Rosemary, Pear & Vanilla and Pop Tarts

QUITE THE PEAR

Yesterday I had the privilege of creating content for my friends at Misfit Juicery- one of my favorite socially driven business. Their mission is to salvage unwanted fruits and veggies (a misshapen apple, or a lemon with a bruise) and turn them into a 21st century commodity, a staple product in every health conscious millenial's refrigerator- juice! 

In many ways, it was Ann & Phil (founders of Misfit) who inspired me to rethink my actions in the kitchen. According to the USDA, over 40% of food produced here in the US never makes it to market. Even more shocking, 1/4 of the food that consumers purchase and bring back to their personal kitchens ends up being thrown out, and 97% of that waste rots in landfills, producing air toxic methane. Our food waste system creates incredible pressures on our environment, and ourselves. In a very real way, it presents us with a paradoxical moral dilemma. How can we allow so much food to be wasted, when so many are hungry?

Over the past 3 months, I've gotten the opportunity to photograph and film food in a variety of settings. The only thing that has troubled me at these shoots is baring witness to heaps of wasted food. With these images seared into my brain, and the fact that I was shooting next to a food waste guru, I was doubly aware of my responsibility to do my part in preventing such a cycle. My apartment looked like the Garden of Eden yesterday - every surface occupied by a cornucopia of oddly shaped veggies. I made a promise to myself then and there to utilize each morsel of produce from this shoot, and beyond. After all, change begins at home.

Here's how I used Misfit's funny looking (yet flavorful) pears. More recipes using Misfit produce to come. Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS

• pears, cored and diced
• 1 vanilla pod, deseeded
• 1 stalk of rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbs of red or white wine
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 2 cups flour whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbs of rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbs of maple syrup
• 10 tbs. cold butter 
• 5 tbs. of ice cold water

DIRECTIONS

First, drop pears in a saucepan over med. heat with water, vanilla, rosemary, and maple syrup. Bring to a boil. Add the wine, and reduce to simmer. Cook for 9 mins. 

In a bowl, combine flour, salt. rosemary and butter in a bowl, and mix (with hands or using a standing mixer) until the mixture is the size of peas. Then, add maple syrup and water until the dough forms. Flour a surface and roll out the dough until 1/6 inch thick. Cut into 10 rectangles. 

Place 1 heaping teaspoon of pear compote on 5 of the rectangles and use the remaining dough to cover them. Seal the tarts with a fork, and brush with the compote liquid. Slice the tarts to allow steam to escape. 

Bake at 375 for 25 mins or until golden brown. 

Apple Almond Bars

THE SWEETNESS OF BITTERNESS 

As the Jewish new year approaches, I can't help but reflect back on what has been one of the most rewarding periods of my life thus far. This year, I got engaged to and married a man that challenges me each day to be the most whole version of myself. I traveled to India and Italy; two places that are too different to compare, but whose contrasts have made me even more aware of how fortunate I truly am. I quit a job that provided me with security and stability and leapt into a risky world of uncertainty. I rediscovered dormant passions and sharpened untapped skills. I cultivated new friendships and deepened existing ones. I learned to trust my capabilities when so much was at stake. I became more comfortable with my identity and heritage and have found so much value in the legacy of tradition. 

Last Friday night, I gathered with old friends and new around a vegetable adorned table. As I looked around, a feeling of deep gratitude washed over me. Admittedly, this insight may have been provoked by our host's Shabbat tradition of welcoming the weekend with a gulp of mezcal, but that's neither here nor there... I gazed around and understood that each guest came from a different background, each with their own unique experience and history, yet we all met here, at a table to celebrate a year of progression and learning. We came together to celebrate Rosh Hashanah- a holiday that used to fill me with deep dread (sitting in a synagogue for hours just isn't my thing - is it anyone's?!), yet now brings me so much joy. To me Rosh Hashanah is about reflection, gratitude, and anticipation for what's to come. 

