Just look at this thing.

Can it even be called a pie though if it lacks that fundamental flaky element? Semantics. If it looks like a pie and it feels like a pie, it’s a pie! No crust means less fuss and a whole lot healthier pie (in most cases), so lets just go with it.

For me, the only issue going crustless presents is a structural one. How can you get the whole thing to stay together without first laying that crusty foundation? I’ll tell you: It’s all in the fruit you use and how you slice it. Here, we went with apples – the most structurally sound of fruits. First, you’ll want to peel the apples and then use a mandolin or sharp knife to slice the fruit into 1/8-inch rounds. Don’t cut the fruit into wedges before doing this because you want your slices of fruit to be as large as possible. They should be like sheets. So just work away at one side of the apple until almost reaching the core and then flip it over and do the other side. Then you can slice the excess pieces off the core and reserve them for the binding sauce we’re going to make.

Binding sauce? I don’t know, that’s just what I’m calling it. The binding sauce is basically an apple sauce made by cooking down the excess apple pieces with some water, sugar and a thickening agent like cornstarch or arrowroot. Then you blend it up to make the silky sauce that’s brushed between each layer of apples as you build your pie. It holds all the layers together, like cement, so it’s not a step you can skip!

Assemblage of the pie is pretty simple. You start by lightly greasing the bottom of the pie pan, and then sprinkling with some cinnamon and sugar. Then you do a neat installation of apple rounds, followed by the binding sauce. And so on, until you get to the top of your pie dish. Like so…

And stacking it all up this way will ensure that you get a nice and neat cross section. Like so…

The blueberry sauce is cooked in the same exact way. It’s totally optional, but I recommend it for a little extra flair (the color bleeds through and is so pretty). Spread it on top of the pie just before baking.

I didn’t add the walnuts until the end so they wouldn’t burn. Another option is to sprinkle on some granola if you for that crunch you might miss without the crust.

It’s been a hectic, hectic couple of months. The food truck is keeping us busier than either of us could have imagined. Here’s a super quick rundown of the last couple days just to give you an idea. I’ll spare you all the messy details…
Yesterday: Up at 8am to shop for produce. Stop at mechanic to see if he can fix the tail lights this week. Then straight to the kitchen to cook from 11-6:30 with a 30 min break for lunch (kind of). Load up and drive to location. Set up and sell food until midnight. Yes, midnight. Drive back to the kitchen to unload and clean up. Get home at 12:45. Asleep at 2 a.m.
Today: Wake up at 8:30. Skip breakfast to get to kitchen on time. Clean the truck until it shines because we have the health inspection today. Make some empanadas. Load up and drive to location by 11 a.m. Set up for lunch shift while nervously awaiting inspector. We pass, of course. Head back to the kitchen at 2:30 to grab our cars and go our separate ways for a quick 2-hour break (during which I can hopefully finish this blog post and put on some makeup). Head back to truck at 5 where we’ll be until 10 tonight.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

So yea, it’s a lot. Sometimes we want to drop to the floor and cry. And sometimes we do. But we always remind each other that we wouldn’t want it to be going any other way. We’re SO thankful to be making this actually happen and that the customers keep coming back! (Even if it is killing us.)

Right now we’ve got one employee helping us in the kitchen so we just need to find someone who can be on the truck a couple nights a week so we actually alternate some nights off! The ‘help wanted’ sign is going up next week so let’s keep our fingers crossed. Hiring someone to work on the truck was a tough call to make from a financial standpoint, but the idea is that if we can get some rest we can apply ourselves to growing the business in other ways. And enjoying life a little more.

It’s our first time at all this so it’s all trial and error. Any suggestions? Anyone looking for a job? Ha. Anyone else working their fingers to the bone in the food industry? Anyone else wake up with sore feet? That’s the worst part I think.

Everyone likes to ask us if we ever take days off. Those will come, I’m sure. But for now, we don’t generally work Friday or Saturday nights unless it’s a special event and we aim for either Sundays or Mondays off. Sometimes we get at least one day. And it ends up being laundry day. But hey, in the midst of all the food truck madness, we’ve managed to sneak off for both Thanksgiving and Christmas to spend some days with family – that’s one perk of being your own boss!

So there you have it. That’s why I’ve been somewhat absent from the blog the last few weeks. This blog has always been my happy place and I intend to keep it that way, which is exactly why I haven’t been too hard on myself when I can’t find the time to post a new recipe for a couple (or a few) weeks. I’m trying to remind myself that that’s okay to focus on the business right now, and that it’s better to update the blog when my mind is clear and free so that I can enjoy the process of sharing something with you all. So that’s what I’m doing! And thanks to a little break over Christmas, I was able to dedicate some time to a few recipes that I can’t wait to share in the coming weeks! Here’s the first of them…

This slaw is for all of you that like crunch. Cabbage, fennel and almonds. Crunch, crunch and crunch. It’s light and refreshing and healthy cause we use yogurt instead of mayo or cream! We’ve been serving this on the truck for a few weeks and people have been loving it. Even had a few customers say it’s the best slaw they’ve ever had. And why would they lie? Makes the 60-hour workweek worth it.

