GARBANZO BEAN PATE WITH PISTACHIOS

It's a blessing when a recipe can lend itself to great diversity. With this pate, the slices can be cut into squares and served as an appetizer, and the large slices make a perfect sandwich filling. The pate is great hot or cold in a pita, perfect for a picnic, and delectable as a main course. Because this special dish needs to be refrigerated for a minimum of 4 hours, begin preparation several hours ahead or the day before.

1 large onion, finely minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. crushed dried thyme
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 3/4 cups (420 ml) garbanzo bean flour* or alternate legume flour**
3 1/2 cups (840 ml) water
1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 to 120 ml) shelled raw pistachios
Thinly sliced tomatoes for garnish
4 basil leaves or 6 arugula leaves

Begin by lining a 9" x 5" x 3" (23 x 32.5 x 7.5 cm) loaf pan with plastic wrap large enough to drape over the sides. Set aside. Combine onion, garlic, basil, thyme, curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, tamari, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large, deep skillet or wok and saute over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn heat down to low.
Add garbanzo bean flour to skillet. Then add water a little at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth. Turn heat up to medium to medium-high, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches the consistency of very thick porridge and begins to pull away from sides of pan. Stir pistachios into cooked mixture, and turn out into prepared loaf pan, pressing firmly to eliminate air spaces. Fold excess plastic wrap over pate and chill several hours or overnight. Unmold pate onto an oval serving platter, and garnish top of the pate or sides of the platter with tomatoes and herbs. To serve, cut slices about 3/8" to 1/2" (approximately .5 to 1 cm) thick. Makes 8 to 10 slices.
*Garbanzo bean flour, also called chick pea flour, can be found in Middle Eastern or Indian markets.

**Lentils or green split peas also work well in place of the garbanzo bean flour. These can be ground into flour in an electric coffee grinder or spice grinder. For lentils or green split peas, start with 3/4 lb. (350 g) dried.