as the sun goes down

The last couple of weeks has seen our family barraged with more than our fair share of delicious fruit salad, Poe has discovered his cooking mojo, mainly specialising in fruit salad and guacamole. After one fruit salad too many I suggested warming our fruit (apple and pears) on our fire, so followed some delicious nights of stewed fruit. On Wednesday night after a glorious afternoon of fine tunes, communal cooking and much laughter we made up these amazingly delicious, if unsightly pear tarts, the pastry in particular is spectacular, we used Jude's Coconut oil pastry (just with spelt pastry not the combination of atta and spelt, purely because i only had spelt) and oh my goodness not only is it so delicious in a shortcrusty kind of way it also made the tarts have a kind of amazing muffin effect, yet crunchy (the pastry was a little thick in places) and is incredibly easy.

Here is the Coconut Oil pastry recipe from 'Wholefood, heal...nourish....delight' by the amazing Jude Blereau

Makes enough to line 380g

125g (3/4 cup) atta flour (or wholemeal spelt)

90g (3/4 cup) unbleached plain flour (wheat or spelt) 

3 teaspoons raw (or golden castor) sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid or preferably frozen

1/2 teaspoon of natural vanilla extract

60-90ml of ice-cold water

Mix together the flours, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. 

Grate the frozen or well-chilled solid coconut oil into the mixture. Add the vanilla extract and gradually add the water, using a blunt knife to mix together. Add extra water if necessary Press together with your fingertips. (You can also use the food processor in a similar way, making sure the coconut oil makes the mixture crumbly before adding water)

Cover and rest in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes (and have a warm lemon drink, whilst you are waiting), then it is ready to use. Enjoy and please don't let the above picture put you off. 

As part of our communal cooking and together time in the evenings, we have also been enjoying some delicious warm citrus drinks made by Poe with a little cinnamon, a little ginger and a little apple cider vinegar mixed in with whatever citrus we have around (it is citrus city in these parts of late, you can't turn around without a tree offering up it's goods or people off loading their goods) we then sit around the table in candlelight, listening to some relaxing music, enjoying the warmth of the drink, it's fast becoming a treasured ritual.