Broad Bean Pate

This is the easiest recipe I've ever posted and probably one of the most delicious. I made it as I had left-over beans due to my propensity to cook enough for a tribe.

You will need:

Broad Beans
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh Mint
Salt
Pepper

1. Cook the broad beans until soft- I admit that I use frozen broad beans these days as they're so convenient and delicious.
2. Dress the warm beans with the balsamic vinegar. Serve some of these with your dinner, they're lovely.
3. Let the beans sit and absorb the vinegar for an hour or overnight if you're using leftovers.
4. Using a food processor or sick blender start to puree the beans, add a generous sprig of fresh mint and salt and pepper to taste as you blend.
5. Add some good quality olive oil (avocado oil would be delicious too). I'm currently living with a dieter so I used less than normal, about a two teaspoons of oil per handful (not heaped) of beans and this gave a stiff paste.
6. Serve as on toast or as a side dish with cold meats or fish. We had it with salmon and I made a sandwich out of it.
   

I didn't worry about taking the papery skins off and they were invisible in the finished pate. This will keep in a screw-top jar (a use for those Bon Maman jam-jars we all hoard) for a couple of days in the fridge. You could pour a layer of olive oil onto the top to stop it from discolouring, just pour the oil off before serving.