A Blueberry Tart

On Sunday nights we have our friends Claire and Bryce over for dinner and a Game of Thrones watch party. Between the four of us we're a picky bunch to feed. Jeremy and I are mostly Paleo. Claire and Bryce are mostly vegan. Sometimes we're all eating fish. Sometimes not. Sometimes we're really into the idea of a smorgasbord of cheese. Sometimes not. Sometimes Claire isn't eating sugar (including fruits and root veggies). Sometimes we're not eating at all.

So yeah. We're those people. But at least we're those people together. Coordinating dinner can be a challenge but it always promises to be a feast. Claire is not only a juice cleansing guru but also an amazing cook with a background in plant based and raw food – last week she brought over some vegan pho with poached Alaskan black cod. This week she brought some build your own pizza fixins' complete with a raw vegan dough made from pecans and flax (it was amazing). Simply providing the wine doesn't work with this crew (because sometimes we're all alcohol free) – so this week I decided to step it up and make a dessert that would parallel the quality of Claire's main course. 

I settled on a grain-free / gluten-free blueberry tart. It was almost vegan and almost Paleo but sometimes a little bit of honey with a dollop of Greek yogurt makes everything taste so much better.

A Blueberry Tart 
Total cooking + cooling time: 2ish hours 
Yields: 4 small tarts 

For the Crust:
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes
Pinch of salt

For the Filling:
4 cups of blueberries (I used frozen – they worked out perfectly)
1/2 cup water
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs. Arrow Root
2 tbs. Water
1/4 cup Honey*
1/4 cup Greek yogurt*

*You could used soaked and chopped dates instead of honey and omit the greek yogurt to make this vegan & paleo.

Directions:
Make the crust first by heating your oven to 350F. Combine the sliced almonds, almond flour, shredded coconut, salt, and melted coconut oil in a food processor using the S blade. The dough will look crumbly but should stick together if you pinch it with your fingers. Spread it in the bottom of your tart pans using your hands to pack it into the bottom and along the sides of the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes – just until the edges of the crust are beginning to brown. Let cool for an hour on a cooling rack. 

For the filling – in a small saucepan bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil. Add 2 cups of blueberries. Let them boil and breakdown for about 5 minutes. Bring down to a simmer. Mix 2 tbs. of the arrowroot flour / starch with 2 tbs. of water in a small bowl. Set aside. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey to the blueberries. Slowly stir in the diluted arrowroot mix. Cook at a simmer for 30-60 seconds until the blueberries thicken (like pie filling). Remove from heat and stir in 2 more cups of blueberries. Fill your tart pans with the blueberry mixture. 

Let cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours until cooled. Top with greek yogurt and some lemon zest for garnish.