Personally, I don’t remember the last full day I went without cheese, but I do admire vegans. I wish I had that kind of self-discipline. I’m fine with the ethics, but I lack the follow through to avoid cheddar.

That said, a time comes when you have to recognise: there are things I can change, there are things I can’t change, and life is somewhere in the middle.

Enough of that. Here’s a recipe.

Vegan Pâté

Ingredients:

1 carrot

1 aubergine

1 red pepper

1 head garlic

1tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 can chickpeas

35g walnuts

12 sundried tomatoes (soaked for 10 minutes in just-boiled water)

2tbsp more olive oil

Half teaspoon of salt

1tbsp capers

  1. Preheat the oven to 190℃.
  2. Chop the carrot, aubergine and pepper into 1 inch chunks, and lay out on a flat baking tray lined in baking parchment. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Put the head of garlic on its side and slice a small amount off the top so that just the tips of the cloves are exposed (Keep the end where all the cloves attach intact). Place in a large square of tin foil, large enough to wrap the head up. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap in the tin foil package.
  4. Bake the vegetables and the garlic for about thirty minutes, until soft. Allow to cool.
  5. Add the vegetables and garlic to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You might need to do two patches, depending on the size of your food processor.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
  7. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.