We ended the meal with a delicious apple bar dessert (recipe below), made by my dear friend Ariel. The dessert (and apple honey dipping) reminded me of the Jewish idiom "have a sweet new year". It got me thinking about flavors- sweet and bitter. While they have a bad reputation, I happen to love bitter foods. Maybe I developed a taste for bitterness because compounds in bitter foods are healthful. Either way it's clear to me that whether literally or metaphorically speaking, bitterness is essential to life and wellbeing. And while people who wish you a sweet new year are well meaning, I'm sure, my intention this year instead is to appreciate bitterness, and to find beauty in moments that are challenging, scary, and arduous; the bitter moments of life. I truly believe that your outlook is the single most powerful tool to make lemonade out of of lemons. As such, I wish you all instead a present, tenacious and mindful new year replete with empathy, self-love and understanding ;) 

Apple Almond Bars (from At Home in a Whole Food Kitchen, adapted by Ariel Pasternack) 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbs coconut oil 
• 4 apples, sliced
• 2/3 cup and 1 tbs maple syrup
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
• 1.5 cups of oat flour
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tbs apricot jam

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Oil or line a 9x9 pan. Warm coconut oil in a skillet and add apples. Cook until brown, then add 1 tbs maple syrup and 2 tsp vanilla. Cook for another 5 mins. 

Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix. Separately add olive oil, remaining vanilla and maple, and almond extract in a bowl and whisk. Add wet ingredient to dry, and mix well. Pack the dough in the pan, and bake for 15 mins. Arrange the cooked apples overtop, and cook for 25 more mins. 

To make the glaze, heat the apricot jam over med heat until melted. Brush the bars with melted jam. Enjoy.

Pear Crumble with Thyme and Ginger

PEAR CRUMBLE & THE WANDERING 02

Since our first The Wandering dinner, Alexandra and I set out to bring people together through a shared and memorable food experience. We continued this pursuit of our mission at The Wandering 02, a dinner influenced by the early fall harvest. At our second gathering on Friday night, glasses were filled to the brim with bright white wine, and gin n' juice- our new intoxicated detox gin based cocktail with pressed apple, ginger, lemon and cayenne - as strangers mingled effortlessly around our autumnal table, and dined on seasonally inspired dishes to welcome the new season into our lives. Our table was lined with savory dishes -warm mutbucha tomato harissa dip, smokey carrot hummus, raw beets, fried olives with citrus zest, tomato, bread and cannellini bean skillet, and dark leafy green salad with charred corn- and flanked by friendly faces of people who didn't know each other at all, yet left as friends by the night's end. One of our guests was a local musician as it turned out, and graced us (after a few minutes of pleading from the crew) with a vulnerable and tender rendition of Leonard Cohen's' "hallelujah", that perfectly captured the mood of the evening- intimate, warm, and open. 

That moment was the perfect segue for our grand finale, the dessert which was warming, savory, and sweet, all in one. I've always loved making desserts in skillets. It's easy and rustic, and also creates a crusty top from the generated heat. Below is my recipe for the perfect autumnal pear crumble. We served it with a dollop of soy ice cream. 

It's truly remarkable to see months of planning, visioning, and ideating coming into fruition. The idea of The Wandering is simple, yet elusive. There are simply not enough events like this in DC- dinners that are accessible, affordable, and plant focused. And we're setting out to bridge that gap. I'm grateful to be able to co-host such a beautiful event. 

 

SKILLET

• 7 pears or apples, sliced
• 1 tsp of fresh thyme
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 lemon, juiced 
• 4 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch 
• 1 tsp of ground cloves
• 1 inch knob of grated ginger
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of golden raisins
• 1/4 fresh apple sauce 
• 2 tbs of water

CRUBMLE

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4  cup coconut sugar 
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs of thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or butter

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. Place all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Pour ingredients into a skillet. Then, mix the topping ingredients in a separate bowl, and top the wet ingredients. Bake the skillet for 45 mins - an hour (until the mixture is brown on top and bubbling in the middle). Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and garnish with chopped thyme or coconut sugar. 

fig and rosemary scones with honey and pink salt

THE NOTORIOUS F.I.G. 

