most recipe posts of mine start out with an idea, either something i've seen in a cookbook or mag, and other times it starts with a single ingredient and evolves from there. this time, i had an idea with flavors in mind...something herby, sweet, and spicy. thinking about how it would all come together i thought, pie! mini pie! turnovers! hand pies! all the crusty vessels you could imagine, naturally. so, i went to the kitchen to try my hand at a gluten free pie crust recipe that used cold, cubed olive oil for a more savory crust than one that employs butter or coconut oil. the first recipe came out quite good; a little crackly and craggy, and overall colorless, but the flavor was there. from there, i made a couple of changes; omitting and adding some flours and then working my way up to doubling the recipe to make sure it was solid. well, 4 undertakings later, i was left a bit deflated (and generally pissed off) by the non-cooperating dough, that i gave the up the pastry world (for now) for a more luminous path: the crisp.
a reserved dessert if there ever was one, however, the crisp is an all-star to me, and this one is kinda tight. baked up white and yellow peaches that form a beautiful salmon-pink juice, shiso that lends an herbaceous nudge, a mixture of textured oats and toasted hazelnuts, served up with a refreshing ginger-spiked (vegan) ice cream. these flavors are all a testament to summer, its bountiful fruits, its herbs and vegetables, its gracious presence, and the easy-breeziness of it all. summer sweetness on a plate.
in other news, i beyond pumped to be interviewed over at Pure Green Magazine's blog, talking about food and my connection to it, where i would like to take this blog in the future, and my favorite, (!) what i eat when i'm traveling. Pure Green Mag is a beautiful publication totally dedicated to green living and an all around healthful lifestyle, i've been a fan for years and so should you!. also, if you find yourself traveling sometime soon, or even if you're not, be sure to check out Condé Nast Traveler's Global Guide to Clean Eats, where me, and a few other lovely peeps round out our favorites spots to hit up for some healthful eats; from brooklyn to stockholm, and london to denver, it's a good one, y'all!
peach + shiso crisp w/ ginger ice cream (gluten + dairy free)
ingredients
crisp
- 2 pounds, (ripe, but firm) peaches, peeled and sliced (or chunked)
- 6-8 large shiso leaves, finely chopped; plus more for garnish
- 4 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (or natural cane sugar), divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 1/2 cup (gluten-free) oat flour
- 1/4 cup (gluten free) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup unrefined, virgin coconut oil, melted; plus more for pan
- pinch of fine grain sea salt
ginger ice cream
- 1 can full-fat, coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
- 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot powder
instructions
ginger ice cream
- in a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat; combine the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla and ginger with a whisk. once combined, ladle about 2 tablespoons worth into a small bowl and whisk in the arrowroot. once arrowroot powder has dissolved, whisk it back into the saucepan with the other ingredients. keep stirring until the mixture is warm and steaming. remove from heat and chill the mixture over an ice bath; once cool, transfer to an ice cream maker and churn it according to manufacturers instructions
- then place ice cream in a lidded container until ready to serve. *allow to ice cream to sit for 5 minutes before serving for easy scooping
peach, hazelnut + shiso crisp
- preheat oven to 400° and grease a 9" pie pan with coconut oil
- place peeled and sliced peached in a medium bowl, add the chopped shiso, lemon juice, arrowroot powder and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and stir to combine
- in another medium bowl, combine the oat flour, rolled oats, almond flour, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, hazelnuts, and salt. add the melted coconut oil, until combined and mixture is crumbly
- place fruit mixture into the pie pan; using your fingers, evenly distribute topping over fruit. place in the center of your oven and bake for 20 minutes. turn heat up to 450° and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the topping. remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack; allow crisp to cool for a few minutes before serving
- while crisp is cooling, remove ice cream from freezer to allow it to soften a bit. using a large serving spoon, serve the crisp and top with ginger ice cream. garnish with leftover chopped shiso
enjoy!