...off to get hitched! /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

frank and i headed out to the north fork of long island (new york) this weekend to prepare for our big day on July 27th! we have most things taken care of, but the farm where we will be having our ceremony and reception, is somewhat of a blank slate where our wedding will essentially be built. following the wedding we'll be honeymooning in costa rica.    so i will likely be absent from this little space for about a month.   i will miss being here, but i will come back with lots of pictures, stories, some new found inspiration, and of course the best part, a husband!  

i wish you all a great end of July, and a wonderful start to August!  xo

(if you're interested, i'm sure i will be posting a fair share of photos to my instagram feed if you want to follow me over there)

frank and i have had a very subtle flag "theme" for the wedding.  so as soon as i saw these Herriott Grace flags on Heidi Swanson's  Quitokeeto, last year i knew that these beautiful babies would go on top of our cake. 

frank took these shots last year when we went to visit the farm.

vanilla bean icebox cake /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

in a little over 2 weeks my mr. and i will be getting married! as i sit here now and try to describe my feelings about this, i can't.  it's an emotion too big for words, and too meaningful to describe.  we just recently applied for our marriage license which made it all the more real and exciting.  we went to city hall in downtown manhattan.  we waited in lines, waited for our number to be called (as if we were at the DMV), filled out online forms, and signed our printed license!  it was much more formal than romantic, but we loved the experience nonetheless.  i thought i would be more scared, but it was really nice writing what my future surname will be!  in any event, it was awesome being with so many other people who are in a similar place as frank and i are in.  and it was especially beautiful to see ALL couples being given the right and opportunity to devote their lives and love to one another in front of their family and friends.  

i dedicate this little cake to my fiance.  a man who loves me, and understands me in a way no one else can. and importantly, a man who loves cookies and cream.  so, this cake is for you, my love.  

this cake was inspired by a Barefoot Contessa cake i used make back in the day when ate dairy, sugar, wheat, all that good stuff.  however, my cake here is vegan, gluten free, and dairy free.  the wafers here are handmade, but you could easily swap them for store bought wafers or cookies to save yourself some time - make sure to buy crisp cookies, not chewy (the Contessa suggests Tate's Bake Shop).  in addition, the cream is made from coconut milk, which can easily be substituted with heavy cream, if that's what you prefer.   this is perfect summer time cake, that stays in the refrigerator until ready, and will please just about anyone.

vanilla bean icebox cake

(gluten free + vegan) 

| makes one 8" cake

chocolate wafers - adapted from Real Sustenance 

  • 3 cups almond flour (Honeyville brand or another fine-grain, blanched almond flour)
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
  • 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 3 tablespoons decaffeinated espresso powder  
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5 - 6 tablespoons filtered water

coconut cream

  • 3 cans unsweetened, full fat organic coconut milk - refrigerated overnight 
  • 2-4 tablespoons good quality maple syrup (or honey, agave, or powdered sugar)
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

equipment

  • 8" springform pan
  • 2" round cookie or biscuit cutter
  • food processor
  • electric mixer
  • rolling pin
  • 2 large pieces of parchment paper (for rolling) 

instructions

make the wafers - makes 45 chocolate wafers

  • preheat oven to 350°.  line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
  • in a food processor, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, sugar, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt; pulse to mix.  with the food processor on, drizzle the vanilla extract and 5 tablespoons of water through the hole (the "food pusher" on top of your processor).  the dough will come together in a ball.  if your mixture is too dry, add the additional tablespoon of water (this process can easily be done by hand as well; the dough is quite thick, so a food processor just makes it easier.)
  • turn dough out onto flat surface; divide the dough into 3 even pieces.  wrap 2 pieces in parchment, and let rest in the refrigerator
  • roll dough out to 1/8" thickness between 2 sheets of parchment paper.  gently, remove the top piece of parchment.  using a 2" circular cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough.  re-roll the dough until it has all been used.  place the circles of dough onto the lined baking sheets
  • place in the oven, and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, rotating halfway through.  repeat with remaining dough, and let the wafers cool completely 

make the cream - makes ~3 cups

  • place hand mixer attachments, and a large metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes (this makes the cream stay super cold, and prevents any melting - especially in the warm, summer months.)
  • remove the coconut milk cans from the refrigerator and turn upside down.  using a can opener, open the bottom of each can and pour coconut water into a lidded container and reserve in the refrigerator (the water can be used for smoothies or broth/soup).  using a rubber spatula, scoop out the solidified coconut cream from the bottom of the can into your bowl.  with the mixer on medium-high, beat the coconut cream; add the scraped vanilla bean and the maple syrup. mix and taste - adjust the sweetness to your liking

