The Dordogne region of southwestern France is one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever been—medieval villages, limestone cliffs and cottages, green valleys, and the winding Vézère and Dordogne rivers on which we have kayaked and canoed. But as beautiful and culturally rich as it is, traveling through this region as a vegetarian or vegan can be…challenging.

This is, after all, the land of foie gras (“fat liver”). Of confit de canard (duck who has been slowly cooked in her own fat and then preserved in that fat). Of pâté made with the livers of birds. Meat, and especially duck, is not just a feature of the cuisine—it is the cuisine. And the duck doesn’t stop at main dishes. Even pommes frites (French fries)—the fall-back dish for many a traveling vegan—are often fried in the fat of ducks!

In The Joyful Vegan and throughout my work, I’ve often explored the concept of “willful ignorance” (also called “willful blindness”)—the deliberate turning away from what we know to be painful or harmful, for fear of feeling guilt or being compelled to change. In the context of eating animal products, many of us intentionally cover our eyes and ears to avoid confronting what we already know to be true—but don’t want to face.

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Even once we awaken to the violence inherent in animal agriculture and stop contributing to it (by becoming vegetarian or vegan), there’s still a need to protect ourselves—to choose a kind of willful blindness—lest we become overwhelmed by the prevalence of suffering all around us. That’s certainly the case when walking through any market in the Dordogne, where the presence of foie gras is everywhere.

Pâté. The word itself conjures up force-fed ducks or geese—what is called gavage in French, the practice of inserting a tube down the animal’s throat to force-feed them large quantities of grain in order to fatten their liver. But if we take a step back, we see that we can reclaim pâté by honoring the true meaning of the word.

Pâté comes from the Old French pasté, meaning “paste,” a reference not to its ingredients, but to its texture: creamy, spreadable, and rich.

We can still enjoy pâté in both taste and texture—whether or not we’re in the Dordogne, whether or not we’re in France—by remembering my mantra: satiety and pleasure don’t come from animal products. They come from fat, salt, texture, flavor, and familiarity. And we can satisfy all of those cravings by centering our versions on wholesome, plant-based ingredients.

And there’s nothing un-French or untraditional about it. In fact, when I asked the (non-vegan) chef at our (non-vegan) villa—who had just spent a week cooking and baking for a group of 25 vegans—what he most enjoyed making and adapting for us, he said without hesitation: the “faux gras” he created using cashews. It was absolutely delicious, especially paired with the cherry coulis he served alongside it.

While I can’t personally compare it to the duck fat version (I never ate foie gras, even when I ate animals), but I do know it’s all about that rich, fatty mouthfeel—and our French chef agreed. That this was his proudest creation of the week says a lot.

Dordogne Riches: Walnuts and Mushrooms

We can absolutely celebrate the flavors of the Dordogne without the cruelty; not all traditional Dordogne foods are animal-based. In fact, some of the most iconic ingredients of the region are plants—and they’ve been here for centuries, particularly walnuts and mushrooms.

The Dordogne is known for its walnut groves—some of the oldest in France. In fact, walnut trees have been cultivated here since the Middle Ages, and walnut oil was so prized that it was once used as currency. Today, walnuts remain a key ingredient in local cuisine—pressed into oil, baked into cakes and tarts, and eaten whole, fresh or toasted.

Mushrooms also take center stage in Dordogne kitchens, especially wild varieties like cèpes (porcini), chanterelles, and morels. Whether grilled, sautéed, or simmered into stews, they tick the boxes for adding fat, texture, and flavor to countless dishes.

And so, using these two regional ingredients, I demonstrated my beloved recipe for Walnut Mushroom Pâté while hosting our Paris-to-Dordogne trip (pre-registration for 2027 now open). The recipe originally appeared in The Vegan Table, published in 2009.

So, let’s get to the recipe for this satisfying, spreadable, and quintessentially French pâté. No duck livers required, though a good fresh baguette is!

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