Summer Savory Mushroom Pate

I grow many herbs in pots all around the garden - basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, mint...but one of my favorites is summer savory, an annul related to its perennial counterpart, winter savory.  Summer savory is not as harsh as the winter variety and its uses are common in beans, sausage and stuffings.  Bulgarians call it chubritza, a must in bean soup.  When dried, chubritza will sit on the Bulgarian table mixed with salt and paprika as a seasoning for all kinds of dishes.  Here I combine fresh summer savory with mushrooms and ricotta for a lovely summer pate.


Makes about 1  1/2 cups

3 Tbl unsalted butter
4 ounces shitake mushrooms
8 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1  1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbl minced summer savory leaves

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely dice the caps.  Melt the butter in a large saute pan and add the diced mushrooms.  Saute the mushrooms for about 3 minutes on high heat and then add the garlic.  Continue to saute until the mushrooms brown a bit and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Let cool.
In the bowl of a food processor add the mushroom mixture along with the rest of the ingredients and process until almost smooth.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving with crackers or little toasts.