Who You Callin’ a Tart?

Before moving to Colorado Rainier cherries didn’t exist. The summer after arriving they suddenly materialized, as if by magic. I’ve always been a cherry lover. I even have a cherry tattoo on my hip. Cherry is usually my favorite flavor of anything. Although, before moving here I don’t remember ever having a fresh cherry. That seems to be the case with a lot of fruits and vegetables since my healthy eating habits didn’t start until a few years ago. As with the other fresh fruits and vegetables I’ve tried, I am now spoiled by the pure taste. There’s no going back now! I even bought this cute little cherry chomper dude to help me pit them.

I’m not sure what makes Rainier cherries so special, but I much prefer them to other sweet varieties. It may have something to do with their gorgeous color. Since I didn’t know much about them I did some research and found some interesting facts:

• Rainier cherries were developed by researchers at Washington State University in 1952
• They are a cross between Bing and Van cultivar cherries
• They are named after Mount Rainier
• Their season is short being from late June to mid-July, making them more expensive
• The Northwest cherry season usually spans from June to the end of August
• Cherries are considered a stone fruit being related to peaches, plums, apricots, and almonds
• Cherries are a good source of fiber and vitamin C
• 1 cup of cherries contains 13% fiber and 18% vitamin C

The filling for this tart is beyond simple using just 3 ingredients. I wanted to experiment using chia seeds knowing they gel up when combined with a liquid. I happened to have a large amount of dates leftover so I decided they would be the perfect base mixed with some milk.

I recently found out that chia seeds contain a high amount of calcium having 25% of your DV for every 1/4 cup. Combined with the milk (if you use So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk), the dates, and the yogurt in the crust one slice of this tart contains about 20% of your DV of calcium. Not to mention the amount of fiber you’re getting which comes out to about 40% of your DV in every slice.

My point of all this is to say this tart is the best and a rather healthy alternative to most desserts since it contains no refined sugar. So eat up and enjoy it! I could have eaten half of this for dinner, but all I had were two slices for dessert…

Berry Cherry Tart

vegan, soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

makes 8 servings

Filling:

• 20 to 25 Medjool dates, pitted
• 2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk
• 1/2 cup chia seeds

1. Soak pitted dates in filtered water for 24 hours.
2. Drain dates and place them in a food processor with the milk. Blend until smooth, this may take several minutes. Scrape down sides as needed.
3. Set aside until crust is done baking.

Crust:

• 1 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread, softened
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla So Delicious yogurt
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9.5″ tart pan.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir until everything is mixed well and it looks like rich, wet potting soil.
4. Dump dough into tart pan and press evenly on the bottom and up the side. Poke holes through the bottom with a fork to prevent crust from rising.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until it looks dry and begins to crack.

Topping:

• 1/4 pound rainier cherries, pitted and sliced in half
• 10 ounces blueberries

Directions:

1. While crust is cooling add chia seeds to the date/milk mixture and stir until chia seeds are properly dispersed.
2. Pour filling into tart shell and spread evenly.
3. Top with cherries and blueberries.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Resources:

King Orchards

Northwest Cherries

wiseGeek