2 cups butternut squash puree or (my favorite) black futsu squash puree
1 cup date sugar or Field Day Coconut Sugar (brown sugar works fine, too)
2 tsp Field Day Ground Ginger
2 tsp Field Day Saigon Cinnamon
1 tsp Field Day Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
Directions
Prepare your pie crust recipe ahead of time and place in freezer. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake pie for 12 minutes, rotate and bake another 10 minutes.
Heat squash puree, sugar, salt and spices in a saucepan and zing with hand blender. (If you don’t have one, place all ingredients in a regular blender first, blend until smooth, then heat in saucepan.) Cook mixture until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and milk and bring to a light simmer, then remove from heat. Crack eggs into a medium size bowl and whisk. Add some spoonfuls of the hot mixture to eggs and whisk well. Combine with the rest of what is in saucepan and give it another zing with the hand blender until smooth.
Place hot pie filling into hot crust as it is coming out of the oven. Bake until filling is puffed up and lightly cracked with just a bit of jiggle in the middle, about 25 minutes. Let sit and cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.
1/2 cup organic unsweetened almond, oat, or cashew milk
1 tsp organic pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup organic pecans, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking dish with coconut oil. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into large chunks. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add a pinch of sea salt, and boil until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Mash with ¼ cup maple syrup, melted butter (or coconut oil), milk, pumpkin pie spice and salt until smooth.
Spread evenly into prepared dish. Mix chopped pecans with 1 Tbsp maple syrup; sprinkle over the top. Bake for 20–25 minutes until topping is golden and crisp. Cool for 5 minutes before serving warm.
Note: Use coconut oil and cashew milk for a vegan option. Check bulk sections for organic ingredients.
This showstopping tart lets the apples do the talking — and despite its impressive appearance, it comes together with surprisingly little fuss.
The crust is a simple press-in-the-pan style (no rolling required), and a mandolin turns slicing into a quick, satisfying task. Once the crust is made and baked, you can focus on the fun part: making the beautiful rose pattern. For the prettiest results, reach for firm, tart apples with rosy or red skin — varieties like Honeycrisp, Empire, or Cortland work beautifully — and nestle the slices in vertically rather than laying them flat for that dramatic, layered look.
The tart is at its best the day it’s baked, though you can get ahead by preparing the shell a day early if you’d like to spread out the work. A pinch of cardamom adds a warm, unexpected note and a splash of cognac adds a rich depth. However you decide to make it your own, stick with a smooth apricot jam for the glaze — chunky preserves will give you an uneven finish, and this tart deserves better than that.
Careful, even cutting will yield the most picture-perfect results. Makes one 10″ round tart.
Ingredients – Crust
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 egg
Ingredients – Filling
6 apples, cored (not peeled) – red and/or pink skinned
1/2 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp Calvados, rum or Cognac (optional)
1/2 cup apricot jelly or jam
Directions
Add the sugar, salt and flours together. Gently cut in the butter pieces with your fingers or a pastry cutter until mixture is sandy. Add egg. Continue to knead until dough is formed. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate at least an hour, until firm.
Roll out dough on floured surface about 1/4″ thick and tuck into tart pan, neatly trimming the edges at the rim. Let rest in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prick the base of the shell gently with a fork. Using pie weights or dried beans on parchment paper, blind bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Let cool.
While shell is baking, slice apples into 1/4″ pieces.
Spread a thin layer of applesauce and optional liquor (mixed together) on tart shell. Starting at the outer edge, layer apple slices, overlapping them halfway, going in a concentric circle toward the center. Pack tightly and keep the slices as perpendicular to the base as possible.
Bake another 15-20 minutes, until apples have softened.
In a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl, heat jam/jelly until liquid. Strain if there are seeds or fruit pieces. Gently brush over tart.
Two less commons fruits unite to create a summery, fruity spin on an Indian classic.
Read more about edible flowers in our The Union article.
