A Vegetarian Meal fit for a Groundhog

As yesterday was Groundhog Day (or, if you prefer, Woodchuck Day, or Whistle Pig Day) we got out our trusty Wicca Cookbook to find something appropriate to prepare for Candelmas (or Imbolc). We selected two recipes for this cross-quarter day: Candelmas Pâté, and Divinely Spiced Wine. The pâté was nut based and similar to a favorite recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook - Walnut Feta Pâté. Candlemas Pâté, however, used hazelnuts and cream cheese. A half cup of hazelnuts were toasted for a few minutes in the oven at 350 along with 1/8 c. of sesame seeds. Once toasted these were ground together using a few spurts of the blender. They were added to a mix of 4 oz. of cream cheese, 1 minced garlic clove, a dash of sage, a tablespoon of olive oil and a bit of milk and salt and pepper. I let it chill while I mulled the wine. I used 2 cups of Malbec, a cup of grape juice, a cinnamon stick a few whole cloves and some allspice, a bit of cardamom, and 1/4 c. brown sugar. The recipe called for higher proportions of sugar and juice, and even suggested adding a bit more sugar to suit taste, but I think most things are too sweet anyway, so adjusted downward. It was good, and not too sweet. We served it with our pâté, which we spread on bagels. At first I thought it would be an odd pairing, but it actually worked out well.