It’s been a magnificent year for sunflowers. Perhaps it was the non-stop rain for weeks followed by intense heat and no rain, but for whatever reason they arrived early and are still delighting us with their vibrant color.
All parts of the sunny plant are edible, mostly
Filled with color, they are also pretty delicious to eat! While most of us know the seeds are edible, all parts of the plant are actually safe to eat. The leaves make a lovely tea, but they do get quite bitter as they get larger, so look for tender new leaves.
Use it all
We often munch on the seeds, discarding the outer hull, but even these are edible, while quite tough to chew! Too many can cause a bit of intentional distress if not chewed adequately or if you are not used to all that fiber. The stalks can be steamed and eaten as a tender vegetable. Our local farms have been growing sunflower sprouts for some time, and they are delicious added to salads and sandwiches. Full of nutrition, especially Vitamin A. The sunny petals of course can adorn any number of recipes as a garnish at the end.
A staple in the larder
But the kernels are a pantry staple in our house because I use them frequently as a substitute for nuts in lots of recipes because we have severe nut allergies in our family. They replace pine nuts perfectly in pesto, serve as a foundation for creamy salad dressings, and add crunch and texture to everything from granola to berry bowls.
Nutrition in every kernel
These little kernels are filled with nutrition. Just a quarter cup will offer up half of your daily requirement for Vitamin E, a vegetarian’s delight, most of your copper, and is a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, selenium, zinc, iron, and potassium. You’ll get six grams of protein, four grams of fiber, and just seven grams of carbs.
A quick toast enhances the flavor
Whatever the use, I usually toast them first to bring out the most flavor. Just toss them in a dry skillet and hover over them, tossing with a spatula, until slightly browned and nutty in fragrance. It makes a big difference in taste.
Pleases everyone
I love it when I make a recipe that I know can be served to all in my family and friends at a gathering. This recipe is nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, very low saturated fat, heart healthy, and even the meat eaters will be happy even though there’s no liver about. A paté of any sort is a great dish for a party; it goes a long ways, and folks can spread it on crackers or on crudité. This pate is also delicious spread on a baguette slice, or rye crisp crackers for a light lunch, especially if topped with some thin slices of fresh juicy cucumber.
Options
I used a soy-free vegan dairy butter to firm things up when chilled, but that is optional. Shiitake mushrooms were used here, but you can use any preferred mushroom.
Sunny outlook
The vibrant color of the sunflower petals brightens up the rather grey-looking dish, but if sunflowers are no longer in season you can use other edible flowers. Make sure the flowers are organically grown, and not from the florists. Or, just garnish with minced parsley. Alternately, you can roll in some additional seeds.
Let the party begin
So put on your shades, invite a few folks over, and let the party begin.
Sunflower Paté
- 125 g. (about 1 cup) sunflower kernels
- 150 g. shiitake mushrooms, roughly torn
- 1 large or two small shallots, sliced
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- Large pinch of thyme
- Large pinch of fennel pollen or ½ tsp. ground fennel
- 50 ml (about a quarter cup) or so brandy
- 100 ml (about a half cup) or so white wine
- 2 tbsp. vegan (or dairy) butter
- 1 tsp. coconut aminos (or Worcester sauce)
- 2 tbsp. creamy oat milk (or light cream)
- 8 unsulfured dried apricots, chopped
- Sunflower petals to garnish, optional
In a large stainless-steel skillet, toast the seeds until browned and fragrant. Place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
In the same pan, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and sauté the shallot and mushrooms until tender, then the garlic, thyme, and fennel pollen, along with some salt and pepper to taste. Let this cook about a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy. It should almost immediately evaporate. Add the wine, return to the heat, and deglaze the pan. Cook for a few minutes until almost dry, add the butter and stir until melted, and add it all to the food processor along with the aminos and milk.
Process everything until smooth, taste for seasoning, then stir in the apricots by hand. I just dumped everything back in the pan to stir them in.
Line a bowl or mold of choice with a wet piece of parchment you have squeezed almost dry and crumpled well to become malleable. It should cling nicely to the sides of the bowl. Cover and chill for at least a few hours to firm up, overnight is better.
Turn out onto a serving platter and garnish with sunflower petals or other edible flowers, or some chives or parsley. Serve with crackers, or add smear on a crostini or rye crisp and top with cucumber for a light lunch.
Copyright 2025– or current year, The New Vintage Kitchen. Dorothy Grover-Read. Unattributed use of this material and photographs is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to The New Vintage Kitchen, with active link and direction to this original post.
Supporter of: Slow Food Fair Trade USA Northeast Organic Farmers Association EcoWatch Let’s Save Our Planet No Kid Hungry Hunger Free Vermont Environmental Working Group World Central KitchenSustainable America Seed Savers Exchange Global Plastics Laws
Save the Children Vermont Farm to Plate
Our posts and images are created by a human, not by AI. We like it that way!
Sunset on Lake Champlain. Days are getting noticeably shorter as we approach the Equinox.
