Classic Tofu Sandwich Spread

As a companion piece to the végé-paté recipe, I am adding another sandwich spread and vegetarian staple. It is the vegetarian's answer to egg salad sandwiches. Make this dish often, as it is so versatile, easy, quick, low fat and nutritious. Particularly suitable for work lunches, it's also ideal for summer picnics or even kid's lunches. It can be served on bread or as a dip for vegetables. It can be made with almost any block of firm or extra-firm tofu; hand-cut, packaged, flavoured, plain. (A weight of 350g to 1lb. is about right). You are by no means not restricted to the vegetables I list here either. You can substitute for other light summer-y vegetables, that are easy to shred. If you're feeling adventurous, why not add a quarter cup of cooked cracked wheat for extra oomph.

Ingredients

1 lb. tofu
1/4 - 1/3 c mayonnaise and/or Miracle Whip
1 T dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4t - 1/2t salt (optional, as the condiments already have salt)
1 - 2 T lemon juice
1 - 1 1/2 t dried herbs (your choice or combination: dill, thyme, parsley, etc.)
1 celery
1 carrot
2 spring (green) onions
2 radishes (optional)
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

In a small pot, boil the tofu block in water for one minute. Drain, squeeze out excess moisture in a napkin or towel. Set aside. In a food processor, add the vegetables (cut in small chunks), and process until they are finely minced (alternatively; you can use your processor's shredding disc to shred them). Add in the tofu, broken in large chunks. Add the rest of the ingredients. Process until ultra smooth. The consistency desired is something that holds together well (ie. a dense mousse), but not dry, crumbly or grainy. If this is the case, you can add more liquid. Either a few tablespoons of good quality vegetable oil (though this will add unnecessary fat/calories), or water. Or both. If adding water, add carefully, a bit at a time, to avoid making the mixture too wet. (n.b. Remember you can always add liquids if too dry, but can't take liquid away). Allow the processor to run long enough to incorporate the liquids, before adding more. Taste for seasoning/flavour, adjust if necessary.