SOUR CHERRY & STRAWBERRY WALNUT OAT CRUMBLE

Summer has been busy & full of amazing produce.  I know I'm not the only New Yorker freaking out at the farmer's market every weekend.  As usual, I have too much food in the house & not enough people to cook for.  The fruit right now is out of this world (peaches! sugarplums! currants!), and I can't stop making fruit desserts, shrubs, compotes, etc.  I don't know what I would do if I lived in California and had perfect produce all year round.  I probably wouldn't leave the house.

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending the day with James Hartley & romping around the farmer's market & Brooklyn.  Eater wrote a lovely write-up & I made my go-to dessert with two of my favorite fruits.  

Sour Cherry & Strawberry Oat Crumble (vegan & gluten-free) Serves 4

Filling:

• 2 cups strawberries, quartered
• 2 cups sour cherries, pitted
• Squeeze of lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1/4 cup turbinado or coconut sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons tapioca/arrowroot starch 

Mix together all ingredients and stir to macerate berries/cherries. Set aside. 

Crumble :

• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free quick cooking oats
• 1/3 cup sorghum flour
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2/3 cup brown or coconut sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, cut into cubes 
• Raw sugar to top

Whisk together first seven ingredients until well combined. Using your hands, mix in coconut oil and shortening until crumble resembles an oatmeal cookie dough. 

Add filling to a Pyrex dish or pie pan. Layer crumble evenly over top & sprinkle with raw sugar to top. 

Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until crumble is browned on top and fruit is bubbling around the sides.  Set aside to cool for 20 minutes, then serve warm.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE LOVELY JAMES HARTLEY

PISTACHIO CARDAMOM DOUGHNUTS WITH MASCARPONE GLAZE

As much as I love any and all baked goods (especially homemade) doughtnuts have never been my go-to.  I realize deep-fried, sugar-covered things are generally liked by literally everyone, but for me, they don't always have a ton of flavor.  

Not these little guys, though.  I've been obsessed with this amazing combination after trying the famous Ovenly Loaf and decided to test out my new mini doughnut pan while I'm at it.  This recipe makes over two dozen mini doughtnuts, but I promise you won't be able to keep them around long.

PISTACHIO CARDAMOM DOUGHNUTS WITH MASCARPONE GLAZE (Gluten-free) Makes 26 Mini Doughnuts

• 8 oz. shelled pistachios
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons ghee or butter, melted and cooled
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Add pistachios to a food processor and pulse until ground into a meal / gritty flour (makes 1 cup pistachio meal).  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pistachio meal, almond flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, coconut sugar and salt.

In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, zest and butter.  Slowly combine wet with dry, folding batter to combine well.

Using a pastry bag, pipe batter into well-greased mini doughnut pan, making sure each is three-quarters full.  Bake for exactly 10 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove cakes from the pan.  Cool on a wire rack before glazing.

MASCARPONE GLAZE:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond or hempmilk
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together first four ingredients until smooth and well-combined.  Dip doughnuts into glaze and set on a cooling rack over a baking sheet.  Before glaze has set, sprinkle each doughnut with pistachio.  Serve &/or eat immediately!

MORNING MEALS ROUND-UP

Like everyone else in the world, I'm starting my year off trying to eat purely and detox from screens.  Although I've already failed my "no phones after 7pm" rule, I have read more in the last month than I did in the last 6, so that's something.  So far, so good?  And now on to my favorite breakfasts of the year so far / a Morning Meals round-up:

DETOX GREEN SMOOTHIE (gluten-free, vegan) SERVES 2

• 3 cups organic spinach
• 1 cup frozen organic mixed berries
• 1 cup frozen mango or peach
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon spirulina
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 cups almond milk
• Small handful of fresh parsley or mint
• Pomegranate seeds for topping

Add all ingredients to your blender.  Blend on high for 2-3 minutes or until well blended and thick.  Garnish your smoothie with pomegranate seeds and more fresh herbs.  Eat with a spoon and enjoy!

---

SPICED CANDIED PECANS & POMEGRANATE YOGURT CUPS (Gluten-free) SERVES 2

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 4 oz. raw pecans
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 cups greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds 

In a small bowl, mix together spices and sugar. Set aside.

Then, in a small saucepan, heat butter over medium until melted.  Add pecans, then slowly add spice mixture making sure to nuts are coated evenly.  Add maple syrup and up the heat to medium high. Stirring often for 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to smell nutty and more syrupy.

Remove from heat and add in an even layer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool. (For immediate cooling, add to freezer for 5 minutes.)

Once pecans have cooled, top greek yogurt with them and a few tablespoons of pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

---

MINI DILL FRITTATAS (gluten-free, dairy-free) SERVES 2-3, Makes 12 mini frittatas

• 5 large eggs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Sea salt to taste
• Baby arugula, to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, garlic, shallot, almond milk and dill.  Zest approximately 1 teaspoon of zest and the juice of half a lemon.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Combine well.

Use olive oil to grease your mini muffin pan.  Ladle in egg mixture up to the top.  Season with flaky sea salt. Bake for 22-25 minutes.  They will puff up slightly when done.  Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and serve on a bed of arugula drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.  Enjoy!