*Watch whipped tahini being made in our Botanica at Home - Mother Sauces: Whipped Tahini video!*Does the combination of seared mushrooms; garlicky whipped tahini; mint; dill; sumac and pimentón sound good to you? It should; because it is EXTREMELY delicious. This tartine works all year long; turn to it whenever you're craving something hearty but still fresh and brightly flavored (thanks; sumac and herbs!). It works as well during the day; with a poached egg and a cup of coffee; as it does at night -- with or without the egg*; and preferably with a glass of a light; zippy red wine. Keep this one in your back pocket as a low-key-but-impressive brunch/dinner party dish!...And keep the whipped tahini in your fridge at all times. At the restaurant; it's a staple on our crudites plate and in the market.*If omitting the eggs; up the mushroom quantities by half.

• 1 cup tahini
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup lemon juice 2
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup cold filtered water

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cups of lovely mushrooms - ideally maitake, oyster and shiitake - cut into large pieces (discard any woody stems)
• Sea salt
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 heaping tablespoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon pimentón (aka Spanish smoked paprika)
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 4 thick slices of crusty bread, toasted
• 4 poached eggs
• ½ cup mint leaves (roughly chopped if they’re giant, whole if they’re small)
• ½ cup dill leaves

To make the whipped tahini:Blend garlic and lemon in a food processor until the garlic is minced. Add tahini and salt. With the food processor running; stream in enough water to reach a creamy consistency. It will first break; fear not! Keep adding water slowly until it comes together light and smooth and holds a soft peak (it will firm up substantially when refrigerated). Season to taste. (Keeps in the refrigerator for a week (at least).)To make the mushrooms: Warm the olive oil in a large; heavy saucepan (we love cast-iron!) over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms; shower with sea salt; and let cook; undisturbed; for at least 1-2 minutes; you want a nice caramelized sear on these; which will only happen if you don’t fuss with them too much! Add the sliced shallots to the pan; give a good stir; and saute until the mushrooms are soft and the shallots have taken on some color. Turn out into a bowl and season with the sumac; smoked paprika and lemon zest and another heavy sprinkle of sea salt.To serve: Spread a fat smear of whipped tahini across each piece of bread. Place a poached egg on one end of each slice and season the egg with sea salt; a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a drizzle of olive oil. Add the fresh herbs to the mushrooms (if you do this too early; they’ll wilt -- so wait until just before plating); stir to combine; and then pile the mushrooms over the rest of the bread. Serve with a serious knife (and eat any leftover whipped tahini with cucumber spears throughout the week)!