry with three (THREE) pieces of asparagus tucked in it. No salad, no potato, no extra veggies on the plate....no sauce, no dressing, no condiments whatsoever. 

I can remember feeling super embarrassed, but now I realize, this meal had nothing to do with me. The chef simply was not prepared to handle a vegan meal. His fault, not mine. 

Because I've had that meager meal in the back of my mind for all these years, today's topic was a cinch for me. Check out MY vegan asparagus in puff pastry! NICE! Fit for a vegan or a king. 

Here's what you need:

2 pieces puff pastry - thaw according to package (only about 40 minutes, I think)

1 lb button mushrooms, diced

1 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, discarded. Dice the tops

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T non-dairy butter

1 C walnuts

1/4 C panko bread crumbs

2 T dried parsley

1 lb fresh asparagus, lightly steamed and set aside

4-6 thick slices of roasted tomatoes (probably NOT store bought.... fresh might work well also)

Here's what you do:

Saute the mushrooms in the butter until quite juicy and soft. Then add the garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes. 

See how chunky?

In a food processor, add the walnuts, mushrooms, bread crumbs, and parsley. Process just a bit - leave it kinda chunky. The moisture in the mushrooms will be enough for it to form into a type of 'pate.' 

Build your creation on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 

Serve lots of veggies on the side.

Spread the mushroom mixture on one piece of puff pastry, extending about 1/2 inch from the edges. cover the mushrooms with roasted tomatoes, and then place the asparagus over it all. I got fancy with my second layer, but just plopping it on the top would be equally delicious. Use a fork to seal the two layers. 

Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. 

Allow to cool a bit, use a serrated knife, serve with pride! I'm pretty happy with this meal!