Gulf Shrimp Aguachile & Change in the Air!

I'm happy to announce that there will be some changes happening with The Seasonal Plate over the next few months. First of all, I'm taking a food photography course in Seattle this summer which will give me an opportunity to play with my food and my camera! I hope to use these new skills to take better photos that will highlight the wonderful produce growing around here...well, when it isn't 103 degrees anyway. 

The biggest change will happen in September when The Seasonal Plate becomes Austin In Season. I will be highlighting seasonal produce, local farms, activities and events around Austin and The Hill Country with a focus on family and seasonal living. 


But, for now, clear your calendar this Friday night and try this Gulf Shrimp Aquachile recipe!


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 Mexican food is by far my favorite type of food. Much of it is naturally gluten and dairy free and this dish has to be one of the easiest ones we've made in a while. Peppers, cucumbers and okra are one of the only things growing in this heat and this recipe utilizes both peppers and cucumbers and comes together so quickly that you'll be celebrating Friday with a margarita in no time. 

We couldn't believe the amazing flavor of the aguachile when we put this dish together and found ourselves raiding the kitchen for anything that we could add to the remaining sauce to soak it up! Avocados worked quite well and so did tortilla chips. 

 Serve it up with some sliced avocados, chips (We love El Milagro or Way Better Snacks) and salsa, a quick cucumber salad, or maybe some elote. 

***If you have kids at home, leave the peppers out when blending the ingredients and pull a little out for them and then add the peppers for the rest. Our little guy loved this recipe. 

Gulf Shrimp Aquachile

Adapted from Dos Caminos Mexican Street Food by Ivy Stark with Joanna Pruess

1 lb. Gulf shrimp, peeled and de-veined then poached or steamed 

2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice (we used what we had on had which was a combination of freshly squeezed orange juice, lime juice and Meyer lemon juice)

1 large or 2 small cucumbers, peeled and seeded

1 cayenne pepper with seeds if you like some heat or 4 serrano chiles, seeded (ours came from my parents' garden)

1 chicken or vegetable bouillion cube

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves (our garden)

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves

1 (500 mg) vitamin C tablet (helps to make the aquachile green)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced for garnish

mint and cilantro leaves for garnish

3-4 radishes, julienned for garnish

1 small cucumber, julienned for garnish (Johnson's Backyard Garden)

1. Steam shrimp for 1-2 minutes or until pink in a sauce pot with a steamer basket. Make sure water does not touch the steamer basket. Steaming the shrimp makes them nice and plump and great with this dish. 

2. In a blender, add the citrus juice, cucumbers, peppers, mint and cilantro leaves, vitamin C tablet and boullion cube. Blend on high and strain into a bowl. 

3. To plate, stack the shrimp in the middle of a low bowl and add garnish to the top of the shrimp tower. With a spoon, measuring cup or gravy boat, pour the aguachile around the shrimp tower as if to make a moat. Serve immediately. 

Now try not to drink the remaining aquachile. You know you want to. 

Gringa Tinga

Gringa Tinga

Adapted from Chicken Tinga Recipe from Tacos by Mark Miller

"Tinga" means "messy or unruly" in Spanish. At times my cooking feels this way, but it usually results in a recipe coming out better than expected. We use what we have on hand and take advantage of the season's offerings. 

I took a local spin on this recipe and was so glad that I gave it a try. I love the smoky and sweet flavors and it makes use of all of the great mid-summer produce that can be found at the farmers' markets right now. 

We had the opportunity to visit Dewberry Hills Farm this past week. Jane and Terry Levan's chicken farm is located in the rolling hills near Lexington, Texas. As we pulled up the drive, The Levans' dogs greeted us much to our son Clay's enjoyment. Clay quickly became friends with their dogs who apparently flock to their home from around the neighborhood as if they are called to the place where animals are respected and cared for. It is also home to two horses and a mischievous mule.

The farm is 10 acres in size and at first glance seems to be a chicken campground with various chicken tents set up on the grounds with mister systems and fans to make sure the chickens stay cool during the hot summer months. The chickens have their share of water, bugs and native grass before moving to the next location on the farm.

Jane inspects every chicken before it leaves the farm to make sure it is up to her high standards. Chefs from around Austin and the surrounding area are clamouring to get on her waiting list. Her chickens seem to be very popular and for good reason.  She believes it is the terrior that gives them their distinct flavor.

