Pear Crumble with Thyme and Ginger
PEAR CRUMBLE & THE WANDERING 02
Since our first The Wandering dinner, Alexandra and I set out to bring people together through a shared and memorable food experience. We continued this pursuit of our mission at The Wandering 02, a dinner influenced by the early fall harvest. At our second gathering on Friday night, glasses were filled to the brim with bright white wine, and gin n' juice- our new intoxicated detox gin based cocktail with pressed apple, ginger, lemon and cayenne - as strangers mingled effortlessly around our autumnal table, and dined on seasonally inspired dishes to welcome the new season into our lives. Our table was lined with savory dishes -warm mutbucha tomato harissa dip, smokey carrot hummus, raw beets, fried olives with citrus zest, tomato, bread and cannellini bean skillet, and dark leafy green salad with charred corn- and flanked by friendly faces of people who didn't know each other at all, yet left as friends by the night's end. One of our guests was a local musician as it turned out, and graced us (after a few minutes of pleading from the crew) with a vulnerable and tender rendition of Leonard Cohen's' "hallelujah", that perfectly captured the mood of the evening- intimate, warm, and open.
That moment was the perfect segue for our grand finale, the dessert which was warming, savory, and sweet, all in one. I've always loved making desserts in skillets. It's easy and rustic, and also creates a crusty top from the generated heat. Below is my recipe for the perfect autumnal pear crumble. We served it with a dollop of soy ice cream.
It's truly remarkable to see months of planning, visioning, and ideating coming into fruition. The idea of The Wandering is simple, yet elusive. There are simply not enough events like this in DC- dinners that are accessible, affordable, and plant focused. And we're setting out to bridge that gap. I'm grateful to be able to co-host such a beautiful event.
SKILLET
- 7 pears or apples, sliced
- 1 tsp of fresh thyme
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 4 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 1 tsp of ground cloves
- 1 inch knob of grated ginger
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup of golden raisins
- 1/4 fresh apple sauce
- 2 tbs of water
CRUBMLE
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbs of thyme, chopped
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or butter
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375. Place all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Pour ingredients into a skillet. Then, mix the topping ingredients in a separate bowl, and top the wet ingredients. Bake the skillet for 45 mins - an hour (until the mixture is brown on top and bubbling in the middle). Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and garnish with chopped thyme or coconut sugar.