I love how food can activate memories and experiences passed. Fresh figs have that nostalgic effect for me, and every time I eat them, I'm reminded of my days living in a communal house with friends the year I graduated college. We had a robust and healthy fig tree just outside our house that bloomed each late-summer with sweet and succulent fruit. I recall picking figs and placing them on a beautifully plates, adorned with cheeses and jams, entertaining friends, and playing the part of an adult. In a way, figs taught me to honor the ingredient, and showed me the beauty of looking to nature for inspiration in the kitchen. 

Here's a recipe for rosemary and fig scones, in honor of the first time I harvested and ate fresh figs from a tree in my own backyard. These scones are delightful, and beautifully balance the sweetness of figs with the piney aroma of rosemary. To say they were delicious would be grossly understating how exquisite they were. Eat em' as is, or top with jam, butter, or freshly whipped cream and berries. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbs cup raw sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 2 tbs of honey
• 7 tablespoons butter (very cold), diced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg, beaten, room temperature
• 6 figs, sliced
• 4 tbs rosemary, chopped finely 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. In a standing mixer, combine all dry ingredients. Add very cold butter and incorporate until the mixture is the size of peas. 

Using a separate bowl, add heavy cream, beaten egg and honey. Add the wet ingredients into the standing mixer mixture and incorporate until it forms a dough. Slowly stir in the figs and rosemary. 

Roll dough out on well floured surface, until the dough is 2 inches thick. Using a jar or cup, cut the scones into rounds. Place the rounds onto cookie sheet with parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg, and sugar. Bake for 14 mins.

Rose & blackberry, Pistachio olive oil cake with vanilla honey yogurt

Roses are red, violets are blue, you can have your cake + eat it too!

I have fallen head over heals for floral notes in my food. Scent is a crucial trigger for our memory. The smell and flavor of rose reminds me of my formative trip to India last summer. Upon exiting the airport in Delhi, a strong aroma washed over me and filled my nostrils with delight. Jasmine filled the air. It was as if the wind was scented. 

As I traipsed through the crowded streets of Old Delhi, overwhelmed with sensory overload and unforgiving humidity, I could not escape that floral smell. Finally after a long day of pushing my way through sweaty crowds and dodging near death traffic scenarios, I took a break, and washed away my internal heat with an ice cold rose lassi. It was so refreshing, and the cloying sweetness that is characteristic of the yogurt drink was cut with a floral bitterness that made the lassi more interesting and complex. Needless to say, I did a lot of eating in India, but that rose lassi was by far the most memorable. This post is a homage to the drink that made me fall in love with floral flavors. Here's my recipe for a rosewater olive oil cake with blackberries, pistachio and a to-die-for vanilla honey yogurt. 

CAKE INGREDIENTS

• 1 and 1/3 cups  all-purpose (or whole wheat) flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• ⅔ cup coconut sugar (or white)
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1/3 cup of pistachios 
• 1/3 cup of blackberries
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs. honey

YOGURT INGREDIENTS

•  1/3 cup of yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbs honey 

DIRECTIONS

Oil and flour a springform pan or a bunt mold. Pre heat oven to 350.

With a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the sugar and beat for 5 mins until it's thick. Add the rosewater, olive oil and vanilla. 

Meanwhile mix together the flour, baking power, salt, and pistachios. Once the wet mixture is fluffy, graduallly fold in the dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Add the blackberries. Pour mixture into pan, and place in over for 30 mins, or until a knife comes out clean. 

Sprinkle the cake with coconut sugar, and serve with blackberries, yogurt and a sprinkle of honey on top.

There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence.  - Emerson