Walnut Crusted Pear-Ginger Tart

If you're like me, you just got a legion of pears in your produce box.

It was quite a thrilling experience though, I must say. This go-around, they were red pears! Huzzah! Growing up in Alaska, I've never seen red pears before (I don't want your pity.) They were the most beautiful pears I'd ever laid my eyes upon and I knew they had to go towards something special. 

Everyone is poaching pears it seems, but I don't know think that's my thing. It seems a bit too stuffy of a dish. So very bovaristic. Besides, I don't like the name. I find them intimidating. And I wouldn't go as far to say that poached pears creep me out, buuut...yes. That is what I am saying. They're weird and make me want to run away. All naked and strange. There is no logic for this, I am fully aware. 

“If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.”

— Steve Maraboli

Anyways, moving on. This tart. It's an inspiring departure from the apple and pumpkin pies of the season. Such narcissists, don't you think? Share the spotlight a little won't you?Fresh ginger and juicy pear lay abed this sweet walnut and date crust. A novel dessert for this Thanksgiving. Just push aside the other desserts for later.

This ginger, I had just bought from the store and whoa doggy...it was spicy as hell!! I had to scrape off the ginger bits because I didn't mince them as well as I intended. Doh! Use your brain and use a grater...unlike me. 

Walnut Crusted Pear-Ginger Tart

An inspiring vacation from the apple and pumpkin pies of the season. Fresh ginger and juicy pears lay abed a sweet walnut crust. NOTES: Be sure to use grated fresh ginger, or a fresh ginger paste, or mince it into eternity. You don't want a spicy little bite of ginger! Make sure to lay the tart pan on foil, it will boil over.

Yield: 10 slices (1 8" tart)

Ingredients

• -- Crust--
• 1 cup whole walnuts
• 5 medjool dates, pitted
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. whole flax seed
• ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• splash of maple syrup
• pinch of kosher salt
• -- Pears --
• 3 large ripe (but not super ripe) pears, sliced into about 1/8 inch slices
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (half a lemon)
• 2 Tbsp. vegan white sugar
• 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Cooking Directions

1. In a food processor, process all the crust ingredients for a few minutes until it about forms a ball.
2. Press into a tart pan. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Place the sliced pears and remaining ingredients, excluding the brown sugar in a medium bowl and toss well to coat.
4. Arrange in the tart pan over the uncooked crust. Top with the brown sugar.
5. Place the tart on a foil-lined baking sheet (don’t skip this!!) in the oven for about 40 minutes until the tops of the pears are slightly browned.
6. Remove and allow to cool completely before removing from the tart pan.
7. Serve warm, or chilled.

Dutch Word of The Day

Snow --> Sneeuw (snee-eww)

Good Deed of The Day

So...the insane amount of snow that blanketed Buffalo, fell just short of the disputed one-day snowfall record set in Valdez, Alaska in 1963. I have no words for this, and it's not really related to the Good Deed of The Day, but...WHATISHAPPENING?! I still have no snow...in ALASKA! Now you know. Go tell your friends of your brilliant trivia. See the full story in our local Alaskan paper. 

Candied Ginger & Blueberry Black Bean Brownies

If you're a brownie purist, these might not be for you. I know many people like their baked goods plain jane (Dad) and don't want anything in their brownies or cookies. Not judging, okay? I'm also aware of the stigma regarding black bean brownies. I, myself, have tried several different black bean brownie recipes in the past and most of them were...to put it bluntly...icktastic.

Not these. 

“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, the whole world would be vegetarian. ”

— Linda McCartney

I'm sorry to inform you, dear readers, that you won't hear much from me in the coming two weeks. If you want to know what I'm up to, follow my Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter to come along on my adventures! Good times are to be had, you don't want to miss it! 

These chewy, gooey black bean brownies are studded with sweet blueberries, zesty candied ginger, and dark chocolate chunks. 

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Candied Ginger & Blueberry Black Bean Brownies

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-17-2014

Chewy, gooey black bean brownies studded with sweet blueberries, zesty candied ginger, and dark chocolate chunks.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• ¼ cup + 3 Tbsp. cold water
• ½ cup quick oats, dry
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed well
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup agave nectar (molasses or maple syrup)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup dried blueberries
• ¼ cup candied ginger, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
• dash of flake salt for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and water. Allow to rest until ready to use. In a food processor, process the oats until the consistency of flour. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder and salt. Add the black beans through and including the vanilla, as well as the flax mixture, to the food processor and process until the black beans are completely pulverized and smooth. Preheat oven to 375 F and coat a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray.Transfer the bean mixture into a large bowl and slowly add in the oat mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in the blueberries, ginger, and dark chocolate. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake at 375 F for about 30-35 minutes, until the top of the brownies feel set. Allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into them. Sprinkle with flake salt. Store in the fridge.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 16

Dutch Word of The Day

Blueberry --> bosbes (bose-bess)

Good Deed of The Day

Today's deed is a little different...it's to help me! Please let me know your favorite vegan fare in Ohio. Or your favorite vegan goodies from either Whole Foods and/or Trader Joes. Or any calming or fun activities to do on the plane. Especially if you're skeezed out by flying. 

Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread

This bread! Well, technically it's more like a gooey dessert loaf. Is that a category? This gooey dessert loaf...will make...your house...smell like heaven.

If I was a heaven-believing type of person (I'm not, with the grotesque exception of a doggy heaven), I know it would smell like this bread baking. It's like if Thanksgiving and Christmas were on the same day. That's what it smells like. 

Like earthy pumpkin, zesty ginger, sweet molasses, and holiday spices. It's amazing what they can do aromatically when married together and heated.

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”

— Socrates

Socrates knows what's up.

This gooey dessert bread is the essence of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined. Heavenly winter gingerbread is scented with autumnal spices and moistened with pumpkin. Bits of candied ginger throughout lend a spicy bite.

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Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread

by Katie @ Produce On Parade October-8-2014

This gooey dessert bread is the essence of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined. Heavenly winter gingerbread is scented with autumnal spices and moistened with pumpkin. Bits of candied ginger throughout lend a spicy bite. NOTES: Feel free to use 2 cups all-purpose flour if you like. Be sure to let the bread rest, for it will need to settle.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat white flour
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 15 oz. can of canned pumpkin
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• ¼ cup candied ginger, minced

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and cold water. Allow to rest until ready to use.In a large bowl, whisk together the flours through and including the cardamom. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin through and including the molasses, as well as the flax mixture.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Now, gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Stir in the candied ginger. Do not over mix. Coat a bread pan with a nonstick cooking spray and pour in the batter. Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes or until set. Allow to rest in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool another 10 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 1 loaf of bread

Dutch Word of The Day

My bread is similar to a Dutch gingerbread called "peperkoek" (pay-per-cooik) or "pepper cake", except that peperkoek usually uses rye flour! Pretty cool huh? 

Good Deed of The Day

This is one of the best articles I've read in a long time. Originally published in Cosmologics, the magazine of Science, Religion, and Culture program at the Harvard Divinity School. It's titled, Why Atheists Should be Vegans, and you need to read it.