What a clever way to use the sunflower kernels. Delicious!
Thank you! It was tasty indeed!
Thank you, Dorothy, for a lovely treat!
Joanna
Thanks Joanna! It’s definitely a treat, and simple to put together for a gathering.
This sounds amazing. Wll have to try.
Thank you! It is definitely flavorful!
What a cool recipe! Seriously! I probably won’t make it cause if I’m going to make pâté it will have liver in it!
My mom too!
I agree! 💯
You are such a creative inspiration! Every time we visit, you have something new and delicious to share.
This is incredible! Thank you!
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Thank you Nancy! I love to play with my food!
Interesting recipe
Thank you Sheree!
Great job thinking outside the box, Dot.
Thanks Bernadette! Necessity is the mother of invention!
Hi Dorothy, this is a most interesting recipe. Thanks for sharing it here 🌻
Thank you! It’s really tasty Robbie! Hope you try it some time.
That sounds interesting, and as always, I wonder as you came up with it. I have not eaten liver since I was in my 20s but there is a lot to recommend this one…you know, if I wanted to prepare food any more. So far, the urge has not come back!
My mom loved making Julia Childs chicken liver oats, I was never fond of it. Give me the mushrooms any day!
You never know, the urge to cook might come back, like some night when you are really hungry!
Somehow, I don’t think so, but I did make a simple dinner tonight. I have no idea what chicken liver oats are, but pretty sure I would not eat them…unless of course I was stranded on a desert island, but which had both chickens and oats.
Oh man, that’s a weird one. Don’t know what I could have typed that turned pate (intended) into oats!
What a beautiful and informative post, D! I had no idea how much can be done with sunflowers!! 🌻
I know! They are more than just a pretty face!
Your presentation piece on that lovely plate has my taste buds reeling! Sunflowers: who knew so much of them was edible!!
I include both Pumpkin and Sunflower seeds in my cooking a lot. The crunch and flavour are not to be missed. I love Pate and I’m sure this will be incorporated into our meals in some way. Thanks Dorothy.
Mary :))
Thank you Mary! Seeds are often overlooked, but they are filled with nutrition and that crunch!
This must be so tasty! Love the idea and the presentation.
While I’m a big fan of liver pate, I do make vegetarian ones often, due to demand. Thanks for reminding me that sunflower seeds are acceptable to those with nut allergies!
Thanks Ronit! I’ve had to be creative with the allergies in the fam, but it ends up all being good!
What a fascinating and original recipe ! Love the use of my favourite shiitake mushrooms.
Love shiitake mushrooms too! And we are extremely lucky to be able to source them from local farms. So tasty!
This looks so interesting!
If you get past the color, it is really tasty!
Sunflowers have a way of making me smile. 🌻🌻🍃🌻
I believe that is their role in life!
Always! 🌟🌻🌟🌻🌟
I love sunflowers, but except for the seeds, I never thought about eating them! You styled the pate so beautifully!
Jenna
Thank you! I needed to get some color around the dish, for sure!
I LOVE mushroom pate but your addition of dried apricots has me totally intrigued, Dorothy!! And what a gorgeous plate
I tucked the apricots in another veggie pate I made just for the texture difference Natasha, and loved it! So I used it here as well. Little surprising pops of sweet and texture.
I’m now going to investigate sunflower leaf tea – new to me!
There’s always something new! I remember years ago when my grandmother made tea out of the leaves of strawberries! It is delicious.
Gosh, some more garden-to-glass goodness! Strawberry leaf tea is a new one on me.
Apparently, the colonists used both strawberry and the leaves of various brambles such as raspberry for tea after the Boston Tea Party protest!
I’m usually in favor of making actual paté if I want to make paté (same for other dishes), but this looks like it may actually be very tasty. Thanks for sharing, Dorothy.
I never cared for it myself, but love the vegetarian versions. This one has the most flavor of all!
Ah ha. Nifty!
Thank you!
Amazing. I haven’t eaten sunflower seeds in years. While your pate looks amazing, I may pass on it and go buy some seeds to eat just as seeds.
They are fun to snack on!
Wow, this is new to me. Did not know that other parts of sunflower are edible
So many parts of lots of plants get ignored!
I have a big bag of sunflower seeds in the freezer that I been waiting to use when I found a good recipe. I think this is it.
Wonderful! I think you will be pleased!
What pretty sunflowers! I love the idea of a sunflower pate! 🙂
It was fun to make Nancy, and really tasty!
I did not know that all parts are edible…and what an interesting combination of flavors for this paté!
This one keeps everyone happy!
I’m always learning from you, Dorothy. I didn’t know that the whole plant is edible. Have the best week, my friend.
I think I learn something new every day as well!
Well, this just sounds incredible! I love that you live by the motto of “waste nothing,” and that you find not only practical but fabulous ways to use every edible part! This is a brilliant pate, and not leaving the vegetarians out in the cold!