Cook With Us Week #22- Vegan Apricot Nectarine Tart

One of the best things about summer other than the warm weather is the abundance of fresh fruits, especially stone fruits. For this week's theme at @cookwithus, I couldn't wait to make a tart with some tree ripened apricots and nectarines. Whenever possible, I like to purchase locally grown fruit from farmer's stand because I find they have more flavor than stone fruit found in grocery stores. Let's get started.

Toasted Almond and Sesame Seed Base

makes one 9" tart

• 1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp tahini paste
• 10 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt
• pinch ground cinnamon

You can also make this tart gluten free by using certified gluten free rolled oats. Place the dates into a food processing bowl and and process until a paste forms. Add in the remaining ingredients and process until soft, sticky crumbs form. If the crumbs seem dry, you can add in 1-2 tsp of water to help the mixture come together.

Press the dough evenly into the tart pan and place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Apricot Nectarine Filling

• 3 apricots, pitted and cut in half
• 1 medium nectarine, pitted and cut into four pieces
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or to taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup non dairy milk
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp agar agar powder
• 1 1/4 tsp orange blossom water

Place the non dairy milk, coconut milk, maple syrup, apricots and nectarines into a sauce pan and gently heat to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the fruit infuse in the hot liquid for 15 minutes. Place all the contents into a blender, add in the cornstarch and agar agar, blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, mix in the lemon juice and pour the apricot mixture into a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Add in the orange blossom water. Taste the mixture for sweetness. I generally prefer my fillings to be more tart than sweet. If you prefer the filling to be a bit sweeter, you can add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup. Pour the cooked mixture into the tart shell and place in the refrigerator until the mixture sets.

I decorated the tart with some berries, melted vegan white chocolate and some orange blossom aquafaba meringues. You can also serve this tart some vegan chocolate sauce.

The filling is incredibly luscious and the orange blossom water adds a hint of floral note which pairs well with the slightly tart apricot nectarine filling and nutty almond oat base. Happy Summer!