Tarts Make You Smart

Sooo... I have a big exam on Monday in Calculus, thrilling, for which I had planned to study intensely for all day. I declined the offer to go have summer fun on the lake and situated myself in my favorite study spot with comfy pants, water and snacks; I was all set up.

(Un)fortunately, within the hour I found myself down in the kitchen, gettin' groovy to the tune of Jason Mraz and deciding whether or not to garnish the tart I had just made with strawberries.

I think I made the right decision.

The kitchen can be a great 'flow zone' for me. It is the space where I am most creative and attentive in the moment. I believe that everything tastes better when it was serendipitously pulled together without a recipe, especially when you can't quite remember the formula which created the magic in order to recreate it for future deliciousness. So if my recipe posts inspire anything, I hope it is to fearlessly transcend the recipe and follow your own taste buds. Start by taking a trusted recipe and change up the flavor combinations. Take this tart but use almonds in stead of pecans, swap out the peaches for lemon juice, soaked cashews, a banana and and top with strawberries. How can you go wrong? Delicious + delicious=....?

My second hope, however, is to inspire more experimentation with healthier vegan and raw food, which I know is foreign territory to many people, with or without experience in the kitchen. So for inspiration, here is basically how I made this tart.

"This Better Make Me Calc-Smart" Tart

(Raw, Vegan, and crazy-delish!)

Crust:

-2 cups pecans

-1 cup medjool dates (less if dates are super sticky, more if very dry)

-optional shredded coconut (I put in just under 1/4 cup)

-pinch of sea salt

Grind up in food processor or Vita-Mix until very well incorporated into a thick paste that holds together. I ground up the pecans first, before adding the dates, which helped to make it as smooth as possible. Press evenly into your tart receptacle with your fingers loving every minute of it.

Love-filled Filling:

-2 peeled peaches

-3 or four or less or more strawberries

-3 dates

-1/2 cup golden raisins

-1-4 tsp. nutmeg

4 sliced and peeled peaches, a few strawberries for topping

Puree everything but the pretty garnish fruit in whatever you just used to make the crust. Seriously, don't even bother washing it out. I hereby condone the simplification of your life. The goodness is all getting smushed together anyways. Pour filling over crust and artfully place sliced peaches and strawberries on top. Refrigerate for about an hour before devouring.

Did I mention already that this was delicious? I mean it was really, really good! Infinitely better than Calc, I promise. I am definitely going to play around with this recipe (now that I have one) and see where it takes me. How can I make this a year-round tart? I'm not always going to have an abundance of fresh South Carolina peaches from the G-parents. Hm, fall.. apple? pear? ooohh! with a creamy cashew paste and maple syrup? I'll work on it.

I hope you eat something today as good as this tart,

K