She told us that sometimes a fox, owl or bobcat will take one of the chickens, but she understands and feels the land is shared with all of the animals. Just take a moment to read their philosophy and you'll understand their commitment to the animals, land and their rural community.

 At the end of our visit, Jane generously sent us home with a pastured hormone-free chicken. (You can pick up Dewberry Hills Farm chicken at restaurants around town, Wheatsville and Sunset Valley Farmers' Market.) We paired ours with fried okra that we bought from a friendly couple selling watermelons, cantaloupe and okra on the side of the road that had been picked in McDade, Texas. Their truck was piled high with straw that cradled the huge striped watermelons. We were eager to try the orange variety. 

We roasted the chicken that evening and used the leftovers to make this recipe. You could also marinate fresh chicken and cook it prior to sauteing the peppers and onions.

Gringa Tinga

1 poblano, deseeded & sliced 

1 red bell pepper, deseeded & sliced (Johnson's Backyard Garden)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped (5 Mile Farms)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped

3 smoked tomatoes (5 Mile Farms), chopped (or rehydrate the ones from Boggy Creek Farm)

1/2 cup fig balsamic vinegar (Texas Olive Ranch)

8-10 fresh oregano leaves (our garden), chopped

2-3 TBSP local honey or brown sugar (We love Goodflow or Round Rock honey)

leftover roasted Dewberry Hills Farm chicken, shredded (whole chickens available at Wheatsville)

salt & pepper

grapeseed or olive oil (Texas Olive Ranch)

1. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat and drizzle a little olive oil into the pan. Add the poblano and red bell pepper and onion and saute until tender. 

2. Add the garlic, chipotle peppers (with a little of the adobo), chicken, smoked tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, oregano and honey or brown sugar and stir until most of the liquid has cooked out (or about 5 minutes). Serve warm.

Dewberry Hills Farm Recipes

Dewberry Hills Farm BBQ Chicken and Grilled Okra and "I Love You Like Peaches" Pie

Chill Out with a Few Healthy Summer Recipes

I'm a sucker for a good magazine, especially one that has seasonal recipes! This month's Delicious Living has several seasonal popsicle recipes as well as a way to take advantage of the zucchini and fresh corn you've picked up at the farmers' market. 


At home we're making honeydew, cucumber and mint juice, slicing up watermelon, making criolla and trying out some of the tea and popsicle recipes from this month's Delicious Living magazine and mainly just trying to enjoy the slow days of summer. 


Delicious Living is available at People's Pharmacy and Natural Grocer around Austin or check out their website that has all of the recipes listed below. 


Healthy Frozen Pops **Try the strawberry pop with dairy free cream recipe and use watermelon or cantaloupe instead!


Vegetarian Grilling Recipes


Berry Tart Recipes

Sunshine & Tomatoes

We've been savoring summer by sampling the many flavors of Mom & Pop's Popsicles (available at Wheatsville and People's Pharmacy), dipping our toes in the Frio River, swimming at Deep Eddy and eating simple summer meals. Anything to stay cool.

I can't say I've spent as much time laboring in the kitchen lately, but who needs to when there is such amazing summer produce at the farmers' market and farms around Austin right now. Summer produce is so easy to put together with little to no prep or cooking time.


I'm a lazy summer gardener and have been depending on the hard work of local farmers to fill our plates. Don't forget them in this sometimes unbearable heat and visit a local farmers' market or look for local produce at your grocery store!

If you have a little more free time this summer, make a day or weekend trip to Fredericksburg to pick up some peaches or blackberries. It is worth the trip. Our favorite orchard stands happens to be Vogel Orchards and Marburger Orchards, but you should decide for yourself.


Did you know that there are several peach varieties? Look for freestone peaches in late summer with varieties such as Loring, Dixiland, Ruston Red, Redskin, O'Henry and Flameprince.


Be sure to check our Farmstress Maggie's post, Consider the Peach, on how to choose the perfect peach, peach storing guidelines and great peach recipes. 

Have a peach (or tomato) tasting party and let your guests decide! Tomatoes are starting to fade so get them while you still can!


Here's a few ways to make the most of the summer abundance....and to add cooling foods to your body during the heat.  

Fennel & Cherry Tomato Tart from Russell James, Raw Food Chef

Watermelon, Mint and Honey Popsicles from Honey Dumplings

Tomatillo Gazpacho with Pickled Cactus from Creative Loafing

Pickled Farmstand-Tomatoes with Jalepeños

Water with Sliced Local Cucumbers (simple and refreshing!)

