Balue/Co.

the (very) last of anything resembling summer

While it may be time to embrace autumn and all that lovely season has to bring in regards to food, I'm still craving the last bit of summer-fresh produce now and again. Somewhat surprisingly, last weekend at the farmer's market (Ballard, if you're a local) there was a sizable haul of late summer squash and tomatoes to be had. If you can still get 'em local and fresh, I highly recommend snapping those babies up, going home and whipping up this party of a meal. Then kick back and remember what it was like to go outside without a coat.

Zucchini Noodles with Balsamic Tomatoes

1-2 zucchini, shaved in a mandolin or sliced into strands
1-2 tomatoes, diced
good balsamic
sea salt
black pepper
olive oil
fresh basil
pine nuts

Dice your tomatoes into chunks and toss with a generous pour of balsamic vinegar. Add in slivered fresh basil, and a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside, ideally for 10 minutes or so. Sliver your zucchini through a mandolin or by hand to form thin 'noodle' strands. Toss strands to coat with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste). Once tomatoes have marinated a bit, plate up and top the zucchini noodles with a generous amount of the tomatoes, some of the extra balsamic, and fresh basil. Sprinkle on pine nuts for crunch. Bon appetit!

start with: hummus

Hummus is one of those staples I like to have in the fridge at all times. Lately I've been whipping up a batch on the weekends using Sprouted Kitchen's lovely recipe, and then pulling it out all week to incorporate into dishes for a quick flavor profile (and obviously for snack attacks with neverending carrots and cucumbers). It's just about the easiest way to have weeknight dinners ready on the fly.

/  recipes adapted from: Miso Hummus Sauce,  Hummus Pizza, Hummus Patties. Image via Sprouted Kitchen.

chocolate peanut butter pie

What's that, you say? A chocolate peanut butter pie? You have my attention.

But hark to this, because this ain't no ordinary choc-PB pie. This is a raw, vegan choc-PB pie. Don't click away.

Now, obviously there are awesome health benefits to eating nothing but fruit, nuts and seeds as your dessert, but besides all of that, this pie just tastes damn good. It's dense, creamy, nutty, chocolatey goodness that just so happens to not have one ounce of sugar, dairy, gluten, soy, etc. etc. etc. So eat up, and call it health food.

p.s. if you, like me, see the words 'raw' and 'vegan' and want to pick up your fork immediately, check out the blog where I found this recipe. It's my new favorite. Oh, and this one too.

Deep Dish Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Slightly adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life

Crust:
1 cup dates
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/3 cup whole flax seeds
3 tablespoons cacao powder

Filling:
2 bananas
1 cup dates
2 cups cashews (or 1 cup cashews + 1 cup almonds)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/4 cups water or vegan milk, as needed
1/4 cup cacao powder
3 tablespoons peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)

To make crust:
Pulse the hemp, flax seeds and cacao in a food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates and process until it all gets sticky. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 7" spring form pan. Put in the fridge.

To make filling:
Blend all the filling ingredients until smooth, adding water or vegan milk slowly as needed to make it creamy. Spread evenly into your crust, occasionally swirling in peanut butter. Drizzle peanut butter and/or chocolate sauce over the top, along with coconut flakes, seeds, nuts, whatever strikes your fancy. Chill in refrigerator for several hours, or freeze. If freezing, let the pie thaw a bit before serving so it's nice and creamy. Yum.

/ photos shot on a Canon Rebel XT

on early weekend mornings, and chocolate chip oatmeal

As seemingly incapable as I am at sleeping in these days (I remember having to be dragged out of bed at noon in high school... those were the days? Kind of?), I've come to love the early morning hours on weekends more than anything now that my brain is perma-trained to jog me awake absolutely no later than 7:00 or so (blame it on my work schedule, and my weekday 5:00 AM alarm). There's something so great about the potential, the sheer luxury in the expanse of time ahead of you on a weekend... the whole day to yourself. Lately this has meant slow coffee and a bowl of chocolate chip baked oatmeal, and if I'm very lucky, some morning sun streaming in through the blinds.

It is spring in Seattle, afterall.

Baked Oatmeal with Chocolate Chips
Adapted (veganized) from Tasty Tuesday
Yields 6 – 8 servings

3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. Grade-B pure maple syrup
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Spoon into a greased 9″ in. baking dish (or any similar sized baking dish). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and center is set.

Serve topped with maple syrup, fresh berries, nuts, or whatever tickles your fancy.

Bedroom photo by Sharyn Cairns / Baked chocolate chip oatmeal photo (a different recipe than above) via Lauren Zembron / Coffee photo by Trevor Triano

catching my eye lately

dusty rose shirt / broad leaf photo, Chaunte Vaughn / wine + lettering / Alexa. / dark water / leather sandals

kitchen wish list: spring

Sorry for the radio silence around these parts, what can I say... the week has slipped away from me, and the blog slipped away with it. However! I've been eyeing these colorful kitchen goodies over the past few weeks and couldn't not post them. I hope your week's been more relaxing than mine, and you have a lovely weekend (in the SUN, if you're here in Seattle!)

Sister Corita tea towel / Tortoise shell highballs / bright tumblers by Ginny Sims / Marimekko Fokus oven mitt