PERSIMMON AND BASIL GALETTE

This past month I've found myself in aggressive moods propelled by moments of angst over the impending changes at work and in my life (more on that another day). I can't help but think the current state of our world is also a player in this game of nearly getting the best of me on a regular basis. The barrage of headlines about war and terror and red verse blue cast a shadow on my otherwise sunny disposition. How does one deal with it all? It makes me feel like I am treading water in uneasy seas.

What is most compelling to me about my negative emotions, thoughts, feelings, and comments is that if I combat them with a buddhist view, I can generally shake them off quickly. Buddah says that life is neutral, and what we are thinking, speaking, believing, and our attitude about life is all we ever actually experience. You are the source of your life - good and bad. I read something the other day that really hit it home for me and since then I have felt more at peace.

Give attention to the possibility that all human communication, every word uttered in the human experience, is either a call for love -- "Appreciate me, acknowledge me, validate me, approve of me, take care of me, hold me!" or an expression of love--- "Thank you, I am great, you are extrodinary, I want your life to be successful." All our acts and words are attempts to presence (be and present) love. Consider that love, or the desire for love, is the distillation of all spoken words and the motivation for all action.

-Teres Engelhart- founder of Cafe Gratitude, a passage from Sacred Commerce.

When I read this I was able to discover the souce of where so much of my aggression was coming from and make sense of where it might be coming from within others.

But I digress, baking has a way of calming my nerves and creating more space to breathe allowing me to just be.

Following a recipe, or in this case creating one requires you to be focused on the ingredients and measurements making sure that you notate the amounts, adjust and taste test until it's perfect. The immediacy of baking takes me out of my head and I become present to what is going on right in front of me drowning out all the rest of the noise.

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST:

3 Cups

unbleached all-purpose flour

3 Teaspoons

coconut sugar or sugar of choice

2/3 Cups

coconut oil, cold and solid

2/3 Cups

ice cold water

pinch of salt

FOR THE CREME

4 Tablespoons

Coconut Cream - the solid not the liquid

3 Tablespoons

vegan cream cheese- or more coconut cream

1 Tablespoon

finely chopped fresh basil

1 Tablespoon

coconut sugar

Zest of 1 large orange

1 Tablespoon

vanilla extract

FOR THE GALETTE FILLING

4-5

Fuyu Persimmons- cut in half, thinly sliced on mandoline

Zest from 1/2 orange

Zest from 1/2 lemon

1 Tablespoon

orange juice or Grand Marnier liqueur, cause why not

3 Tablespoons

coconut sugar

pinch of salt

FOR GARNISH

Fresh Basil

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Combine flour, coconut sugar, salt, coconut oil, and ice water in a food processor, pulsing for about 10-15 seconds, until just barely combined.

Pour onto plastic wrap and cover to form into a disc. Massage it together until it is combined into a dough and then refrigerate while you prep the filling (15-20 mins)

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, orange and lemon zests. Rub the sugar and zest together with your hands to release the citrus oil into the sugar. Add a pinch of salt and the Grand Marnier (or OJ) and mix well. Set aside.

2. Cut the stems off the fuyu persimmons. Slice them in half, and cut into thin slices, about 3/8-inch thick. I used a Mandoline. Remove any seeds, if needed. Place the persimmon slices in the sugar mixture and toss to coat well.

3. Prepare the galette creme filling by placing the coconut cream, cream cheese, basil, sugar, and orange zest in the bowl of the food processor and process until well combined.

4. Remove dough from fridge, roll it out into a circular shape, about 10-12" wide

Spread a thin layer of the creme mixture in the middle of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all the way around. Arrange the persimmon slices on top of the creme.

1. Fold up the edges around the fruit, pressing on the pleats together. Place the galette on the lined baking sheet.

Brush the edges of the dough with a pasty wash made from 1 tbsp maple syrup + 2 tbsp almond milk.

1. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove, let cool completely, garnish with basil and serve.