Pick up a local juicing box from JBG Organic for $25

Open-faced Goodseed Burger with Dai Due Pickles and Mustard, Sliced Local Tomatoes and serve with Dr. Blueberry Organic Blueberries (from North Texas and available at Central Market)

And a final note....would someone local please make some dandelion and chicory root coffee substitute? (I know Johnson's Backyard Garden is growing dandelion...hint. hint.) Dandy Blend is my afternoon treat that is so much like iced coffee without the caffeine and even easier to make. I buy mine from People's Pharmacy. To make put 2 TBSP of Dandy Blend in a mason jar with some cold water, ice and almond milk, honey simple syrup and shake the jar until combined. 

Labor Day Picks

What's in Season for Late Summer? Last night we went to the Triangle Farmers' Market and found plenty to get excited about. Carrots, okra, zucchini, eggplant, lots of gorgeous tomatoes, dates, arugula, cucumbers, mixed greens, butternut squash, black-eyed peas, garlic, onions, potatoes, hard pears, peaches, scarlet runner beans, canteloupe, peppers, watermelon and amaranth greens are all available at the markets right now. 


Here are my picks for Labor Day. We're spending the weekend with friends out at the family ranch to celebrate my husband's birthday. How are you celebrating with local food?


1. Breakfast sausage from Salt & Time at HOPE Farmers' Market or Barton Creek Farmers' Market. We love their breakfast sausage with eggs, potatoes from Johnson's Backyard Garden and some fresh Hatch or local chiles. 


2. Local black-eyed peas from Wheatsville and pancetta from Salt & Time (at HOPE Farmers' Market or Barton Creek Farmers' Market) or for a smoky vegetarian version use Smoke-Dried Tomatoes from Boggy Creek Farms. 


3. Canteloupe from the tiny roadside stand we found on the way out to the ranch (also available at the farmers' markets around town) for making canteloupe aqua fresca or maybe a few cucumbers from the market to make cucumber aqua fresca. I usually make a simple syrup with water and local honey as the sweetener in the agua fresca rather than sugar. 


4. Fresh dates from Lightsey Farms for Chocolate Chip Date Cake.


5. Crispy Texas Pecans from Waco, Texas (available in the bulk bin at Wheatsville) for making Pecan Date Bars. Love Lara Bars? Try this at home version. 








Recipe for Pecan Date Bars
*In a food processor mix one cup of pecans, 6 pitted dates, 1 TBSP almond butter, 1 tsp Rawtella (available at People's Pharmacy) and 1 tsp local honey. 


*Mix until it will hold together when you press the mixture with your finger

*Spread and shape into a rectangle about 1/2-1 inch in thickness on a Silpat or nonstick surface and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

*Use a pizza cutter to cut into bar size strips or cut into squares and add a pecan on top for a quick dessert. Use parchment paper between bars to keep them from sticking together if you need to stack them for storage in the fridge. 

Local veggies for our Labor Day menu ready to go in the fridge....CHECK!

Back to School and Celebrating the Seasons

When we started eating seasonally, I bought a binder for each season. In each one I've included recipes based on ingredients that are available during those seasons as well as any holiday recipes or entertaining ideas that might be appropriate. 


Filling the seasonal binders has been a great way to keep me organized and connected in each season. I'm finding little reasons to celebrate the changing of the seasons...like when this hot weather finally breaks and I can grow lettuce again. 


When the weather changes, or in my case, the calendar says it is finally fall, I reach for my orange fall binder and feel a little more energized to start celebrating the season with food and family.


I just finished reading The Rhythm of Family, a book by Amanda Blake Soule, and it inspired me to add a few pages to my binders. This family-centered book has seasonal recipes as well as seasonally inspired projects to do with your children. 

In case you are considering a community-wide effort to cook in harmony with the seasons, try hosting a Preservation Party with your friends, neighbors or even as a fundraiser for your child's school. When you see the mason jars lining your pantry it will bring back great memories. Just like our Halloween Pickle last year. There's nothing like opening a jar full of summer produce on a cold winter day.

Here are a few seasonal recipes, just in time for the start of school, to help you connect with the seasons and your family.

These recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free or can easily be made so with a few substitutions.

