Apple & Persimmon Maple Granola, Watermelon Gazpacho and Apple Moop

We started our day with a little granola and homemade almond milk. Many of my recipes are made on the fly with the seasonal ingredients we've purchased at the farmers' market or appear in our Farmhouse Delivery bushel. 

I knew I wanted to make some fall-inspired granola, so I gathered all of my seasonal ingredients and my 4 year old sous chef and got to work. He peeled the apples while I peeled the persimmons. We both stirred our separate bowls of fruit with maple syrup and spices or toasted gluten-free oats and nuts. Together we made a granola that celebrates the flavors of fall. 

Later in the day, I went to Wheatsville to do my weekly shopping and noticed that there were a few remaining Texas watermelons for sale. I have a family of watermelon fans in the house, so I thought I'd go for one last summer recipe while we can. I guess the heat around here is good for something! 

After enjoying our watermelon gazpacho this evening, Clay looked at me and said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I looked at him curiously and answered, "I'm not sure. What are you thinking?" He told me with a little twinkle in his eye, "What if we took an apple and made it into a bowl and put watermelon in it?" 


Well, I can't say that in a million years that would have been what I was thinking, but I thought it would be a pretty fun way to eat watermelon. So, we tried it. Clay named it "Apple Moop" and since he came up with what seems like a pretty original idea to me, I figure it should have an equally creative name. He also got a kick out of seeing the star left behind after removing the seeds from the bottom of the apple. 

Apple & Persimmon Granola

2 apples, peeled & cubed, Top of Texas available at Wheatsville or through Farmhouse Delivery or Greenling

2 persimmons, peeled & cubed, Lightsey Farms at Austin Farmers Markets and Barton Creek Farmers' Market

dried or fresh dates, pitted and chopped (peeled if they are fresh), Lightsey Farms at Austin Farmers Markets and Barton Creek Farmers' Market 

1/2 cup handful of Texas crispy pecans, Pecan Shop in Waco available at Wheatsville

1/2 - 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

cinnamon

nutmeg

vanilla or vanilla bean

REAL maple syrup like Coombs Family Farms

1. Toast the rolled oats and pecans in your toaster oven or toaster until warm and fragrant. 

2. In a medium sized bowl, add apples, persimmons, dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maple syrup. Coat fruit with maple syrup and spices. 

3. Combine the oats, pecans and fruit just before serving and pour homemade almond milk over the top. 

Serve with some morning green juice made with local apples. We added extra carrots, so ours was actually morning orange juice (from the carrots). 

Watermelon Gazpacho

Adapted from the Watermelon Gazpacho recipe in the The Art of Raw Food cookbook

Blend the following ingredients in a blender, chill and garnish with your favorites!

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced, Martinez Farms available at Wheatsville

8 tomatoes, Farmhouse Delivery

2 c Texas watermelon

1 sweet onion, Farmhouse Delivery

2 cloves of garlic, Milagro Farms

cumin

2 TBSP lime juice, Farmhouse Delivery

lime zest

sea salt & pepper 

optional garnishes: cilantro, Texas Olive Ranch Olive Oil, almond cheese with salt (leftover from making homemade almond milk without the vanilla and honey), lime wedges, thin cucumber slices, cubed watermelon

Apple Moop

one local apple, partially cored and seeds removed using a melon baller (available at Breed & Co.)

a few cubes of local watermelon pressed into the cavity in the apple