5 INGREDIENT ALMOND ROSEMARY CRACKERS WITH FIG TAPENADE

This past week I have spent a generous amount of my free time in the kitchen and I ain't mad about it. I flew up to San Francisco last Friday with my boyfriend to visit my dear friends K&C who recently moved and we enjoyed a lovely dinner at home together on Sunday night. The evening began with a trip to a really cute local market called Oceana in Pacifica where we gathered ingredients and snapchatted away about some superfood ice cream we discovered (username: CaraCarin). Immediately after getting home we got to work, Christina on the crackers and me on a pear chutney. It was just like old times and I couldn't help but feel nostaligic as we laughed and sipped on red wine together in the kitchen again.

I wouldn't consider myself a cracker person, but these were so damn good I made creating a vegan version the first item to tackle on my list of to-dos once I returned home (the original recipe uses eggs). Leave it to the good fellas at Bob's Red Mill to create a vegan egg replacer that worked seamless into this recipe, resulting in literally the exact same consistency and taste as the original providing the perfect vehicle to transfer fig tapenade into your mouth. And trust me these pair so well together it gives peanut butter and jelly a run for their money. Insert a glass of Cabernet and I may as well have gone to girls night heaven.

Now the fig tapenade is literally what dreams are made of assuming you like the combo of salty and sweet. The savory olives mixed with nectorous dried figs makes this an iteration on tapenade that trumps all other tapenades. Yes, a bold statement but olive-based tapenades with vinegar are ubiquitous in Italian cuisine so as an Italian I have had my fair share over the years and this is hands down my favorite.

I served these along side a wheel of Treeline vegan cheese because why not!?

These crackers are

crunchy, salty, savory, filling, aromatic, and delicious.

This fig tapenade is

sweet, salty, sour, crunchy, chunky and the bomb.

Hello perfect appetizer for every holiday dinner party you are attending or hosting.

Ingredients

For the Crackers

3 1/2 Cups blanched almond flour

1 Teaspoon pink salt

4 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 vegan eggs, i used Bobs Red Mill Egg Replacer

For the Fig Tapenade

2 Cups dried figs, chopped

2/3 Cups water

2/3 Cups olives, pitted and chopped. I used a mix of black and green kalamata

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 Teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 Cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Instructions

1. For the Crackers:

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and rosemary. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil and egg

Stir wet ingredients into almond flour mixture until well combined

Roll the dough into a ball and press between 2 sheets of parchment paper to ⅛ inch thickness

Use a cookie cutter or knife to cut the dough into approx. 2 inch crackers.

Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden

Let crackers cool on baking sheet for 30 minutes, then serve or store in an air tight container for up to a week.

1. For the Fig Tapenade

Combine chopped figs and the water in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates and figs are soft, about 5-7 minutes.

Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and chopped thyme.

Season with pink salt and pepper to taste.

Stir chopped walnuts into tapenade just before serving.

Garnish with walnut halves and thyme sprigs, if desired.

Serve with crackers.

HOLIDAY KALE SALAD WITH FENNEL, SWEET POTATO, APPLE AND POMEGRANTE

Ingredients

For the Salad

1 large bunch of kale, I used Russian Red

1 medium sweet potato, skinned and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 Honey Crisp Apple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 small fennel bulb, thiny sliced

3/4 Cups pomegranent seeds from 1 pomegranent

3/4 Cups toasted pecans, rough chop

For the Dressing

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Teaspoon lemon zest

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

2 Teaspoons dijon mustard

1/8 Teaspoon pink salt

black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 425f.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cubed sweet potatoes on it and lightly sprinkle with pink salt and oil if you desire. Toss to evenly coat.

Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the pieces are tender to a fork.

1. To prepare the kale: wash, pat dry with paper towels, remove the stem and break or chop into bite size pieces. (optional: save the stem/ribs for smoothies or veggies stock). Transfer the kale into a large bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a little bit of olive oil. Message the leaves with your hands, lightly scrunching big handfuls until the leaves are a darker green and fargrant.

Do not skip this step- it is the key to a delicious kale salad.

1. remove the seeds from the pomegranent and set aside.

Using a mandolin or chefs knife (be careful) slice the fennel bulb as thin as possible. Set aside.

Remove the core and chop the apple into 1/2 inch pieces. set aisde.

In a large skillet over medium heat toast the pecans stirring often for 3-5 minutes. remove from heat, chop and set aisde.

1. Prepare the dressing by whisking everything together in a small bowl. Add this to the bowl with the messaged kale and toss to coat well.

Then add in all the remaining ingredients and give it a good toss. Serve immediately.