Although I'm not the biggest warm weather fan, there's something romantic about Summer. You can ride bikes like you're in a Godard film or picnic luxuriously in the park. When you have beautiful days like this one, it makes you forget about the downsides like mosquito bites and 100% humidity. Right now, I love summer food and festivities. So, I had a picnic in the park with great friends, wine and weather:
1 cup quinoa, dried 3 oz. Raspberry Tart Ale cheese, crumbled 3/4 cup sweet peas 1/2 an avocado, diced 2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Maldon sea salt to taste Fresh ground pepper 1 lemon, juice and zest Handful of clover sprouts, to top 1. Add quinoa to saucepan with 2 cups water and a pinch of sea salt. Boil, then simmer and cover for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. 2. Let grains cool to room temperature. Then, stir in lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Combine with sweet peas, avocado, mint, cheese and top with clover sprouts. Serve room temperature or chilled! CRUST: 2/3 cup sorghum flour 1/3 cup tapioca starch 1/3 cup almond meal 2 tablespoond light brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum 6 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, diced 1 egg 1 teaspoon water 7 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature 1/3 cup cane sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 12-15 small strawberries, whole 1 bunch red currants, as needed Fresh mint, minced 1. In a stand mixer, beat mascarpone with sugar and vanilla. Fill tart pans evenly with mascarpone mixture. 2. Top evenly with whole strawberries and sporadically place red currants. Garnish with chopped mint and fresh lemon zest. Chill or serve immediately.
WEEKEND BRUNCH
RAW KALE CAESAR WITH ROASTED CHICKPEAS
CHICKPEAS: 1 can chickpeas, drained 1/4 cup sesame seeds 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspon garlic powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon coriander 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add drained chickpease to a large mixing bowl. Mix in all spices, sesame seeds and olive oil with sea salt and pepper. Use your hands to make sure chickpeas are evenly coated with mixture. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until crisp and browned. Set aside to cool. SALAD: 3/4 cup cashews, raw 1 teaspoon yellow miso 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2 garlic cloves, whole 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon nori, chopped 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons coconut cream 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon tamari, gluten-free 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 head of kale, de-stremmed and chopped 1/2 avocado, diced 1. Add the first twelve ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. 2. In a large bowl, add kale, avocado and dresssing. Mix together with your hands until well combine. Top with roasted chickpeas and enjoy!
All you need to make the kale salad even more special is some spices and homemade dressing. I'm obsessed with any kind of "warm" salad, especially since it's not quite warm enough to pretend it's Spring. Needless to say, this salad is an in between and it's damn good.
