English field bean pate

English Field Bean Pate

Ingredients

• 1/2lb / 250g English Beans (or tic beans[?], daffa beans[?], brown Dutch beans[?] or foul medames[?])
• aprox 1/4 pint / 150ml olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 tsp strong flavoured herb e.g. thyme, sage or rosemary

Soak the beans in water overnight. Boil them in plenty of unsalted water for 1 hour, until they are soft. Mash them with a fork, pound them in a pestle and mortar or press them through a sieve or mouli legumes. Add the olive oil, the finely chopped herbs and garlic and the seasoning. If the puree is too stiff add some lemon juice, water or more oil. Chill and serve with toast.