Fig and Hazelnut Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Basil Sauce

The other day, we were taking a walk on the beach and recollecting our many summers spent on the Black Sea shore. Sochi (where the 2014 winter Olympics will be held) was where we usually stayed with family, in a charming old house. Whole days were spent on the beach, bathing in the gentle water and soaking up the sun, completely content. Summer in Sochi is truly magical, with warm windless days, chilly evenings, fireflies, and water temperatures that are refreshing yet welcoming. And that is where we got our yearly dose of figs.

In our hometown, figs were a rarity - expensive and shipped from afar. But Sochi was a different story. Come the "velvet season", at the end of August, and the many fig trees in the streets and backyards exhibited the plump fruit. For some unknown reason, the locals did not care for them. So we became fruit thieves in neighbor's yards, justified by the fact that the figs would go to waste without our rescue. It's a known fact that the less the time between harvesting and eating, the better the flavour. And freshly picked, those figs tasted like honey, and their sweetness lingered on our lips all season long.

The other true jewel of those times in Sochi was hazelnut. Hazelnut trees were abundant and beautiful with their trios of ready to pick nuts hidden in green cocoons. We would take bags of freshly harvested hazelnuts to the beach and crack the nuts with smooth sea rocks. They made for an unforgettably tasty snack. Folk medicine is rich with tales of the nut's healing powers. In fact, one such remedy calls for the mixture of figs and hazelnuts to be taken at the end of the meal to aid digestion.

Now that figs have come into season, we decided to build this pizza around them with the addition of hazelnuts, caramelized onion, and basil sauce.

P.S. Have I mentioned that we have a Twitter?


Pizza Crust
1 medium yellow squash or zucchini - roughly chopped
1/2 onion - roughly chopped
6 halves of sun dried tomatoes
1 date - pitted
juice of 1 orange
1/8 cup nama shoyu
3 cups buckwheat - sprouted
2 cups sunflower seeds - sprouted
1 1/2 cup flax seeds - ground

In a food processor, combine the vegetables, date, orange juice and nama shoyu until well mixed. Add the sprouts in batches and blend thoroughly. Lastly, add the with flax seeds and mix until smooth. Spread thickly on Teflex sheets and dehydrate at 115F. After 2 hours, cut into desired crust shapes. Dehydrate for another 12 hours, then remove the crusts from teflex sheets, flip, and dehydrate for another 4 hours or until dry. Keep refrigerated until ready to use in airtight glass containers.

Balsamic Glaze
4 large figs
1-2 dates - pitted
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Puree all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender.

Caramelized Onions
10 large onions - sliced thinly
juice of 2 lemons
1 1/2 cup dates - pitted
6 tablespoons nama shoyu
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
1/2 cup water, or more for thinning
1 cup hazelnuts

Cover the onions with warm water mixed with the lemon juice for 30 minutes. Rinse well and drain. Combine the rest of ingredients except the hazelnuts in a blender and add to the onions. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, drain the excess liquid, and dehydrate at 115F for 15 hours or until crisp.
In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts into small pieces. Reserve about 1/4 cup for assembly. Add the onions to the processor and combine well. Add 2 tablespoons of the balsamic glaze and blend to reach a grainy consistency.

Creamy Basil Sauce
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
juice of 1 orange
1 small avocado
1/4 teaspoon salt
juice of 1/2 lime
pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

In a blender, combine all ingredients except olive oil. Slowly add the oil with the blender still running.

Pizza Assembly
about 20 small figs
1 bunch watercress
1 cup of sunflower sprouts (optional)
1/4 cup hazelnuts reserved from caramelized onions

Slice the figs and glaze with the balsamic. Dehydrate for 1-2 hours (optional). Spread the basil sauce on the crust, and arrange the watercress leaves, caramelized onions, and glazed figs on top. Sprinkle with sunflower sprouts and ground hazelnuts.

Baby Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Pink Dressing

When we first put together this plate of green, red, and pink, we were not expecting much of the result. After all, how surprising could four familiar ingredients taste when gathered in one dish?

Turns out, this salad is simplicity at its best. The orange and frozen raspberry dressing does wonders to the baby spinach and strawberries, making them taste like a bowl of the most widely assorted fruit. This is a wonderful dish for those who do not care for spinach, for all you can taste is the crunch and freshness of the leaves.

