White Bean Pate with Roasted Garlic and Crispy Sage
It’s really worth using fresh dried beans in this recipe as they taste so much better (and are better for you) than canned. Farm chef Alison recommends heirloom cannellini or Chinese sulfur beans. Serve with warm pita bread or delicata squash chips. Yum! Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry white beans soaked overnight
- 4 heads garlic divided
- 1 bunch sage
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 tsp fresh thyme chopped, optional
- to taste salt & pepper
Instructions
Soak dried beans overnight in an ample amount of water and a splash of vinegar (we use apple cider vinegar, but any other light vinegar will also work). The next morning, drain the beans, transfer them to a pot, and cover with a good few inches of water. Bring to a boil and cook at a gentle boil for about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer, and add 8 raw garlic cloves, some of the sage leaves (you’ll need some to top the spread) and 3 T olive oil. Continue cooking until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain, reserving the broth.
Roast two garlic heads by lopping off the heads, drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling with salt, and either tying them loosely in aluminum foil or placing in a clear glass baking dish in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. When the garlic is very soft, light brown (but not burnt) and squeezed easily out of the skin, it is done.
In a food processor, puree the drained beans, roasted garlic, lemon juice, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. To make the pate, line a small ceramic or glass mold with plastic wrap, then oil lightly. Add the beans and spread smooth with a spatula. Turn out onto a serving platter and gentle peel away the plastic wrap, then smooth again.
Top with the rest of the sage leaves, fried in butter and drained, either whole or crumbled, and serve with flatbread or roasted delicata chips.