stRAWberry cashew cream tarts

this is a delicious desert idea that i discovered when i was a raw foodie - nut creams that make rich frostings combined with fresh fruit, on easy to make no-cook pie crusts!
in hebrew strawberries are called tutim, and they are grown in israel and not palestine; they're an imported crop, not indigenous to this land.

stRAWberry cashew cream tarts
on pecan-date cookies

cashew cream
1 c whole raw cashews
4 soft dates (no pits)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
1/2 cup strawberries or blueberries
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut butter
1 tablespoon shredded beet
dash of vanilla extract
dash of lemon rind or zest

soak the cashews in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. soak the dates, too, for at least 10 minutes.
drain the water. (keep the date-water for liquid sweetener!)

to make the cashew cream, blend together the cashews, dates, maple syrup, the berries, olive oil, beet and vanilla til it's nice and smooth. add the date water sweetener if you want to make it smoother and creamier!

for the pecan-date cookies

take half a cup of pecans, put them in the blender to make a crumbly crumble. then take 4-6 soaked dates and blend them in with the pecans.

with your hands create whatever shape you'd like for your tarts (round, square, go nuts!). you can dehydrate them a bit in the sun, oven or dehydrator to make them harder.

assembly and prep:
on each pecan-date cookie, spread some cashew cream, then add your strawberries on top in a formation that looks sweet and delicious. you now have a completely RAW berry tart!

taim me'od!
(very delicious!)

cool cuke soup with spicy tomato chutney

the spring in jerusalem is lush and vibrant, and the market is bursting with produce. our jerusalem conscious kitchen day was inspired to prepare our lunch according to the spring "vibration" of new growth, simplicity and lightness, meaning short cooking times, raw foods and local ingredients!

for the cool cuke soup:

3 fresh cucumbers, peeled
1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
a dash of lemon zest
handful of pine nuts
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
chopped fresh dill
chopped parsley
1/2 c water


blend together the cukes (called melafefon in hebrew!), pine nuts, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey til smooth.
add water gradually, and just as much as you need to make a rich (not runny) soup. then blend in the dill and parsley, add some salt to taste and chill the soup.

spicy tomato chutney

1/2 cup diced fresh tomotoes
1 tablespoon fresh hot peppers, or a dash of hot sauce or chili peppers
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoons of fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon organic olive oil
pinch of salt

let the chutney sit for at least 15 minutes to let the flavours blend. we served our soup in little cups, with a spoonful of the chutney on top!

bete avon!
(bon appetit!)

summer som tam (thai salad)

Som Tam with Cashew Dressing

This is a recipe I learned in Bangkok when I did a Vegetarian Cooking Course with May Kaidee and we experimented with Raw Thai Cuisine; it can be made in any country!

Grate carrot in long noodles,

Do the same with beets

Chop up zucchini or make noodles

Slice a Red onion

Add coconut and grated Ginger

for the dressing:
Soak Cashews and crush them, add in nama shoyu (tamari or soy sauce), lime juice, sweetener like agave nectar, chopped hot pepper, water or oil and blend together to make a creamy sauce.

Garnish with mint and/or cilantro

You can serve this as a salad or put this combination in a nori or lettuce and make a roll.

Marinated Pear and Garden Spinach Salad with Crushed Walnuts

with fresh spinach harvested from Axladitsa’s organic garden

preparation and presentation

slice pears lengthwise

place them in a marinade of  
olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and a tiny bit of soy sauce for as little as 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.

the pears with soak up the flavour and become sweet.
you can also add sliced red onions or shallots to the marinade for some colour and zest!

wash the spinach and place in salad bowl

right before serving, pour the pears and the marinade over the spinach;
the marinade becomes the dressing

crush walnuts and sprinkle on top

sliced fresh or dried figs also made a beautiful topping and add some sweet to the salad

Marinated Beet Greens and Arame on Zucchini Noodles
this is a favourite raw recipe that i keep playing with and elaborating the more i play... it is definitely in season right now, what with all that kale and chard coming in from the farms... i leave out the exact proportions so that you can experiment and make it to your taste. enjoy!

To make the Marinade:
Mix together olive oil, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and a dash of nama shoyu (tamari)
Mince some ginger and garlic
Mix in some maple syrup or agave nectar

Noodles
Grate zucchini into long noodles (you can also grate some carrot and red and/or yellow beet to make a tri-colour noodle combo)
Put aside for now

Greens

Finely slice or grate beet greens (or any greens such as swiss chard, kale, collards)
Grate 1 carrot and 1 small beet
Slice a handful of onion such as green, red or sweet white onion
And combine these in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, but you can leave it for hours!

Soak arame and/or kombu seaweeds for 5 minutes, drain and add to the marinade

Serving it up:
Take a handful of zucchini noodles and cover with the greens from the marinade, as a main course or as a side dish.
Garnish with Hemp seeds or Sesame Seeds and freshly chopped coriander

Make sure you serve it with garnish that adds colour, so if you’ve not already got yellows from yellow beets or purples from the swiss chard, grate a bit of red or yellow beet or grate a bit more carrot on top.

Tips:
You can use any dark green such as kale, dinosaur kale as they are great when marinated
You can also marinate Portobello mushrooms for a delicious variation.
Can add red, yellow peppers to the marinade or as a topping
Fresh corn looks beautiful!