Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

I recently made asparagus pate but was disappointed that it lacked taste. Can chef offer any tips?

Romana Marshall, Keswick

I had a bit of a think about this pate and thought about making an asparagus hummus dip instead of trying to make a regular pate. Peel and trim the ends of 400g asparagus, cut into 3cm pieces and cook in boiling salted water until just cooked, then refresh in iced water to stop the cooking. Place the asparagus in a blender with a 14oz tin of cooked and rinsed chick peas. Add 3 cloves chopped garlic, juice and zest of 1 lemon, small pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 1 tsp salt. When well blended, slowly add about 50ml olive oil. Blend until smooth. You may need to add a little water to get the correct consistency. Have a taste of the hummus and adjust the seasoning. Serve with some crackers and vegetable crudities.