These Lavender Nut "Chèvre" Stuffed Apricots make for a great appetizer, replacement for a salad course, or even a savory dessert.
I think I've had apricots in just about every recipe imaginable. One all time favorite is chèvre stuffed apricots as an antipasto. Since I no longer eat cheese as a vegan, I decided to create a cashew "chèvre" to stuff them with. This nut chèvre still has the smooth texture and tanginess of an artisan chèvre, but is made with raw cashews instead.
Unlike other nut cheeses which take days to be ready, this chèvre only takes about half an hour to complete—but it still has amazing flavor and texture. The other flavor that will probably surprise you is the fresh lavender, which adds a light floral yet earthy flavor to the cheese and compliments the sweetness of the ripe apricots very nicely. Recipe and photos contributed by Joelle Amiot from her blog JarOHoney.
How to Make Lavender Nut "Chèvre" Stuffed Apricots
- Grind cashews to powder. Stir in water, and blend well. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Stir in vinegar, and mix well. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Add lemon to the cashew mixture and mix well. Set aside.
- Wash your apricots well. Then halve them lengthwise and remove the pits.
- Finely dice 2 apricots. Add to the mixture.
- Add chopped flowers and leaves to this mix—this is your "chèvre" mix.
- Scoop out the centers of the remaining apricot halves.
- Scoop some of the chèvre mix into the hollowed out apricot halves.
- Garnish with chopped apricot pieces and chopped flowers.
Full directions for how to make Lavender Nut "Chèvre" Stuffed Apricots are in the printable recipe card below.
Recipe
Lavender Nut "Chèvre" Stuffed Apricots
Ingredients
- 14 ripe organic apricots
- 1 ½ cups whole raw organic cashews
- ½ cup filtered water
- ½ tsp raw organic apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium ripe organic lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh organic edible lavender flowers finely chopped; divided
- 1 tbsp fresh organic edible lavender leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- In your food processor, grind the cashews to a fine powder. Add the cashew flour to a medium mixing bowl, stir in the water, and blend well. Allow mixture to rest for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar and mix well. Allow the mixture to rest for another 15 minutes.
- Zest and juice the lemon into the bowl with the cashew mixture and mix well, set aside.
- Wash your apricots well. Then halve them lengthwise and remove the pits.
- Finely dice 2 whole apricots. Add these apricot pieces to the bowl with the cashews, and mix well.
- Add half of the chopped flowers to this mix (reserve the other half for garnish) and all of the chopped leaves to the mix. Blend well—this is your "chèvre" mix.
- Use a melon baller to scoop out the centers of the remaining apricot halves. Be sure not to pierce the outer skin. Finely chop the apricot flesh that you have just removed and reserve these pieces for garnish.
- Use the melon baller to scoop some of the chèvre mix into the hollowed out apricot halves. Evenly garnish with the reserved chopped apricot pieces and reserved chopped flowers over the top.
Leave a Reply