Until a few years ago, I had never tried a persimmon. I grew up in Maine, where anything but local produce can be hard to find, and in the winter time, it can be hard to find any produce at all. Needless to say, I had long since moved to California when I got my first taste of these little beauties. Native to China, they were introduced in California sometime in the middle of the 19th Century, and Americans have been hooked ever since. They have a delicate flavor, sweet with a little tang, and are great in baked goods or sliced with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar. I've seen loads of persimmon based muffins, cookies, crumbles, and cakes lately, so I decided to make my own version: a buttery, flaky gluten-free crust (yes it CAN be done!) under a rich, gingery cheesecake middle, topped with sugared persimmon slices and finished with a sweet smattering of coconut whip. This dessert is low sugar, so pretty guilt-free, and a crowd-pleaser- we shared with our friends and it was gone in one night! It would make a great Thanksgiving dessert and takes about an hour to throw together. We hope the friends at your table love it as much as ours! Let's eat.

INGREDIENTS:
Buttery Crust:
2 cups gluten-free flour blend (we used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 GF Baking flour)
1/4 teaspoon xantham gum (only if your flour blend doesn't include any, and even then- optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegan butter
9-12 tablespoons ice cold water

Ginger Cashew Cream:
2 cups cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes in warm water
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, or about a 1-inch chunk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Persimmon Topping:
4 persimmons, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Coconut Whip:
1 can full fat coconut milk
3-6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons vanilla 


INSTRUCTIONS:
Buttery Crust:
1. To prepare the buttery crust, mix flour, xantham if using, and salt in a large bowl, then cut in butter using a fork or pastry butter until crumbs form. Drizzle tablespoons of ice cold water one at a time over the mixture, using a wooden spoon to stir and work the liquid in until a dough begins to form. Add water until dough is moist enough to form a ball but not too sticky to knead. Add more flour, a little at a time, if needed. Once dough is prepared, roll out to about 1/4 thickness and press into your 11-inch tart pan, being sure to line the edges as evenly as possible. I use the back of a wooden spoon to press the dough evenly into the tart pan. Once finished, place in fridge to chill while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

Ginger Cashew Cream:
2.  In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine soaked and drained cashews, water, maple syrup, ginger, vanilla and nutmeg and blend on high for about 1 minute, until mixture is completely creamy and smooth. Pour the mixture into your prepared crust and set aside.

Persimmon Topping:
3. Wash and thinly slice the persimmons, discarding the ends. Toss persimmons in sugar and ground ginger mixture, then arrange them around the tart, starting on the outside and working your way in, overlapping the persimmon slices slightly. Bake the tart, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove, let cool, and serve with coconut whip.

Coconut Whip:
4. Refrigerate coconut milk overnight, being careful not to shake or jostle cans. Once you're ready to make the whip, gently open the can and use a spoon to remove the thick white layer of coconut from the top half of the can, leaving the clearish liquid left at the bottom. Put the thick white cream into a mixing bowl with the sugar and vanilla. 
Mix with hand beaters until mixture is smooth, creamy, and whipped up. Serve a dollop with each slice of tart!
Leftovers can be refrigerated for several days, re-fluffing with beaters as necessary.

5. To serve, slice tart into pie-slices, then top with coconut whip and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Save leftovers, covered in the fridge, for up to a week. Enjoy!

Prepare yourselves: the weathers getting cooler and it's about to get all kinds of pumpkin up in here. After walking the aisles of Trader Joe's last week and seeing pumpkin-themed snacks EVERYWHERE, I was inspired. Last year at this time I was so sick of pumpkin. I'm not even sure we posted one pumpkin recipe on this site last fall. Lame, right?
This year, lucky (or maybe unlucky?) for you, I've jumped back on the pumpkin bandwagon. HARD. The next couple of weeks will be filled with pumpkin treats both sweet and savory...but mostly sweet.  I promise not to overdo it. And I promise you will find at least one pumpkin goodie to love. In fact, we're calling it 'GREAT PUMPKIN WEEK' here this week. Use the handy pumpkin on the homepage sidebar to explore ALL of our pumpkin-filled recipes! Now, let's BAKE!

INGREDIENTS:
Spiced Pumpkin Bread
1- 15 oz. can pumpkin purée (about 1.5 cups)
1/3 cup softened coconut oil
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups whole wheat OR gluten-free flour blend
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger

Maple Vanilla Icing
1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/3 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, milk, vanilla, & vinegar. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. While you wait, grab a second mixing bowl & combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.
Once the wet ingredients are ready (slightly bubbly), slowly add in the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Once the two are completely combined and a batter has formed, add the pumpkin purée. Stir to combine.
Pour batter into a greased, lined or non-stick loaf pan. [We used a non-stick pan with a little parchment paper, for easy removal.] Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven. Bread is finished when a toothpick comes clean. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 30 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. 
While bread cools, whip us icing by combining soaked cashews, maple syrup, vanilla, and water in a food processor or high speed blender. Fill a piping bag or ziploc bag with a corner cut off with icing mixture and pipe icing over cooled loaf. Loaf lasts well on the counter or in the fridge for about a week, or can be frozen indefinitely. Enjoy!