 

assemble the cake

  • arrange the wafers flat in the bottom of the the 8" springform pan, covering as much of the bottom as you can (you may need to break some cookies apart to fill in the gaps).  spread a good amount of the cream over the wafers (about a fifth of what you have in the bowl) and spread evenly.  continue layering with wafers and cream until you have 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream.  smooth the top, cover with parchment, plastic wrap, or tin foil, and refrigerate overnight
  • before serving, run a thin knife around the edges of the cake.  unhook the latches, and remove the sides of the pan.  using a fine mesh sieve, dust the top of the cake with reserved cocoa powder

slice and enjoy! 

 

 *the cake will stay for a week, covered and refrigerated

cranberry bean + ribboned zucchini salad /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

this salad was totally meant to be made as a traditional salad, meaning with some sort of leafy green tossed in there.  however, a few weeks i had dental work done, not knowing i would not be able to chew so well, i had gone to the famers' market a few days prior and picked up some zucchini and summer squash.  without wanting my beautiful, first-of-the-season squashes to go to waste, i thought about what i could do with them.  zucchini-squash pasta? some sort of saute? perhaps a zucchini pancake? then i thought about them in a salad, ribboned with herbs.  as i started picking my herbs from my (fire escape) garden i thought how amazing a herby-chimichurri vinaigrette would be - i would use red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice, add some crushed red pepper for a little heat, and i would toast some nuts for a more substantial dressing that would hold up next to the ribbons of squash.  i thought i was finished dreaming up this little creation until i looked in the refrigerator and saw some leftover black lotus rice.  in it went, and delicious it was!  this time around i wanted the dish to be solid enough for a meal on its own.  so when i saw these absolutely gorgeous cranberry beans i quickly scooped them up, took them home, and added them for some hearty protein.  

this has become a quick and easy summer meal, as well as a plentiful side dish for us.  plus it can be refrigerated and eaten throughout the week.  serve it cold or room temperature, this salad of sorts lends itself to picnics, a day at the beach, or just a night at home.  i paired the beans and zucchini with black rice.  however, any grain will work wonderfully here, whether you prefer another type of rice, quinoa, or farro.  as for bean substitutions, i could see chickpeas or fava beans being just as good.  

 

cranberry bean + ribboned zucchini salad

| serves 6

4 medium zucchinis (or 2 large), washed, trimmed, and ribboned 

1/2 pound fresh cranberry beans (8 ounces), shelled

1/4 cup red onion, minced

1 cup black rice, cooked

1 ripe avocado, sliced

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted 

1 tablespoon cilantro, julienned

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons packed fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 clove garlic

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil

one pinch fine grain sea salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

instructions

make the beans and rice

  • in a saucepan, combine 1 cup black rice with 2 cups water.  bring to a boil, turn to low and cover the pot.  cook for 25-30 minutes.  let rest and cool
  • in a medium saucepan, cover the beans with water.  bring to a boil, turn down heat to a simmer; cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the freshness of your beans.  drain, season with salt and pepper.  set aside

make the vinaigrette

  • in a food processor, combine the herbs, garlic, crushed red pepper, pine nuts, olive oil, vinegar, and salt.  blend the ingredients, scraping down the sides until combined

make the salad

  • in a large serving bowl, combine the chopped red onion and rice, taste and season with salt and pepper.  add zucchini ribbons, beans, and avocado; toss gently with the vinaigrette.  garnish with cilantro and pine nuts

enjoy

 

 

  •