so, here is what's going on in a nutshell. california is burning. after watching the hurricanes tear through the south and eastern part of the us, i couldn't help but wonder if we had some crazy weather of our own headed our way. well, it is here.

i have been glued to the tv, studying the evacuations and constantly communicating with my mom who is right on the border of the evacuation zones of the second canyon fire. my grandmother who lives in anaheim hills has already evacuated. it's the closest a fire has been to my childhood home since i was in the second grade. i am on edge, and i know i'm not alone.

when things started getting crazy, i rang my mom to ask what she was doing. her answer? cleaning the pool. why? because she can't just sit and do nothing! her words, not mine. 

well, the apple must not fall from the tree.because i also can't just sit still. i have already gone through drawers and folded laundry. on to baking. the only bright light of the day is this delicious plum crumble. if you need a healthy distraction, something to do with idle hands or just a delicious dessert, this crumble has you covered.

plum + pistachio crumble
serves: 5-6
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
bake time: 45 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 4 plums, thinly sliced (about 3 cups). .25 cup white sugar. 1 tbs corn starch. 1 tsp orange zest. .25 tsp vanilla extract. 5 tbs butter, melted. .5 cup rolled oats. .5 cup all purpose flour. .25 packed cup of brown sugar. .25 cup crushed pistachios. .5 tsp cinnamon. .25 tsp nutmeg. .25 tsp kosher salt. medium sized baking dish. optional whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine the plums, white sugar, corn starch, zest and vanilla extract. stir well to combine. 

pour the plum mixture into your baking dish. 

in a second bowl, combine all but the melted butter and mix well. 

drizzle in your butter and mix until the mixture is moist and crumbly. 

pour the topping over the fruit. spread the topping out evenly. 

i saved a couple plum slices to decorate but it is not required. 

bake for 45 minutes until the fruit starts to bubble and the topping is golden brown. 

allow to cool slightly and serve warm. 

xo, a

plum + pistachio crumble serves: 5-6 prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
bake time: 45 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 4 plums, thinly sliced (about 3 cups). .25 cup white sugar. 1 tbs corn starch. 1 tsp orange zest. .25 tsp vanilla extract. 5 tbs butter, melted. .5 cup rolled oats. .5 cup all purpose flour. .25 packed cup of brown sugar. .25 cup crushed pistachios. .5 tsp cinnamon. .25 tsp nutmeg. .25 tsp kosher salt. medium sized baking dish. optional whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
tart by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine the plums, white sugar, corn starch, zest and vanilla extract. stir well to combine. pour the plum mixture into your baking dish. in a second bowl, combine all but the melted butter and mix well. drizzle in your butter and mix until the mixture is moist and crumbly. pour the topping over the fruit. spread the topping out evenly. i saved a couple plum slices to decorate but it is not required. bake for 45 minutes until the fruit starts to bubble and the topping is golden brown. allow to cool slightly and serve warm. 

over the weekend, wes and i catered an event for my good friend lish down in laguna. it was a beautiful backyard lunch, and the food really needed to live up to its surroundings. with the invent of instagram, now more than ever, the pressure is on to produce STUNNING food. food is not just about the taste. it needs to look, smell AND taste good. not to mention, it has to be texturally pleasing. basically the only sense i don't have to stress on is hearing. the point is, i was feeling the pressure to make REALLY PRETTY food. 

the cherry on top? we had gluten free guests. so many of my normal tips and tricks had to go out the window and i had to get really creative. 

insert this tart. the oat & sunflower crust is a flavor packed alternative to the traditional flour based crust of a tart. heirloom tomatoes and basil are a no brainer summer combo, not only for their bright vibrant colors, but for their perfect flavor pairing. mix in some delicious cheese and a couple eggs and you have a sure crowd pleaser on all fronts. try to have just one piece. i dare you. 