Breakfast

Apple Cinnamon Blender Waffles (add 1/4-1/2 cup peeled and chopped local apples from Love Creek or Bat Creek Orchards and Pecan Butter from LocalBaby available at Farmhouse Delivery)

Maple Oat Scones with Apple Butter made with local apples or Confituras Bourbon Brown Sugar Peach Preserves

For the scones I substituted gluten free oats, Amande almond milk yogurt, maple sugar, almond milk and Earth Balance spread

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal made with local apples

Lunches, Snacks and Treats

Pick up these cute snack bags from SnackTaxi and Rume at Wheatsville

Sliced Cucumber Rounds or sticks with Baby Zach's Hummus (available at Wheatsville)

Homemade Applesauce made with Love Creek Orchards' apples (available at Barton Creek Farmers' Market

Cucumber Melon "Sushi" - roll up cubed melon with thin strips of cucumber and secure with a toothpick and add fresh squeezed lime

Vanilla Pears (I might substitute some local honey in the recipe)

Pear Almond Cake made with local ripe, hard pears from Lightsey Farm

Baked Acorn Squash with Real Maple Syrup - Johnson's Backyard Garden has acorn squash at Wheatsville and almost all the farmers' markets around town

Sweet Potato Leaves and Acorns

Peach Date Bars - Try this recipe with dried peaches, dates, local honey and Texas pecans!

Maple Oat n' Apple Dessert Jars made with local apples

Pumpkin Hummus and Quinoa Flatbread

Butter Lettuce Cups w/Carrots, Dewberry Hills Farm Chicken & Almondaise ( all available at Wheatsville)

Zucchini Muffins

Cucumber Apple Salsa made with farmers' market cucumbers and apples

Eggplant Fries - pick up some za'atar at Savory Spice Shop, a cute and friendly little spice shop at 1201B W. 6th Street in Austin, Texas

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup or Smoke-Dried Tomato & Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding - make with dates from the farmers' market

Chocolate Chip Date Cake 

Peach Fruit Leather

Dinner

Sausage Stuffed Apples with Mashed Red & Sweet Potatoes from Johnson's Backyard Garden

You can try this recipe with local apples and Wheatville's Tipsy Cow Sausage or Sweet Italian Sausage. 

I made two versions of dressing - one with Annie's Horseradish Mustard for us and one with Annie's regular yellow mustard for our son.

National Farmers' Market Week - Farmers Need Love Too!

Produce from Johnson's Backyard Garden

This week is National Farmers' Market Week and our local farmers need your support and patronage now more than ever. Sure you'll need to brave the heat, but just think about what farmers have been going through all summer. Many farmers are facing increased water bills and crop loss and need your help to make it through this unrelenting hot, dry summer. 

If you really want to find out more about the issues facing our local farmers, consider attending this year's Farm and Food Leadership Conference at San Antonio's Pearl Stable with a special Monday evening screening of Farmageddon. My husband and I are planning to attend and I can't wait to share the information we learn during the two day conference. 

Over the next few months we plan to branch out and try some of the other farmers' markets around the Austin area. We made our first trip to the Burnet Road Farmer's Market this past week. It was hot and we were really feeling the need to spread some love to the farmers that are out in this heat making things grow when it doesn't even seem possible. The market was small, but the farmers and artisans were very appreciative.

We were also surprised to see two food trailers set up just in time for dinner. Sounds like they are there for the lunch crowd, too!


And we couldn't leave without a little gluten-free and dairy-free dessert from the Happy Vegan Baker.

By the time we got home we had an armload of fruit and veggies from Johnson's Backyard Garden, olive oil and fig balsamic vinegar from Texas Hill Country Olive Company (contact them about adopting your very own olive tree)...and a full stomach from BBQ, beans and potato salad at Wheat's. 

Can't make it to the market? Don't worry, you can still support your farmers by joining a CSA or have your produce and artisanal goods delivered right to your door! Let me know if I missed one by posting a comment below. If you have a favorite market, CSA subscription or maybe just a shout out for your favorite farmer, please share! 

Or, show your support for a farmer by purchasing a long-term CSA subscription or investing through Slow Money. We attended the Slow Money potluck last month. What an amazing group of people...and boy can they cook! 

