summer Archives | Page 81 of 82

It’s officially summer. The solstice came and went and now it’s 100 degrees all of the sudden. It’s as if mother nature was waiting for that precise moment to turn the heat up to unbearable. I’ve been dreading it for several weeks, but I’m a Texan born and raised so dealing with the heat is in my blood. Time to quit whining about it and just take it as it comes.

After I get past the initial shock and drenching sweat it brings, I remember all the things I love about summer. Summer produce (arguably the best all year round) explodes at the farmer’s markets. I buy way too many blueberries and peaches, but I always seem to end up eating them all or making them into jam before they go bad. Ominous storms roll through in the summer, bringing beautiful grey clouds and a welcome temporary drop in temperatures. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good summer storm to drench the earth and cool it off for a bit. Life seems to become less complicated and focused on simpler things like good ice cream and lounging in the shade.

Although I tend to rely less on my oven and more on raw foods and un-fussy preparations during the summer, I couldn’t resist making up a quick crumble with the trio of berries resting in my fridge last weekend. I had a lime lying around, so I combined the zest with the berries to give it an extra punch of flavor. And, to cool things off a bit, I served it with a spiced coconut yogurt. I baked up the crumble just in time to enjoy a fleeting summer storm, rolling through and offering a bit of relief from the sun.

Mixed Berry Crumble with Spiced Coconut Yogurt
notes: I made my crumble in my cast iron pan, but feel free to use any baking dish of a similar size. Just make sure to lightly grease it with oil. You may have some crumble topping left over, but don’t throw it out! You can freeze it and save it for the next crumble or for adding to the top of muffins, pancakes, etc. The crumble should serve 6 people.

crumble
3 1/2 to 4 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and cherries)
6 tbsp coconut sugar, divided
zest of 1 organic un-waxed lime
3/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/2 cup of oat flour (or any flour of your choice)
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
heaping 1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature (solid)

spiced coconut yogurt
1 6 to 8 oz container plain coconut milk yogurt
1/2 to 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey if not making it vegan)
1/8 tsp each of ground cloves and ground cardamom

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss the berries, 2 tbsp of the coconut sugar, and lime zest together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar, ground cloves, and pecans until combined. Add the coconut oil and mash it into the dry mixture with a fork or your fingers until the crumble topping forms. Pour the berries and their accumulated juices into a seasoned cast iron pan (or a lightly greased baking dish) and spread them out into an even layer. Spread the crumble mixture over the top of the berries in an even layer (you may have some left over). Bake the crumble at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbly.

While the crumble is cooling, combine all of the ingredients for the spiced coconut yogurt. Taste and adjust for sweetness or spices. Serve along side or on top of the crumble. Enjoy!

I’ve been noticing lately that I take pleasure in the simple things, whether it be occurrences in the day to day or in the foods that I put into my body. Today I’ve enjoyed the beauty of a cloudy day, the rainbow of offerings at the farmer’s market, a juicy, ripe peach, and exploring a different route home.

I used to really dislike the small city in which I call home, but I’ve come to realize recently that it’s what I’ve got. I may pine for better cities or locales, but this city of mine will have to do. Relishing in the small things every day is what allows me to be able to enjoy this place. It may seem silly to some that taking a different route home or going for a walk on my nice, shady trail would bring me such joy, but it really does.

Since I’ve been enjoying an abundance of local peaches lately, I decided to enjoy them in a rather simple, yet delicious way. I grilled them with nothing but a bit of coconut oil and them topped them with a vegan cashew cream and a couple of sweet raspberries. An effortless sweet treat for a lovely warm day.

Grilled Peaches with Cashew Cream
Since I’m not allowed to have an outside grill at my apartment, I use a grill pan on my stove. Feel free to use whichever is readily available. If you do use a grill pan inside, be prepared to open a window or two. I had some raspberries available so I garnished the peaches with them, but feel free to garnish with whatever you have on hand. This recipe makes enough for 8 servings with a bit of cashew cream left over.

1/2 cup of raw cashews (not roasted and un-salted), soaked in water for a couple of hours
1/4 cup (or a bit more) of coconut milk
1 tbsp pure maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener of your choice
small pinch of sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

4 ripe peaches, halved and pits removed
coconut oil for brushing on peaches

fresh raspberries to serve (optional)

Make the cashew cream: drain and rinse the cashews and then add them to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add in 1/4 cup of coconut milk, the maple syrup, the salt, and the cinnamon. Process until the mixture is smooth and relatively thick. If it is too thick, add a bit more coconut milk. Set the cashew cream aside in the fridge to chill while you grill the peaches. (you can make this a couple of days ahead of time, just make sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge)

Grill the peaches: rub the flesh side of each peach halve with a bit of coconut oil (just enough to coat it). Grill the peaches flesh side down on a grill pan set over medium to medium-high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes total. I grilled mine for 1 minute, then rotated them about 90 degrees and grilled them for an additional minute in order to get lovely cross-hatched grill marks. You want the peaches to soften and release their natural sugars, but not turn to mush.

Assemble: top each peach halve with a good dollop of the cashew cream and a couple of raspberries. Serve immediately (or chill for later) and enjoy!