heirloom tomato tart + oat & sunflower seed crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 1.25 cups rolled oats. .75 cup unsalted sunflower seeds. 5 tbs very cold butter, plus a bit extra for the tart pan. 3 tbs cold water. 1 tsp kosher salt, divided. 1 large or two small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin. 5 oz herbed goat cheese. 5 oz ricotta cheese. 5 oz white cheddar, grated. 2 eggs. 2 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup caramelized onions. 3 tbs basil leaves, divided. .25 fresh ground pepper. 9 inch round or large square tart pan. food processor. baking sheet. parchment paper. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in the bowl of your food process, blend up the oats until they are fine.

add in the sunflower seeds and once again blend until you have almost a flour like powder. 

add in half the salt and the butter, pulse until you have pea sized crumbs. 

with the food processor on, pour in the cold water till the dough has combined in the bowl of the processor. 

it may still be a bit crumbly, that's ok. lightly butter the sides and base of your tart pan. 

dump the crust dough into the tart pan. use your hands to press the dough into the shell and up the sides. 

prick the shell base with a fork and bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it starts to turn a very light golden brown. be careful not to over cook it as the crust will have to go back into the oven. 

once your tart crust is baking, line a baking sheet with parchment and set out all your tomato slices to roast. roast the tomatoes till they are starting to dry up (we are trying to eliminate the moisture from the tomatoes). about 30 minutes. be careful not to over do the tomatoes as well. 

while the crust is baking and tomatoes are roasting, make your filling. in a medium bowl, combine the rest of the salt, the pepper, 2 tbs of basil (roughly chopped), the caramelized onions, all three cheeses and the garlic. add in the two eggs and mix everything till well combined. 

when your tomatoes are done, start to fill up your crust with the filling. top the filling with an even layer of the roasted tomatoes. 

bake till set and no longer giggly, about 15-20 minutes. 

remove from the oven and allow it to cool so you can handle it. remove the tart from the pan. use the remaining 1 tbs of basil as fresh garnish for the top of the tart, either slicing them up thin or just using leaves. whatever you prefer. slice and enjoy. 

xo, a

heirloom tomato tart + oat & sunflower seed crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 1.25 cups rolled oats. .75 cup unsalted sunflower seeds. 5 tbs very cold butter, plus a bit extra for the tart pan. 3 tbs cold water. 1 tsp kosher salt, divided. 1 large or two small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin. 5 oz herbed goat cheese. 5 oz ricotta cheese. 5 oz white cheddar, grated. 2 eggs. 2 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup caramelized onions. 3 tbs basil leaves, divided. .25 fresh ground pepper. 9 inch round or large square tart pan. food processor. baking sheet. parchment paper.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in the bowl of your food process, blend up the oats until they are fine. add in the sunflower seeds and once again blend until you have almost a flour like powder. add in half the salt and the butter, pulse until you have pea sized crumbs. with the food processor on, pour in the cold water till the dough has combined in the bowl of the processor. it may still be a bit crumbly, that's ok. lightly butter the sides and base of your tart pan. dump the crust dough into the tart pan. use your hands to press the dough into the shell and up the sides. prick the shell base with a fork and bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it starts to turn a very light golden brown. be careful not to over cook it as the crust will have to go back into the oven. once your tart crust is baking, line a baking sheet with parchment and set out all your tomato slices to roast. roast the tomatoes till they are starting to dry up (we are trying to eliminate the moisture from the tomatoes). about 30 minutes. be careful not to over do the tomatoes as well. while the crust is baking and tomatoes are roasting, make your filling. in a medium bowl, combine the rest of the salt, the pepper, 2 tbs of basil (roughly chopped), the caramelized onions, all three cheeses and the garlic. add in the two eggs and mix everything till well combined. when your tomatoes are done, start to fill up your crust with the filling. top the filling with an even layer of the roasted tomatoes. bake till set and no longer giggly, about 15-20 minutes. remove from the oven and allow it to cool so you can handle it. remove the tart from the pan. use the remaining 1 tbs of basil as fresh garnish for the top of the tart, either slicing them up thin or just using leaves. whatever you prefer. slice and enjoy.