Veggies on the counter

I do think that, in terms of palate, there are two kinds of people: the sweet and the savory ones. I’m definitely part of the second category. Since I was a kid, I never got particularly excited about desserts and sweets in general; everytime I’d crave something, that would be some sort of savory food. I also think that this “tendency” (or whatever it is named) for savory goods really defined my way of cooking: I do feel more comfortable cooking grains, salads, legumes and soups, rather than baking or making puddings or anything sweet. The techniques for cooking savory or sweet goods are also different and, in my case, the fact that desserts (specially baked ones) call for a lot of measuring in order to achieve the desired result, goes a bit against my intuitive and spontaneous way of approaching cooking.

But anyway, if there’s someone who really has a natural tendency for sweet stuff, that person is certainly my mother. At first, she was a bit reluctant about this dessert, as it calls for avocado on it (an ingredient that she doesn’t appreciate that much), but after the first taste, there was no way back for her: the rich flavour of the carob as well as the slight hint of orange, rapidly converted her sweet tooth. The pudding was inspired by the recipe for Carob Pudding from the gorgeous Lucid Food, by Louisa Shafia, and my take on it goes with the inclusion of the orange zest and juice, as well as the crunch topping (that is also based on a crunch topping recipe of that very same book, although in the book it’s served over a different dessert) , that contrasts well with the creaminess of the pudding. Serve it cold, in small ramekins, and bare in mind that the taste of the carob is quite distinct from that of the chocolate, but by no means less rich and intense.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

2 ripe avocados

6 tablespoons carob powder

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

for the crunch topping:

1/2 cup roalled oats

1/2 cup almonds

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a blender or food processor, puree the ingredients for the pudding until smooth. Pour into 4 small ramekins and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

2. For the crunch topping, preheat the oven to 200ºc. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, spread evenly on a baking dish and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring ocasionally, or until the topping is dry.

3. To serve, scatter 1 tablespoon of the crunch topping over each serving of pudding.

Adapted from Lucid Food, By Louisa Shafia, published by Ten Speed Press