Ingredients
1 baguette ¼ cup olive oil 8 oz cream cheese, softened ¼ tsp celery salt
Pinch of dried dill 2 Tbsp minced combo of parsley, basil, dill and chives ¼ cup mint and dill, small pieces Assortment of edible flowers (whole or petals)
Directions
Slice baguette diagonally with serrated bread knife, to yield about 24 pieces.
Pre-heat broiler. Brush both sides of each bread slice with olive oil. Place on sheet pan.
Adjust oven rack to be 2 inches from broiler flame. Turn crostini when edges start getting golden – just a couple of minutes so watch closely. Remove from oven when edges are golden on both sides. Allow to cool on tray before assembly.
Snip ¼ cup mint and dill into small pieces, select flowers.
In a stand mixer with beater (or bowl with hand mixer/spatula), stir softened cream cheese, celery salt, dried dill and finely minced herbs.
Spread some cream cheese mixture on each slice of cooled bread. Garnish with edible flowers and snipped mint and dill sprigs.
This is a great way to infuse a crowd favorite with a touch of wildness from our local ecosystem. This recipe makes about 4 cups.
Learn more about these unique berries in our The Union article.
Ingredients
3 cups chopped persimmon 1 cup fresh madrone berries 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 minced jalapeno 1 Tbsp minced ginger 1 cup honey 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 finely chopped onion 1 tsp cardamom powder 1/8 tsp ground cloves
Directions
Combine all ingredients, except for persimmons, in a saucepan and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until it starts to soften and there is still some liquid visible.
Add the persimmons and simmer for another 5 -10 minutes, until desired consistency is achieved.
A Ramble Through the Bramble Some call them weeds, others a thorny nuisance (to arms, legs, and pride), but whatever the reputation, wild blackberries are undeniably delicious. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and fiber, these juicy morsels are as nutritious as they are tasty. And if you know where to look and have a good recipe at the ready, we promise: the juice is absolutely worth the squeeze.
Surprisingly, blackberries aren’t technically berries. Each “berry” is actually an aggregate of tiny fruits called drupelets. Their season typically runs from June through September. California is home to eleven blackberry species, and both Nevada and Placer counties are teeming with brambles just waiting to be explored. Jump to Recipe.
Foraging Pro Tips First things first: be aware of your surroundings. Much of the area may be National Forest, but you can easily cross into private land without realizing it. And even on public lands, like National Parks, specific foraging rules apply – know them before you go.
Dress wisely. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are a must (unless you’re aiming for that scratched-up look). Durable fabrics like denim offer added protection. For serious pickers, a heavy-duty glove, like a welder’s glove, can help you part the brambles for easier picking. Whatever you wear, expect blackberry juice stains that may never come out. And remember to only pick the berries that are deep purple-black. If they’re red, they’re not ripe.
Making the Most of Your Bounty If you’re brave (and smart) enough to venture out and gather these juicy gems, your taste buds will thank you. But don’t wait too long – blackberries are highly perishable and should be eaten or frozen within a couple of days. That goes for thawed berries, too: use them quickly for the best flavor and texture.
So, got those berries ready? Good, let’s get to using ‘em!
Summer Fruit Mini Buckles
A buckle is a cake that is so stuffed with fruit that it “buckles” under its weight. This recipe is the cupcake version of that – so no one can complain someone else got the bigger piece! Enjoying with ice cream is optional but encouraged.
Cake Ingredients
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
¾ cups granulated sugar 1 egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp kosher salt
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole milk
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups berries
1 cup stone fruit, chopped
12 cupcake liners
Crumb Toppings Ingredients
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼” cubes
Directions
Make crumbs first. Preheat oven to 325°
Mix dries together in a bowl, then gently cut in butter until mixture is sandy. Set aside.
Make the cake
Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk. Fold in fruit.
Scoop into cupcake liners. Sprinkle crumbs on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tester comes out clean.
Enjoy with a spoonful of Cocowhip or vanilla ice cream for dessert or toss them in the toaster oven to enjoy with your morning coffee.