Also, it's a great starter when cooking for friends - incredibly easy in preparation and impressive in flavour. I've got many warm feelings for this salad and I could continue raving, but I won't keep you any longer. Just remember that it is a sunny day in a bowl and you won't regret giving it a try.

One last thing - we made a Flickr, let's be friends.

Baby Spinach and Strawberry Salad

(Adapted from The Raw 50)

3 cups baby spinach

10 strawberries - sliced

Pink Dressing

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

juice of 1 orange

In a blender, mix the dressing ingredients until smooth. Toss the spinach and strawberries with the dressing.

Hope you enjoy!

Blackberry & Lime Miniature Tarts with Cardamom Ice Cream

I must confess, I never liked gathering blackberries. Their bushes are covered with sharp little thorns that make the process a bit unpleasant. But I'm always the first to approach a basket of freshly picked berries, even if I was no help at harvesting them. Their sweet and sour flavours are quite addictive and speak so clearly of summer.

These miniature tarts came to us intuitively, through dreams of lime green and dark violet slowly blending, and we both knew that we had to make them, without much discussion. The lime cream rests on the subtle almond crust, while the richness of the two is offset by the fresh blackberries.

And the ice cream... Cardamom captured our hearts ever since the Plum and Cardamom Biscotti, and has become something of an obsession. So of course, with our new ice cream maker, we had to attempt cardamom ice cream. And it did exceeded all of our expectations.

Paloma enjoyed the dessert without the almond crust, and ate with such enthusiasm that the camera had a tough time keeping up with her.

If you don't want to bother with the crust, then this is also the version for you -just top the ice cream with the fluffy lime mousse and blackberries.

Lime Cream
1 cup meat of young Thai coconut
juice and zest of 1 1/2 limes
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup light agave syrup
1/4 avocado (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender (preferably high speed) until smooth. Before serving, chill in the refrigerator until the mixture thickens.

Almond Crust
2 cups almond flour OR 2 cups whole almonds, finely ground
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients thoroughly. 3 inch tart shells with removable bottoms work best for this. If yours don't have a removable base, line the shells with plastic wrap and evenly distribute the almond mixture by pushing it into shape. Chill in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes (the coconut oil will harden and keep the crusts together). After making sure that the crusts have hardened, carefully remove them from the tart shells. Keep refrigerated or frozen.

Almond Flour
2 cups whole almonds

Soak the almonds overnight. Drain, rinse, and dehydrate at 115F until dry - approximately 12 hours. Pulse in a food processor until flour-like consistency is achieved. Keep refrigerated.

Miniature Tart Assembly
Assemble right before serving. Otherwise, keep the shells, cream, and berries separate to avoid a soggy crust. Spoon the lime cream into the crust and arrange the fresh blackberries on top in any way you prefer. Garnish with lime zest.

Cardamom Ice Cream
2 cups meat of young Thai coconut
1 cup coconut water
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup cashews
9 dates
8-10 cardamom pods - crushed, green shell discarded
2 vanilla beans - both seeds and pods

In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth. Chill well and put into an ice cream maker for 25 minutes or however long your brand of ice cream machine suggests.

Happy weekend!

Summer Squash Herb Salad

Here is a nice way to prepare summer squash in a salad. The beauty of these squashes is that they're harvested with the skin still soft, so you don't have to peel and can enjoy all the benefits of the rind. We like it with our onion bread.

Summer Squash Herb Salad
(Adapted from The Raw 50)

1/2 cup sun dried tomato - soaked for 2 hours, drained, and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white onion (optional) - minced

1 tablespoon fresh oregano - minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil - minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill or lemon thyme - minced

1 teaspoon salt

2 zucchini - sliced on a mandoline or any way you like

2 yellow summer squash - sliced

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, oil, onion, herbs, and salt. Add the squash and mix to cover with the marinade. Leave to marinate for 2 hours and serve.

Onion Bread - here

Choco-Papaya Surprise Sandwich Rolls

Take the classic ensemble of chocolate, nut butter, and fruit. The three ingredients have provided generations with the most harmonious and hearty sandwiches. We decided to wrap them like a present.

The wrap is a delicate coconut-mango "paper" with embedded dried edible flowers.