I was never a traditional tomato soup fan. Like watered down tomato paste, it is bland and flavorless. Sort of like a warm bloody mary without all of the other fun additions. My family feels similarly. Last week, when I told them I had actually come up with a tomato soup recipe that I not only liked, but was proud of, they were skeptical. I got a lot of heavy sighs and disgruntled looks.
They always underestimate me. 

I needed to prove them wrong. I needed to know if my soup passed the test. 
I watched expectantly as spoons were lifted to mouths; smiles and second bites...to their own surprise, they loved it. I knew they would. 

Unlike Campbells cans, this soup is loaded with fresh vegetables, flavorful herbs and a secret ingredient- my homemade cashew cream! 
It adds a richness in texture and slight nutty flavor that brings this soup from average to excellent. Its simple to prepare and even easier to re-heat later. 
Tastes best alongside a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

As you already know, eating more veggies is a good thing. Tomatoes especially are a powerhouse food. And while you may already know that tomatoes are fat-free, low in calories, and high in nutrient value, you may not have known that tomatoes are full of beta carotene, which give skin a natural, healthy glow; they are rich in vitamin K, lycopene, and calcium to help build strong bones; tomatoes are a natural source of chromium- great for balancing blood sugar levels, and they are high in cartenoids and bioflavenoids, which are natural anti-inflammatories. 
Plus, because we're talking health: both tomatoes and cashews are high in fiber; tomatoes are also very water dense. The combination of the two makes this soup a little more filling than most- helping you to eat smaller portions of more healthful foods.
Summer is coming, and cutting back on belly fat is something we all want.
Exercising regularly and eating healthy, nutrient-rich meals like this is the way to do it.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
2 medium yellow onions
4 T. earth balance or olive oil
1 quart (4 c.) vegetable broth (or water)
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup soaked raw cashews
1 cup water

Cashew Cream:
Soak 1 cup cashews in warm water for 1-4 hours. Drain cashews, pour into a blender, and add one cup water. Blend until consistency is creamy and no cashew chunks remain. Set aside.

Tomato Soup:
Wash, weigh, and chop tomatoes. Set aside. 
In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add chopped onions and garlic, and sautee about 8 minutes, until onions are glassy but not carmelized. Add tomatoes and continue to cook until onions and tomatoes are completely softened, about 15-20 minutes.
Add vegetable broth, bay leaves, basil, salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the smell of garlic and basil are wafting through the air. Remove the bay leaves and toss ‘em in the compost. Pour the cashew cream into the pot, and using a regular or immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy, usually about 20 seconds in my vitamix. 
Serve immediately while warm, or simmer on low heat until ready to serve. Garnish with roasted cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of cashew cream, or fresh basil leaves.
Keeps in the fridge for about a week. Makes great leftovers!

I love carrot cake. I mean, its a cake made of a vegetable, what's not to love?!
Sadly, most carrot cakes are drowned in sugar, butter, and eggs and thus lose any nutritive qualities that those tasty orange vegetables may have contributed. 
In developing this recipe, I knew I needed to end up with a carrot cake that was healthy.  I needed a carrot cake that I could snack on at 2 am and not feel guilty about. I needed a carrot cake that had zero added sugars. But what I really needed was a carrot cake that tasted so damn good, Alex would think it was the real thing.
SUCCESS!!

This is a raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free dessert that can be prepared in 10 minutes. And even better? Its good for you. I love that you can taste all of the REAL, delicious, from-the-ground ingredients that make this cake so moist and delicious!
And while the lemon creme frosting is totally optional, trust me when I say: 
ADD IT. 
It adds a whole new dimension to this cake; the lemon contrasts the 'fall' spices and the carrots and adds just the right amount of lemony flavor. 

Plus, we used carrots we grew in our garden to make it!

Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated+strained carrots
1/2 cup raisins

Carrot Cake
Directions:
Process dates and walnuts until uniformly crumbly.
Add in spices and process again, just enough so that spices are incorporated- you don't want to turn your date/ nut mixture to mush, just to uniformly small pieces.
Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside. 
Grate carrots. Once grated, use cheesecloth to squeeze all of the excess juice from the carrots. 
We always get our cheesecloth from CheeseclothFabric.com 'cause they offer such great discounts when you buy in bulk- and even though cheesecloth seems like something you may never use, we are constantly finding new uses for it!  Feel free to drink the remaining carrot juice or toss it, but you won't need it for the recipe. 
Add the grated carrots to the mixing bowl and date nut mixture, using a large wooden spoon to mix everything together. Throw in raisins and stir again.
Once combined, put mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Scroll down for Lemon Cashew Creme!

Lemon Cashew Creme
Ingredients:
1 cup soaked cashews
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 dates
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Throw it all in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. After cake has been set in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, frost and enjoy!

**Update**
We recently re-made this cake for a friends party and added a nut & date crust. To make the crust you will need:
1/2 cup dates
1 1/2 cup nuts (I used almonds and cashews)
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
Line a cake pan or pie tin with non-stick or waxed paper.
Press mixture into the sides and bottom of pan.
Refrigerate to set, about one hour.
After crust has set, layer with carrot mixture, followed by lemon cashew creme.