As I progress through my very first gardening season (and more recently started foraging), I am adapting to eating a lot more with the season exactly as it evolves. While that may sound very basic, it’s not something that most urbanites are used to (not having access to land and shopping in grocery stores where seasons are non-existent will have that effect on anyone). That means last week I was drowning in mixed lettuce, arugula and serviceberries. And this week, it’s kale and sour cherries. Kale is such a prolific crop in our garden already and my neighbour Louis brought us a generous bunch over last night, along with several other vegetables from his garden. I must have done something right to deserve all this bounty!
I don’t believe in wasting any of this beautiful produce, so I’ve been finding all sorts of ways to incorporate it into our meals. Aside from jam, I made a no-bake coconut-chia pie with the serviceberries. You could use any fresh berries in season – I’m sure blueberries, raspberries or blackberries would be delicious too.
Coconut-Chia Pie with Seasonal Berries
Crust:
- 1 ¼ cup walnuts
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup dates, pitted (about 12)
- 1 tbsp flaxseed oil, or melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp flaxseeds
- Pinch of salt
Filling:
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- ½ cup chia seeds
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Topping:
- 2 cups of fresh seasonal berries
- 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Start by making the pie filling. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, measure the coconut milk, yogurt, chia seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the pie crust. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, dates, oats, flaxseed oil, flaxseeds and a pinch of salt. Process until you get a coarse mixture. Transfer the walnut mixture to a pie plate. With clean hands, press it down into the plate.
Serves 8-10.