Lentil Pate

4 cloves minced garlic
2 large shallots diced
one grated carrot
1 quart chopped mushrooms
1/5 cups brown lentils
3.5 cups water
2-3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegar
1 tablespoon each dried marjoram and thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup white miso

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Saute garlic with shallots diced in a good chug of olive oil until shallots are soft. Add grated carrots, chopped mushrooms, cook until all vegetables are cooked.

Add lentils, water and bay leaves. Heat to boil, turn down to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add two vinegars and stir. Add dried herbs in centre and saturate with more olive oil (allow the heat of the lentils heat up herbs to infuse flavours into the oil before stirring in).

Cook mixture for a further 5-10 minutes. Lentils should be soft.

Turn off heat, add almond butter and white miso. Stir into lentls until well-blended. Taste for seasoning.

Allow lentils to cool to room temperature and then blend with hand mixer with chopped parsley. If mixture is too watery (not enough body), add more almond butter.