I use a handheld mandolin to shave the fennel and cabbage nice and thin. The almonds give it the just the right amount of healthy fat (instead of the fat you’d get from the mayo), which also balances the tanginess of the lemon yogurt dressing. I sweeten with honey or agave, but that’s up to you. The poppy seeds don’t add too, too much flavor wise to the slaw, but they’re a nice touch and so pretty!

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to be able to complete this post for you! Absence does make the heart grow fonder. But seriously, as we get into a groove with the truck and get our employee thing figured out, it’ll be back to regular programming here on Honest Fare. Promise.

Thanks for sticking around. xoxo, gabi

I think the temp ended up getting down to the low 50s so hot soup was perfect for all our truck-side diners. Floridians are so funny about cold weather. It’s like we want to fully embrace it when it comes around, but we’re simply not capable. We’re either not properly prepared or we’re simply in denial about it. Perfect example: the customer that came up to the window that night wearing a fur coat to her ankles and flip-flops on her feet. What? Only in Florida. We just don’t know what we’re doing. Anyway, the soup…the soup takes the place of boots, apparently.

I love parsnips. (see: Parsnip Potato Purée and Parsnip Carrot Pasta). They’re so magnificently aromatic, and unexpected. People are always pleasantly surprised by parsnips because they’re not all that common, which is another reason I love using them. The parsnips definitely set the tone in this soup, adding an element of sophistication to the sweet and earthiness of the carrots.

After a quick sauté, everything is boiled in some milk and water or veg stock until soft. You can blend it up using whatever device you like, but I definitely recommend an immersion blender when it comes to soups. I blended this one until really silky, but feel free to do less if you like it chunkier.

This soup is seriously fantastic. Velvety and comforting. And what makes it even better is that it’s the kind of thing that can go nicely as an accompaniment to a variety of meats or fish or pasta or whatever!

It’s essentially just some egg and flour, milk and butter on a pan. No big deal. But once in the oven, they start to puff up, and up and up, right before your eyes, until they’re peaking and spilling out of your pan. It’s insane. And so pretty!

I used a miniature cast iron pan so the ones you see here didn’t puff up as much as ones made in larger dishes can.
Exhibit A: this guy.

Don’t worry, they do actually deflate and settle once removed from the oven, which is kind of fun to watch too.

To help with rising:
1. Use room temp/warm eggs and milk.
2. Beat the eggs a lot before adding the rest of the components.
3. Get the pan immediately back into the oven once you pour the batter in.

Flavor wise, they’re kind of like a pancake, but not as cakey. Lighter and spongier. So maybe more like a soufflé. But…less delicate and eggy. In a way, they also kind of remind me of a crepe. Okay, forget it. You get the point. They are delicious.

The question is, where have these babies been hiding all my life? I’ve never seen them on a menu. Never heard any talk of them. Never even seen photos of such a thing. My mom recently introduced me to Dutch babies, sometimes referred to as German pancakes, after she had them at a bed and breakfast somewhere in Oregon. (Oops, can’t remember where right now.) She’s been all about them ever since, topping them with fruit and yogurt and syrup. I’ve made them several times now and see exactly why she’s so into them.

Traditionally, Dutch babies are finished off with a little lemon juice (which sounds weird) and powdered sugar. I’m not crazy about powered sugar so I messed around with a few other toppings. I did one with pumpkin puree, cinnamon and maple syrup. That was awesome. But, even better was the simple pairing of raspberries, sliced almonds and maple syrup.

Not sure what it was about this mix, but it was fantastic.

I was also really pleased with this savory one of sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes and arugula, topped with Romano cheese. Looks like a cute little deep-dish pizza!

They cool thing about Dutch babies is that you can play around with them. Just serve them up and let people have fun with the toppings. You can make large ones for people to share, or smaller individually sized ones like the ones I made here. They’re usually eaten for breakfast, but I think they’re good any time of the day depending on what you top them with.

Since taking the tuck out wasn’t going to be an option, we did the next best thing. Got pedicures and went shopping. Now, don’t be shaking your head. It’s all work related, I assure you. Our feet were exhausted and battered from the week, and we needed some new work shirts. Plus, spending relax time with your business partner is really important. Sometimes Janelle and I have to make an effort to actually just hang out and not work in order to be okay with how hard we work every other minute of the day. Like in romantic relationship, you’ve got to do fun and special things to keep the love in the air. The crappy weather gave us a chance to do that.

And the moral of the story is: Rain is bad for business, but good for the soul.

Reading is another thing the rain inspires. I did some of that too. Here are some good ones for your rainy days…

1. An Everlasting Meal

A philosophical approach to cooking that’s more concerned with how to think about cooking, rather than instruction and recipes. Can’t wait to get my hands on it. Written by Tamar Alder, who worked at Chez Panisse under Alice Waters. Read the forward written by Alice Waters and an excerpt from the book here.

Tamar talks a little about the book’s concept in this video. Such a soothing disposition.

