Fruits and friends of the Northwest

I just returned to Austin from three heavenly weeks in the Pacific Northwest, visiting people and places that I dearly missed. Now I am preparing to miss them again.

I feel so held by the sweet circles of Olympia and Portland, by the arms of friends, in the web and thresh of dance, beneath the boughs of apple, plum, & fig, the blackberry thickets, each day greeting my floral friends--nasturtium, clover, calendula, lavender, borage, violet...

The gentle spirals of coming to know someone, their daily rhythms, what and who they have birthed, sharing space...

Breath inside a purple gem of a room,
blessing the baby a'brewin in the belly of a dear one,
fated meetings disguised as chance,
a new pair of acid wash jeans,

Cosmic thump and the ballroom floor is drenched, like a jungle
Singing in the moonlight,
singing in the cocoon of a hardy old van,
singing inside me,

Garden dinners, park picnics, pie potlucks,
pockets of sunshine,
blueberry heaven,
gushing well water,
Olympia magic, Olympia home...

gifts of a morning walk: butterfly plant, figs, lavender, horsetail, rosehips, yarrow, red clover

plum, plantain, morning glory

backyard harvest

salal berries

blackberries evvvverywhere

gettin all packed for Beloved

babes

flat tire (the first of two)

at Beloved

good magic

dashboard altar

where we go to recharge

gorgeous garden dinner, gorgeous friends

garden wraps filled with avocado + veggies, served with an almond butter miso sauce

blueberry heaven

when you pick blueberries each one shows your fingerprints

left: wild rice with nori and smoked salt + fresh favas + acorn squash + walnut pesto

right: raw oat & chia porridge + handpicked blueberries + sprouted almonds + cacao nibs + goji berries + coconut

picnic in da park

one of my cuddle buds

raw plum tarts + ginger honey glaze. made for a beautiful blessing way

chamomile tea with this sweet sister

nori rolls with brown rice, avocado, cucumber, carrot, sesame seeds, and flowers of course: nasturtium, calendula and violets

my girl

Blue moon pie: handpicked blueberries and lavender + oat, chia, flax crust.
 Made this for a lady moon song circle/pie potluck

Blueberry-peach coconut milk ice cream

I've been wanting to try making a coconut milk icecream for some time now as a dairy-free summertime treat. It is as simple to make as it is delicious and even the dairy lovers in your life will find it delectable!

 

I used fresh blueberries and peaches because tis the season, but you could put any kind of fruit or flavoring that suits your fancy. Try a classic strawberry & cream, or blackberry + lavender, or mint-from-the-garden + chocolate chips, or toasted pepitas + mango. Go wild!

coconut palm sugar

I sweetened my ice cream with organic coconut palm sugar, a minimalliy processed, unbleached natural sweetener that I prefer to refined cane sugar. Palm sugar has a lower glycemic index, producing a slower, sustained energy release than white sugar (which results in a spike and crash). It is rich in nutritive minerals including potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron and is a natural source of B and C vitamins. I love the caramely sweetness it lends to my desserts.

adding the blueberries, then the peaches and cinnamon

Blueberry Peach Coconut Milk Ice Cream

• 2 cans coconut milk
• 3/4 C. coconut palm sugar, more to taste
• 2 ts. vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• dash cinnamon
• dash cardamom
• 1 C. blueberries
• 2 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced

Place the cans of coconut milk upright in the freezer for about an hour. Then, open the cans and spoon out the thick cream at the top, reserving the clear liquid at the bottom for another use (like a soup or a smoothie).

Put the coconut cream, coconut palm sugar, vanilla, and spices in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add the fruit and blend until the mixture is as smooth as you like. Alternately, stir the fruit in by hand to keep it nice and chunky.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to maker's directions. Yum!

Collard wraps with roasted red pepper dipping sauce

Collard wraps are the perfect summer food. Light yet filling, easy to make in a flash with whatever you have on hand, fun to eat, and totally gorgeous. Another dish with its own edible packaging, these wraps make a perfect picnic food and are special enough to serve for company. They can be made gluten-free, vegan, and/or raw as you like.

I use fresh, raw collards for my rolls because I love their bright color, crunch and delicious flavor. Collards greens are a cruciferous vegetable in the brassica family and are wonderfully nutritious. They are a great source of four core antioxidants: vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese, and vitamin E, plus numerous phytonutrients that aid in relieving oxidative stress in the cells. They are rich in vitamin K (supporting the blood and bones), vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory effects, high in soluble and insoluble fiber, and minerals including iron, calcium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc. Their abundant chlorophyll purifies the liver and stops the spread of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms while promoting the growth of beneficial intestinal flora.

To make the wraps slice out the center stem and use each of the resulting halves for rolling, so one leaf makes two wraps. Lay one half down flat, place fillings in the center, roll it up firmly, and place on a plate seam side down (hold closed with a toothpick if desired). If you prefer, the greens may be blanched before rolling. Dunk them briefly (about 20 seconds) in boiling water then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and maintain their bright color.

There are infinite flavor combinations to play with as far as fillings and sauces go. I vary the fillings pretty much every time I make them. Some of my go to's for collard wraps are

• rice or bean thread noodles
• tempeh (steamed, sauteed, or baked)
• steamed yam or squash
• bell pepper slices
• grated carrot or beet
• veggies chopped into matchsticks: radish, cucumber, beet
• green beans, snap peas
• saurkraut or kimchi
• chopped lettuce/spinach/greens
• fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, italian parsley
• nut spreads
• pesto
• sun dried tomatoes
• sauteed mushrooms
• hummus or other bean spread
• sprouted nuts/seeds
• microgreens or sprouts

Here are a few that I've made in the past couple days. I served both of these with a delicious roasted red pepper dipping sauce and I've included the recipe below.

cumin kraut

+

black rice noodles

+

tempeh

+

lettuce and cilantro

+

kabocha squash

sungold tomatoes

+

almond hummus & black sesame seeds

+

green beans
+
flat-leaf parsley

+

bean thread noodles

+

sauteed shiitakes

Roasted red pepper dipping sauce

 

This versatile sauce is practically addictive. Use it thick as a spread for crackers and toast or a dip for veggies. Thin, it tastes splendid over rice pasta or zucchini noodles, as a dressing for salads, and as a dipping sauce for your collard wraps!

 

• 1 green onion
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs of choice (I used a bit of everything I had in my garden: basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, parsley, and thyme)
• 1 cup roasted red peppers (roast your own or use jarred peppers)
• 3 sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tb. tahini
• 1 Tb. red miso
• 1 Tb. maple syrup
• zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 ts. ground cumin
• 1/2 ts. ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup water (or to desired consistency)
• salt and black pepper to taste

Place ingredients except salt and water in the food processor beginning with the onion and herbs, followed by the peppers and wet ingredients, and finally the spices.  Mix until well blended between each addition. Salt to taste and thin with water to desired consistency: thick to use as a spread, thin for a dressing or dipping sauce.