Vegan Tomato Tart

As many of you may know I have been having all sorts of fun lately creating recipes that utilize healthy ingredients as an alternative to the conventional components of a dish. For all my testing and tasting I have had pleasantly successful results. Healthy food can be so delicious if you commit to using fresh, vibrant ingredients! But this tart...wow. This tart is my swan song- it is vegan, no-carb, almost raw (I cooked the crust at 250 degrees rather than in a dehydrator for hours upon hours) and full of unbelievably rich flavor. And it's so pretty to look at, which basically makes you want to devour it immediately. Credit there is fully due to the gorgeous rainbow of cherry tomatoes I picked up at the farmers market, gotta enjoy them while we still can!

Who doesn't love to nibble on a dainty slice of tart alongside a simple green salad...it just makes one feel so fancy, doesn't it? The magic of this tart is walnuts, which stand in for a traditional buttery crust as well as a creamy, cheesy filling. You definitely get your daily dose of omega-3s with this tart, and none of the guilt!

Ingredients

for the crust:
3 cups walnuts
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp. salt

for the filling:
3 cups walnuts, soaked overnight
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 handful basil leaves

Instructions
1. To make the crust, place the walnuts in a food processor and blend for about 10 seconds. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.
2. Press the crust into a tart pan and bake at 250 degrees for about 1 hour or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool completely.
3. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a smooth, creamy consistency is reached. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time if needed to reach desired consistency. 4. Transfer tomatoes to a baking sheet and warm in the oven for about 30 minutes at 250 degrees, until just softened.
5. To assemble, pour filling into cooled crust and arrange tomatoes on top. Garnish with basil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow tart to set.

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Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Apple Streusel Topping

I am utterly and completely in a Fall state of mind- I know, technically I'm a few days early, but as soon as I picked up my Pumpkin Cupcake candles from Bath & Body Works I promptly bid adieu to Summer and started daydreaming about breaking out my chunky riding boots and cozy sweaters...now if only the sunny Santa Barbara weather would cooperate with my wardrobe preferences.

As we transition into this cooler season I find myself looking forward to infusing my dishes with all of the wonderful flavors of Fall. Warm, comforting and full of spices, Autumn recipes are among my all-time favorites to make.

So I'm officially kicking off the season with an irresistible recipe for an apple, caramel and streusel topped cheesecake! But this is not just any cheesecake, people. This one is no-bake (which I love- just set it and forget it!) and features a tangy, fluffy hint of greek yogurt. It's just the thing to lighten up this otherwise decadent dessert.

I came across this recipe in a winter issue of Bon Appetit last year and have made it many times for clients in its original incantation featuring pomegranate syrup. This time, however, I wanted to give it an autumnal makeover, and with the addition of caramelized apples, notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, crunchy baked streusel topping and an indulgent drizzle of caramel sauce, well...let's just say I may or may not be bundled up in a thick knit sweater, snacking on a slice of this cheesecake with a pumpkin candle burning as I type this! Enjoy!

adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients

for the crust:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

for the filling:

2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

for the apple streusel: 

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup homemade or store bought caramel sauce

Instructions
1. Coat bottom and sides of pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with a parchment-paper round. Using your fingertips, mix crust ingredients in a medium bowl until mixture holds together when pinched. Pack onto bottom of pan in an even layer. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
2. Place gelatin and 1 1/2 tablespoon cold water in a heatproof bowl. Let stand until softened, 5-10 minutes.
3. Pulse cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until completely smooth.
4. Pour water to a depth of 1/2-inch into a small skillet over medium heat. Place bowl with gelatin in skillet; stir until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from skillet. With processor running, drizzle gelatin into cream cheese mixture; mix until well blended.
5. Pour into prepared crust. Tap pan firmly on the counter to break up any big air bubbles. Smooth top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours before serving.
6. In a small bowl, stir together apples, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Add apples and sugar and stir to coat. Sauté until apples begin to caramelize, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brown sugar, flour, oats and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl with fingers until coarse lumps form. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then crumble mixture.
8. To serve, gently remove cheesecake from springform pan and top with apples, streusel and caramel sauce.

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Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Jam Swirl

 I'm anxious to transition to the Fall season with all of its deliciously comforting recipes, but I wanted to share one more fun recipe to celebrate the end of Summer...a last hurrah of sorts.

This ice cream highlights two of the season's peak ingredients- corn and blackberries- and although the pairing is a bit unexpected, the end result is simply fabulous. The essence of ripe, sweet corn in this silky ice cream is punctuated by bright berry accents from the jam. What grows together goes together, as I like to say!

For the blackberry jam swirl I reached out to Arian and Chris Blanco, proprietors of Sweet Lady Cook. They produce small, artisanal batches of seasonal jams and share a passion for good food made from quality ingredients. The produce that goes into their products is all locally sourced from farms in Santa Barbara County, allowing them to create preservative-free jams from premium organic fruits. Current seasonal flavors include Lane Late Navel Marmalade, Orange Lavender Jelly and Strawberry Habanero Jam- I'm dying to try them all! Arian was kind enough to make me a custom batch of this blackberry jam especially for this recipe, and I was so impressed by the intense fruit flavor that I have yet to taste in any other jam. Most other jams and jellies are overpowered by a cloying sweetness, but these have an unmistakably fresh quality that is just wonderful.

Sweet Lady Cook jams are available for sale on their website (as well as locally at Isabella Gourmet Foods, Rori's Artisanal Creamery and Crazy Good Bread Co.) and they are just as delicious spread on a slice of buttered toast as they are swirled into your last homemade ice cream of the season!

makes 1 quart
Ingredients
3 ears yellow corn, kernels removed from cobs and cobs reserved
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar, divided
6 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 jar blackberry jam

Instructions
1. Place corn kernels, corn cobs, cream, milk and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 1 hour.
2. Remove cobs and puree mixture in a blender. Strain through a mesh strainer, pressing on solids with a wooden spoon, and return to saucepan. Bring to a boil, taking care not to scald mixture, and remove from heat.
3. Combine egg yolks, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl and whisk until mixture is thick and pale yellow.
4. Slowly add 1 cup of hot cream mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly, then add egg mixture to saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until mixture reaches 160-170 degrees. Add vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.
5. Chill custard in refrigerator or an ice bath, then freeze in an ice cream mixture. When frozen, transfer ice cream to a quart container, adding dollops of blackberry jam intermittently throughout and stirring gently to create swirls.

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