Cut it in half, and inside is where the surprise awaits.

Even layers of papaya, almond butter, chocolate, and banana.

Asking to be bitten into, like any delicious sandwich.

Next, we decided to try a different styling approach. The papaya wrap below is more resilient and allowed for more experimentation. Further taking the idea of wrapping, we explored Japanese rolling techniques to create a variety of dessert rolls.



Four Seas Framed Roll:

Double-Line Crest:

Four Seas II:





This is an unfailing combination. Needless to say, we enjoyed the rolls very much.

Coconut Mango Wrap
2 cups young coconut meat
1 cup coconut water
1/2 mango
edible flowers (optional) - pressed and dried for 2 weeks

In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth. Spread on Teflex sheets as thickly as possible and carefully lay the flowers in desired places. Dehydrate at 115F for 2-4 hours or until dry. Flip and carefully peel away the Teflex and dehydrate for another 30 minutes or until dry. This wrap is very delicate and much harder to manage than the papaya wrap, which we recommend for this project.

Papaya Wrap
1 small papaya - peeled and seeded
1/3 cup sunflower seeds - ground
2 tablespoons raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups flax seeds - ground

Pulse the papaya in a food processor several times. Add the sunflower seeds, honey, and coconut oil, blend until smooth. Add the flax seeds and blend to combine thoroughly. Spread the mixture on Teflex sheets and dehydrate at 115F for 6-8 hours. Flip, remove the Teflex, and dehydrate on the screen only for about 2 hours, or until dry yet pliable.
You can use any combination of your favourite fruits and seeds to make a wrap, as long as you include the flax seeds (they hold the wrap together).

Chocolate layer
(Adapted from The Raw 50)
1 cup raw cacao powder
1 cup raw agave syrup
1 cup raw carob powder
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
1/2 cup almonds - soaked in purified water overnight
1 cup cashews - soaked in water for 2 hours
1 cup purified water

In a food processor, blend the cacao, agave, carob, coconut oil, sesame seeds, and almonds until smooth. Leave in the food processor. In a high speed blender, mix the cashews and water until creamy. Pour into the processor with the chocolate mixture and whir until smooth. Chill well.

Almond Butter
In a food processor, grind the desired amount of almonds until creamy.

Assembly
For the assembly, we used four layers: papaya, almond butter, chocolate, and banana. We referred to the Encyclopedia of Sushi Rolls to create a variety of dessert rolls, using the Double-Line Crest and Four Seas rolling techniques. After wrapping and before cutting the rolls, put them in the freezer for around 30 minutes so that the layers won't become smudged. Cut with a well-sharpened knife. Garnish with coconut flakes. The rolls keep well frozen - just thaw for a short time and enjoy.

A Summer for Snacks

Today we'd like to share a few recipes for fresh, seasonal snacks. Crackers and spread are such friendly, unpretentious food - they allow everyone to customize and create their perfect bite. These crackers are crunchy, nutty, and subtle enough to accept a variety of toppings. The two spreads are created with eggplant, peas, and cauliflower, which are abundant during these hot months of the year. We have a nostalgic attachment to green peas - to us they symbolize the barefoot freedom of childhood summers. Combined with the cauliflower and Indian spice blends, which we got during our recent trip to Toronto, the peas take on a new aromatic quality. Toronto is a true mecca of Indian food and these spices can be found in any of the numerous Indian markets in the area. When there, we ate Indian for nearly every breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
These crackers and spreads will do well for an afternoon nibble or a light meal together with a tossed salad.





Beautiful Japanese eggplants:




Nut and Zucchini Crackers
(Adapted from The Raw 50)
1/2 cup golden flax seeds - ground
3/4 cup purified water
1 medium zucchini - roughly chopped
2 cups walnuts or pecans - soaked in purified water for 4 hours
handful of fresh mint (optional) - chopped
poppy seeds for sprinkling

In a bowl, combine the ground flax and water and let sit until the water is absorbed. In a food processor, pulse the zucchini into small pieces and add to the flax. Chop the nuts in a food processor until finely ground and add to the bowl. Add the chopped mint and mix thoroughly with your hands. Spread on Teflex sheets. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and embed them into the cracker with wet hands. Dehydrate at 115F for 6 hours. Remove the teflex sheets, flip, and dehydrate for three more hours. Cut into desired cracker size, and dehydrate for 11 hours or until crisp. Keep refrigerated in an air tight container.