2. ACQ Taste Magazine

A new magazine dedicated to food culture with respect to design, art, architecture, fashion, film and music. Check it.

3. Kinfolk Magazine

There’s been a good amount of conversation about this new journal online. Its focus is on appreciating the beauty in small gatherings and a table of friends and loved ones. Kinfolk explores the relationship we have with food, eating and mealtime. Beautiful photography too. I’m into it, but take a peek at the magazine for yourself.

Heeeey, I think I actually see some sunshine out there today! I’ll be back later in the week with a recipe. Promise.

And unlike most salads, this one gets better as the dressing soaks in, which is definitely a plus when you’re pre dressing a salad to be served later. The dressing is simple to whip up. Just olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder, paprika, maple syrup, salt, cayenne pepper, fresh parsley and a spoon of mayo. Mayo??? Yea, trust me. So good you can drink it….and I kinda did.

I used a veggie peeler to make the long slices of carrot. The fatter the carrot you use the better. I find that rotating the carrot as you go works best to keep the strips consistent. It doesn’t actually take that long to do and it’s worth it!

Graceful carrot ribbons with pear wedges and shaved almonds, tossed in a well-balanced curry vinaigrette. Oh yes. Crunchy carrots with the suppleness of ripe pears is divine. And those carrot ribbons are so much fun to spin around your fork like spaghetti!

Table linen and tray by: Fog Linen Work. Fog Linen produces a line of daily use linen products for home and clothing. Beautiful stuff, and I’m thrilled to have them as a new partner here on Honest Fare.

Peruse the Fog Linen Work online store and see what I mean…

Yes, yogurt is actually fermented milk, which I realize on the surface doesn’t make much of a case for its digestibility. But in actuality it has everything to do with why many people who can’t tolerate milk can enjoy yogurt. The live active cultures in yogurt create lactase (an enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack) and the bacterial enzymes created during the culturing process actually partially digest the milk protein called casein, making it much easier for the body to absorb and much less allergenic.

Okay, so all that made sense to me, but what I was stuck on was how on earth I was going to safely ferment milk in my kitchen. As in, how was I not going to end up with a bunch of rotten milk?!

Here’s how: Yogurt is produced by adding a “starter” of active yogurt culture, which produces lactic acid during the fermentation process. Lactic acid lowers pH, gives yogurt its tart flavor and most importantly, causes the milk protein to thicken, acting as a natural acidic preservative that prohibits pathogen bacteria from growing. That’s what keeps the milk from spoiling during fermentation! The partial digestion of the milk when these bacteria ferment makes it easily digestible. And these are the same ‘healthy’ bacteria that help settle GI issues by replenishing non-pathogen flora of the gastrointestinal tract. These are the tiny microorganisms called probiotics and ‘live active cultures’ that everyone talks about. Bored yet?

Okay, here are a couple good links if you’re interested in more of the health benefits of yogurt. Why Yogurt is Good for You via Live Strong And 10 Reasons Yogurt is a Top Health Food via Ask Dr. Sears

And on to the yogurt making!

It helps if you have a meat or candy thermometer for this process, but plenty of people wing it without one so don’t worry. I repeat, you don’t need a thermometer. Heat your milk (I used 2 percent organic milk) to just before a simmer, which is 185°F. The milk should be a little frothy, but not boiling. Stir the milk intermittently or use a double boiler to avoid any burning. Once milk reaches desired temp, you need to cool it back down to about 110 – 120°F. The best way to do this is to place it in an ice bath and whisk it a little. Once cool, you add in the starter, which is a tablespoon of store bought yogurt (after the first batch of yogurt is made you will use your yogurt as a starter). You can also add a teaspoon of sugar to help the bacteria grow. Whisk it in good, convert it to a clean glass jar and now it’s time to do some incubating!

Two key words here: warmth and darkness. You want to keep your milk as close to 110°F as possible without going over during this process. Any hotter will kill the bacteria. My mom just wraps her jars of yogurt in towels to keep the warmth in during this process. That does work, but I’ve been filling a stainless steel pot with hot tap water and then dropping in the lidded jar(s) of yogurt, covering the pot and wrapping it in towels like a baby. You’ve got to let it sit for at least 7 hours, but the longer you let it sit the more firm and flavorful it’ll get. I did my last batch for 9 hours and it was awesome.

So much fun to unwrap your little bundle to find yogurt!

The flavor comes out very mild (just a little tang) and the texture is somewhere between Greek yogurt and store bought Dannon type stuff and it’s much creamier and less tart than store bought stuff. I think people who aren’t really yogurt fans might actually like it. Don’t think I’ll be buying yogurt anymore because I actually really prefer the taste of this and it’s so easy to do!

I cant get enough of the apple/avocado combo lately so it’s what I decided to share when recently asked by Joy over at OhJoy! (one of my favorite blogs!) to be part to be part of their Oh Joy Eats Lunch With series. So awesome and more than happy to do it!

P.S. Definitely check out OhJoy! if you haven’t been before! And have a look at the little Honest Fare feature too!