Peach Blueberry Crisp

Recipe Adapted from Elana's Pantry

What to do when you have 25# of fresh organic peaches from Michigan? Make peach crisp!

ingredients:

6 or 7 peaches, sliced

1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 T fresh lemon juice
3 T arrowroot powder
1/4 cup cane juice crystals or sucanut
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey

Mix together fruit, lemon juice, arrowroot, and cane juice crystals. Pour fruit mixture into pie pan.

Mix together with a fork or pastry blender: almond flour, salt, coconut oil and honey.

Crumble the topping over the fruit mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees covered with foil for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes or till topping is browned.

Enjoy! 

Green Dressing

Inspired by a cooking class yesterday...I am experimenting with ways to make my bounty of CSA lettuce even more delicious!

Blend together on high:
about 1/2 cup fresh mixed herbs (cilantro, basil, mint....ect)
1 small pickle cucumber or half of a regular cucumeber
2 cloves garlic
2 pieces candied ginger
juice of one lemon, about 1/4 cup
about 1/2 cup olive oil (till desired consistency)

Cucumber Fennel Salad

ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
3 T olive oil
2 T rice vinegar (more if desired more tang)

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 apple, cored and thinly spliced (if using organic leave on the peel for added color)
1 peach, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced

1-2 T red onion, diced 

1 handful of fresh herbs (any combination of dill, mint, lemon balm, cilantro or parsley)
sea salt to taste

fresh nasturtium for garnish

directions:
(Prepare 2-4 hours ahead of time and chill before serving)

Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, rice vinegar and salt in a jar or bowl.

Combine all other ingredients in a bowl, pour dressing over and toss together. 

Fermented Dill Pickles

ingredients:
small pickling cucumbers
2 T course sea salt
1 T fresh dill (or more if you like)
1 t mustard seeds (optional)
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, quartered
a dash of crushed red pepper (optional)
filtered water

variation: add a few carrots, cauliflower or any other veggie

Directions:

• Place your ingredients in a quart sized mason jar and fill within one inch of the top with filtered water. (Use a small jar or fermenting weight to weigh down the cucumbers inside the large jar. You want the cucumbers fully covered with liquid.)  
• Cover the jar with the mason jar lid, screw the lid on and ferment in room temperature on your counter for 5 to 7 days. (Whole veggies take longer to ferment than shredded, so I like to leave mine for about 7 days) 
• Refrigerate to stop the fermentation process and enjoy! You know they are ready when they taste tangy and fermented instead of salty.

Honey Pecan Granola

ingredients:
9 cup rolled oats
2 cups pecans
2 cups coconut flakes
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 T cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
1/2 t sea salt
(If you have almond pulp from a recent batch of almond milk, throw that in too!)
2 cups honey
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 T vanilla
directions:
Mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Bake on baking sheets in oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring and rotating pans every 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 200 degrees and toast for an additional 30-45 minutes for a crunchy granola finish.

Moroccan Spiced Chicpeas

ingredients: 
2 T coconut oil
1 red onion, sliced thinly
3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
1/2 cup dried apricots or dates, chopped 
2 T Ras El Hanot (Moroccan Spice Blend) - follow the link to make it yourself
2 t sea salt
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup stock or water
1 1/2 t grated lemon rind
2 T fresh lemon juice
4 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 (15 oz cans, drained and rinsed)
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes in their juices
1 cup red lentils, soaked for 30 minutes - 1 hour - for easier digestion
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves

directions:
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute till translucent. Add garlic, ginger, apricots, spice blend, sea salt, black pepper and cinnamon stick. Cook together over medium heat for about 3 minutes. 

Add water/stock, lemon rind, lemon juice, chickpeas, tomatoes and the juice they are in. Bring to a simmer. 

While the chickpeas are simmering, drain the soaking lentils. Put lentils in a pan, covered with water and cook on medium-high heat till boiling. White foam will develop on top. Simply scoop off the foam and throw out. Turn heat down to medium and continue to cook lentils till they are soft and begin to fall apart. Once cooked, drain them and add them to the simmering chickpea mixture. 

Serve over rice or couscous. Garnish with cilantro and mint and/or a Moroccan Lemon Relish.

Ras El Hanout - Moroccan Spice Blend

Mix together: 
2 teaspoons ground ginger 
2 teaspoons ground cardamon
2 teaspoons ground mace
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

A local Asian Market can be an excellent place to find good deals on unique spices that might otherwise be hard to find at your grocery store.