Pear Crumble

Filling: 
6 pears
6 Tbls. honey
2 Tbls. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Topping:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
6 Tbls. cold butter, cubed
6 Tbls. sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Chop the pears into chunks, removing the cores. Stir together chopped pears, honey, and arrowroot in an 8” square pan.

Mix the flour, oats, and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until it is thoroughly combined, with a texture like soft crumbs, and no dry powder. Spread evenly over the fruit. 

Bake 35-45 minutes.

Apple Cheese and Nut Salad

Chopped lettuce or other salad greens
1 apple
1-2 inches of cucumber
cheese, cubed or shredded
1/3 cup nuts

Chop the apple and cucumber into small pieces and roughly chop the nuts. Combine all ingredients.  Serve with crushed mint dressing.

Crushed Mint Dressing

2 Tbls. oil
2 Tbls. balsamic vinegar or another sweet vinegar
2 Tbls. mint leaves--crushed if dried, or minced if fresh
sprinkle poppy seeds
sprinkle salt

Combine all ingredients. Serve with salad.

Acorn and Woodland Salad

See my note on acorns here.

raisins
cubes of bread
oil
pine nuts, or chopped almonds, or chopped hazelnuts
spinach, or other hearty greens
minced garlic
salt
pepper

Put the raisins in a bowl with hot cover covering them and set aside.

Heat a tiny bit of oil in a frying pan and sautee the bread cubes until hey are golden and toasted. The bread should absorb all the oil. Remove from the pan and put in the bottom of the serving dish.

Put a tiny bit more oil in the frying pan and add the nuts, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds to lightly toast them. Then add the spinach and a tiny bit of garlic, stirring constantly until the spinach starts to wilt. Drain the raisins and add them to the pan, stirring to mix. Remove from pan and place on top of the croutons, sprinkling with salt, pepper, and any other desired herbs. Serve warm.