Farmers' Markets in the Austin Area

SFC Farmers' Markets - Triangle, Downtown and Sunset Valley

Barton Creek Farmers' Market

Boggy Creek Farmers' Market

Hope Farmers' Market

Burnet Road Farmers' Market

Monument Market

Georgetown Farmers' Market

Cedar Park and Round Rock Farmers' Markets

Dripping Springs Farmers' Market

CSA Subscriptions and Farm Box delivery in the Austin Area

Johnson's Backyard Garden

Green Gate Farms

Butcher's Box from Salt & Time (VERY limited subscriptions available - be sure to contact them ASAP - we have :)

Greenling

Farmhouse Delivery 

Local Baby - baby food made from locally sourced produce (available at Wheatsville or through Farmhouse or Greenling delivery)

Basil Pesto Shrimp Skewers and a Quick Raspberry Dessert

This summer we visited my sister and brother in-law in San Jose, California. It was a welcome break from the heat here in Austin and a glimpse into what can and can't be grown in a cooler climate. They long for tomatoes and we...well...this summer we long for anything that will grow without water and can survive temperatures hovering around 105. 

We had the opportunity to visit two of the gardens where my sister works. One garden supplies unique produce to an award winning restaurant in San Francisco that included white strawberries that tasted like pineapple and the best tasting blackberries that we couldn't stop popping in our mouths . At the second garden we were able to taste cherries right off the tree that looked almost too perfect to eat. 

Almost every house in her neighborhood had lemon trees branches weighed down by juicy yellow lemons.  Some neighbors even had boxes sitting out front where you could take a few home. We were able to pick a few from her neighbor's tree that were a variegated 'pink lemonade' lemon variety . The leaves on the tree alone were beautiful. 

In preparation for my sister and brother in-law's Summer Solstice Party,we headed to the downtown farmers' market in San Jose and happened upon a small vendor tent that had some of the best seafood we've ever had. They had fresh crab with lemon and shrimp skewers with pesto. 

I knew that when we got home I'd be making these often with the abundance of basil in our garden. At the end of our trip to San Jose we were sad to leave the cool summer nights, the company of family and drinks in the garden with no mosquitoes. 

Basil Pesto for Shrimp 

**Make extra and freeze it in covered ice trays for pasta dishes 

1/2 cup pine nuts or almonds

handful of basil, leaves only, our garden

lemon zest 

olive oil, Meyer Lemon infused would be great Texas Olive Ranch

1 lb. Texas Gulf shrimp, Quality Seafood - 5% off with you GoLocal Card!

1. Clean shrimp and soak bamboo skewers while grill is heating. 

2. Skewer 4 medium shrimp on each skewer. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and grill. 

3. In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients from above except for the shrimp. 

4. Drizzle pesto on top of shrimp before serving. 

We served our shrimp on a bed of rice, squash, zucchini and tomatoes with basil. 


You also might like to try A Tale of Two Pestos! I'm thinking some smoke-dried tomato pesto might be a hit. 

Cocoa Raspberries with Yogurt

This dessert is the perfect ending to a light summer meal. The combination of raspberries with the yogurt and cocoa adds just a hint of sweetness. Just take your favorite berries, drizzle with your favorite dairy-free yogurt (we love Amande vanilla or coconut almond milk yogurt or SoDelicious vanilla or chocolate coconut milk yogurt) and dust with cocoa powder. 


Pair with Becker Vineyard's 2010 Provencal White Wine for a crisp, clean, fruity finish!

Slow Weekend - Southern Blackeyed Peas and Sausage

It's the weekend and that usually calls for something easy, comforting and slow cooked. Black-eyed peas seemed like just the thing this weekend because they seem to be one of the only veggies surviving the heat. You can easily find them at farmers' markets or your local grocery store. A little morning preparation and by dinner time you can grab a cold local beer and put your feet up because dinner is ready.

Southern Blackeyed Peas and Sausage

brown or white rice, prepared according to package or bulk directions or use cornbread

1 10 oz. bag local black eyed peas, available at Central Market from Poteet, TX or at local farmers' markets or use purple hull peas

2 garlic cloves, minced, Milagro Farms

1-2 slices of bacon, chopped, Richardson Farms

1-2 links of chicken apple sausage, sliced, Applegate Farms or your favorite local venison or pork sausage

1 shallot or sweet onion, chopped, Johnson's Backyard Garden

1 small yellow or red bell pepper, chopped, Boggy Creek Farms

salt & pepper

water or chicken broth

optional: sliced hinklehatz, jalepeño or serrano pepper

optional for serving: hinklehatz pepper sauce or your favorite hot sauce

1. Heat a small dutch oven on medium heat and add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is fully cooked.

2. Add garlic, onions and peppers and cook until they are tender, careful not to burn the garlic.

3. Add sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add black-eyed peas and cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add enough water or chicken broth to cover the beans by 1-2 inches.  

