Fresh Fruit Crumble

I am still pouring through the recipes in Cafe Gratitude's cookbook, determined to get the Irish moss thing going, but alas, I have put it off again. At least for another 24 hours while the moss soaks in my fridge. Then I will have to conquer it.

I don't know why I am so daunted by the task of soaking something and then blending it up with water. I tend to do that on a a daily basis with nuts and seeds. Irish moss just seems so... strange.

Mysterious Irish moss. It's a seaweed really. It makes raw desserts thicken up the way a gelatin would, which is really helpful in recipes that require food to take on a shape or stay firm when cut like a mousse pie.

So instead today I decided to make the fruit cobbler.
It's called I am Lovely in the cookbook.
I see why now it is named such.

It's simple to put together, requires no soaking for hours nor waiting for hours to dehydrate. I love that! One can also use fresh fruit on hand. The recipe calls for apples and strawberries, but I bet stone fruits like nectarines and apricots would be delicious as well.

I made a quarter of the recipe and found that I like these proportions even better since I can't possibly eat the entire thing in a week and it wouldn't keep anyway. The smaller portion I can eat with my daughter helping in a couple of days and not feel the guilt of not finishing something I spent time on creating. Sometimes the desserts are so good I feel terrible to throw out leftovers after they have been sitting in the fridge a while... the food is so pure, delicious and special I don't ever want to waste it. Perhaps smaller portions and cutting recipes down can help a bit.

Fruit Cobbler (serves 4)

Crust:

in a food processor, use the "s" blade and process together:
1 cup pecans (not soaked)
pinch of salt
2 medjool dates
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla

Spoon and press half of the mixture into any bowl dish with edges on it that can give you a base about 5 inches wide. Individual cups like ramekins would work well for this also.

Save the rest of the mixture for the topping.

 Filling:

1 apple diced
5-6 strawberries cut into bite sized pieces
squeeze of lemon
tiny pinch of salt

 

Mix together in a bowl and scoop onto the crust.

Spoon the remaining topping on the fruit and it is done.

 

Enjoy