iEat Green - Patrick Holden - 10.27.16

Patrick Holden is the Founding Director of the Sustainable Food Trust, whose mission is to promote international cooperation between all those involved in sustainable food production. Previously, he was the founder and director of the British Organic Farmers, which merged into the Soil Association. He served as the Director of that organization from 1995-2010, before starting The Sustainable Food Trust. Patrick studied biodynamic agriculture and started a community dairy farm in West Wales in 1973.  It is now the longest established organic dairy farm in Wales, with a herd of 75 Ayrshire cows - the milk from which is made into an award winning cheddar-style cheese by his family. He received a CBE (COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE) for services to organic farming in 2005.  Patrick is an advisor to The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit, Patron of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association, the Living Earth and the Soil Association’s Land Trusts and International Ambassador of the Soil Association.

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

Crust ingredients:

1 cups macadamia nuts                                                                                                                               

1 cup raw almonds                                                                                          

1 cup dates 

½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut

1 pinch sea salt 

¾ t. ground ginger

 

Filling:

3 cups cashews, soaked in water for 3 hours

¼ cup lemon juice

1 can organic pumpkin (or substitute 2 cups steamed pumpkin)

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. ginger powder 

¼ t. ground cloves

1/8 t. allspice

1/8 t. nutmeg

¼ t. salt

3/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ cup of water

 

Topping

1 cup pecans- chopped fine

¼ cup maple syrup

 

Directions

1. Pulse the macadamia nuts and almonds in the food processor until finely chopped. Add dates and coconut and process until the mixture sticks together. Add salt and ginger powder

2. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a fluted tart pan with removable bottom, and press up along the sides, creating a nice edge

3. Blend all of the filling ingredients in the food processor. Make sure to scrape down the sides and continue blending until smooth. 

4. Pour filling mixture into tart pan crust and put into freezer for 1 hour before adding the pecan topping.

5. Pulse the pecans into small pieces, but do not over pulse into a flour. Add the maple syrup and pulse again until mixed. Sprinkle on top of the cheesecake. Replace the cheesecake into the freezer. 

6. Remove the cheesecake from freezer 15 minutes before serving