Cauliflower Green Pea Spread
(Adapted from Raw Food/Real World)
1 head cauliflower - florets only
1/2 cup cashew or macadamia nuts
1/2 tablespoon garam masala (a spice blend that can be found at any Indian market)
2 teaspoons chunky chat masala (a spice blend that can be found at any Indian market)
1/2 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup filtered water
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
handful of fresh mint or cilantro - chopped

In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower to make small pieces. Put the nuts, spices, ginger, lime juice, and water into a blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, combine the cauliflower, peas, and the blended nut creme. Dehydrate at 115F for 2 hours, mix occasionally. Place the mixture into a food processor and blend until spreadable but with texture. Place into a bowl and mix in the mint or cilantro. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

Eggplant Spread
Marinade:
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons nama shoyu
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons agave syrup
1 clove of garlic - chopped

The rest:
2 Japanese eggplants or 1 peeled large conventional eggplant - sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1 red or yellow bell pepper - thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes (optional) - cut in half
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
black pepper and salt to taste
1 bunch of dill or parsley
1/2 cup walnuts (optional) - chopped
2 cloves of garlic - chopped

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Put the sliced eggplant into a bowl, mix with 2 teaspoons of salt, and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse with water and gently squeeze out the extra liquid. Place the eggplant into a shallow dish and pour about 2/3 of the marinade over it. Mix thoroughly. Place the dish in a dehydrator at 115F for 6 hours, mix occasionally. Pour the rest of the marinade over the sliced bell pepper, mix, and place in a dehydrator at 115F for 2 hours, mix occasionally. To intensify the flavour of the tomatoes, dehydrate them 115F until they shrink a little. After dehydration, drain the excess liquid and put the eggplant, bell pepper, and tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the tahini, pepper and salt (if needed), and blend until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the dill, walnuts, and the remaining garlic. Mix and store in a refrigerator in a glass container.

Lemon & Basil Ice Cream with Raspberry Sauce and Summer Fruit

We've finally gathered up the courage to buy an ice cream maker. Very quickly, this smooth white friend became a favourite kitchen gadget, deserving of the best and most central counter space. For its first run, we went with a simple mango sorbet with a pinch of chili. After placing the blended mango, honey, and spice into the freezer bowl and pushing the on button, we set the timer for twenty minutes. Fifteen minutes later, impatient, curious, and skeptical, we decided to lift the towel from the opening and take a peek inside. Each of us saw the other's eyes light up - the mixture had gotten thick.

There are two different basil bushes growing in our porch garden, and both have been doing well lately. Considering this rare abundance and our love of unusual flavours, we saw a perfect ice-cream-making opportunity. Next came the lemon pairing idea, which was finalized with the fresh raspberry sauce. The result is a barely green, lemon and herb speckled scoop - subtle, smooth, and not in the least bit boring.

Basil Ice Cream
1 cup raw cashews
2 cups purified water
8-10 pitted dates or 8 tablespoons agave syrup
1 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Raspberry Sauce - was made the same way as in our Napoleons

In a high speed blender, mix all ingredients until smooth. Chill and put in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes, or however long your brand of ice cream machine suggests. Garnish with raspberry sauce, fresh raspberries and basil leaves.

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Peach and Nectarine Crumble

This time of year is when stone fruits have finally become sweet, sun baked, and worth the buy. The ultimate way of eating them has to be biting into their delicate skin and letting the juice run down your cheeks - carefree is just the right mood for summer. But here's a more dinner table-friendly approach to these pink and orange beauties, one that doesn't involve staining all your napkins. The recipe is short, quick, and fuss-free, where the flavours of the peaches and nectarines are simply framed by the moist and crunchy crumble.



And the whole point of cooking is sharing with friends:



2 peaches or nectarines - sliced
1/4 cup dates - pitted (you can also add raisins and/or dried cranberries to make up the 1/4 cup total)
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger - optional

In a food processor, pulse the dates, pecans, and coconut oil until lightly chopped, but not smooth. Place the sliced peaches/nectarines into a plate and sprinkle with the crumble.

Photos by Ziggy Meilus, thank you.