DIY almanac: Fresh berry and oat tart

I love berry season! Yum, these past few weeks I've been enjoying handfuls of plump and sweet Rainer and Bing Cherries and juicy strawberries from the farmers market, and raspberries picked plum off the canes in my backyard. This afternoon I felt inspired to bake a pie, but as I was out picking raspberries (and snarfing every third berry), I thought it'd be a shame to bake my berries and rob them of their fresh zing. With just a little bit of sugar and a crumbly oat crust, I tried to make these berries sing! Here's my super easy fresh berry and oat tart recipe:

Ingredients:

2-3 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup almond meal (optional but definitely adds to the flavor)

1/4 cup butter (I used Earth Balance and it turned out great!)

A pinch of salt

4 tablespoons of sugar or honey (2 for the crust and 2 to sprinkle over your fruit)

An assortment of berries and cherries, pitted, washed and sliced (at least 3 pints worth)

Preheat your oven around 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a baking pan or pie dish.

Using a food processor, process your oats into a fine meal and then mix all remaining dry ingredients (save for 2 tablespoons of sugar) in a bowl with a pastry blender until you achieve a nice crumbly crust. If you want to make your life super easy, forgo the pastry blender and mixing bowl and  process the oats, optional almond meal, butter, pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar all together until a crumbly soft dough develops. If you don't have a food processor, you could probably just use oats straight up for more of a granola-like crust. Anyway, once your dough is formed, press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides of your greased baking pan. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye on it. When your crust is golden brown, bring it on out of the oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes. Then, pour your fresh berries over the crust and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Enjoy and keep chilled. I bet serving this with whipped cream or creme fraiche would take it over the top. So good!

DIY almanac: scrumptious summer squash stuffed with cheese

Ever seen a pattypan squash? These flying saucers, also known as sunburst squash, are slightly cone-like in shape with frilled edges...in fact, they almost look like little flying saucers when turned upside down. They have a sweet and buttery flavor similar to zucchini and a soft texture characteristic of other summer squash. You can buy seeds for them (for next spring) from the Territorial Seed Company:

http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1102/220

Pattypan can be picked when they are itty-bitty or when they are as large as a baseball. The smaller guys are delicious steamed or sautéed in butter. You really have to let some of these pattypan hold out on the vine until they are on the larger side though, so as to make stuffed pattypan with goatcheese, walnuts, and parmesan (and maybe some bacon?). Here's how to do it:

Ingredients:

4 large pattypan squash
4oz chevre goat cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and pepper
4 slices bacon (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil squash for 5-10 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. Slice off their tops and scoop out their insides. Mix squash insides with goat cheese, chopped onion and walnuts. Add cooked bacon (fried over medium heat), broken into pieces, to the filling if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place squash shells in a baking dish and fill with the goatcheese mixture. Mix bread crumbs, parmesan, and olive oil, and generously top each patty pan. Bake for 10-15minutes or until topping is toasted and golden brown. Enjoy (I know you will!).