Carrot-Cashew Pâté

Chef's note: This may be the most popular pâté I have ever invented. It is colorful, creamy, sweet, and addicting. It is rich, but light enough to keep eating. An ideal summer spread, carrot-cashew pâté goes great with almost anything and brightens up any meal. The miso adds a subtle, yet flavorful touch. 

Directions:

Cook carrots in a steamer set over water until they are very soft. Drain (reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water) and set aside. 

In a food processor, chop the cashews and garlic. Add the miso paste, carrots, celery seed, and salt. Add reserved water a little at a time. Puree until well blended and creamy. You may need to pulse this mixture in the processor and scrape several times to capture all the small carrot pieces that get missed. Or, just leave them -- they can be a fun, sweet surprise.

The Family Kitchen

This is definitely a recipe to please children. Kids love carrots, but they are not used to seeing them as a spread, so the transformation is exciting. They can spread this pâté on crackers, toast, bagels, vegetable sticks, chips, or fresh baguette slices.