5. Simmer on low for 6-8 hours. Leave the top off the pot for the last hour or two if you would like for the liquid to cook down. 

6. Serve over rice or with cornbread if desired. 

"I Love You Like Peaches" Texas Peach and Pecan Pie (gluten and dairy free) & AFBA Pie Luck

In case you're not a Bob Schneider fan (like I have been for more than a decade), the name of my pie, "I Love You Like Peaches", is one of the songs from his latest album, A Perfect Day, and has become a summer family favorite around our house. It was the perfect name for the peach pie I created for the Austin Food Blogger Alliance's Pie Luck Social this past weekend at House Wine. It's like a bite of sunshine.

Several Austin food bloggers gathered to raise awareness for SafePlace, an Austin organization that creates a safe haven for individuals and familes, primarily children, who have been affected by sexual and domestic violence. We also came for the pie. Lots and lots of really amazing pie. 

Local chefs and food industry professionals had the not so difficult job of tasting several pies to choose the winner. Adolfo Moreno, of SafePlace, wondered if there might be pies at all of the events . A very intriguing question. We all mingled, had pie and wine, met local foodies and bloggers and went home with bags of Beanitos to help us out of our sugar comas. 

The event continues on Sunday, August 21st with a screening of the movie, Waitress, at Alamo Drafthouse. Buy your tickets ASAP as the event will most likely sell out. 

The Pie Luck winner, and proud owner of "The Crusty" trophy, Michael Chu, of Cooking for Engineers, will have his perfectly executed pecan pie slices available for purchase at the event thanks to the help of Alamo Drafthouse Executive Chef John Bullington. And yes, I do mean perfect pecan pie. It looked straight out of a Martha Stewart cookbook and the recipe straight out of a calculus book. My husband is an engineer. I know all about perfect execution...which is pretty much the opposite of my right brained self. Whole pies from local bakers will also be for sale after the event. 

How can you help without having to share your peach pie? Attend the screening, buy a pie or donate to SafePlace. SafePlace is in great need of diapers and wipes right now, but you can also check out their WISHLIST for more items. 


See you at Alamo Drafthouse on August 21st!

"I Love You Like Peaches" Texas Peach & Pecan Pie

Gluten and Dairy Free

Pecan Pie Crust
1 cup Texas pecans (Texas pecans are sweeter)
8 organic medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp cinnamon (stick cinnamon ground with a microplane grater)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (whole nutmeg ground with a microplane grater)
pinch of Celtic sea salt
2 tsp Rawtella (People's Pharmacy) or a natural chocolate hazlenut spread, like Justin's
1/2 vanilla bean, sliced in half, remove seeds with a knife


Peach Filling
1 TBSP Earth Balance butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon (stick cinnamon ground with a microplane grater)

1/2 tsp nutmeg (whole nutmeg ground with a microplane grater)

1/2 vanilla bean, sliced in half, remove seeds with a knife

4 TBSP tapioca starch

5-6 large or 10 small Texas peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced, Lightsey Farms 

pinch of Celtic sea salt

1/3 cup combined local honey and organic maple syrup

1. Prepare the pecan crust by adding all of the ingredients for the crust to a food processor. Pulse and check to see if the crust is sticking together periodically by turning the food processor off and pressing the crust against the sides. 

2. Once the ingredients have come together, press the mixture into  to a nonstick pie pan. I love this USA Pie Pan that I found at Breed and Company (10% off with your Go Local card). 

3. Put the pan in the fridge for 1-2 hours while you peel, pit and slice the peaches.

4. Once the peaches are sliced, set them aside in a bowl and melt the butter in a sauce pan or butter warmer on low.

5. When the butter has melted, remove it from the stove and add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined. 

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour butter mixture over the peaches and let sit until the crust has been baked and cooled. Remove the vanilla bean pods before adding to pie crust.

7. Bake the crust at 350 for 10 minutes and let cool before filling. 

8. Pour the peach mixture into the crust and bake for 10 minutes at 350, then lower the heat and bake for 20-30 minutes at 325, being careful to make sure that the edges of the pie don't burn. Make sure that you let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before enjoying!








Don't forget to buy up the last of the Texas peaches at your local farmers' market or Wheatsville to freeze for smoothies or make peach jam with local honey.