The (Not so Pumpkin) Pumpkin Pie

For those of you who have allergies, food addictions, or any other reason that you don't eat the conventional American diet, you understand what a big deal it is to not only share a food with people who don't eat like you but to impress them. This recipe was the first in a series of recipes that I shared with family and friends. I didn't mention that it doesn't contain refined sugar, butter, flour, or even pumpkin (yes, the name is a bit deceiving). But it truly tastes just like pumpkin pie. I was desperate for a dessert that I could share with other people (since most people don't eat the way Rob and I do). I had gotten tired of constantly explaining why I wasn't eating the cake/pie/candy/cinnamon rolls/cookies/brownies/grandma's secret homemade carmel corn recipe at work, school, church, or any other social gathering. I wanted to enjoy the social connection that comes with sharing and enjoying good food.

Enter Matthew Kenney, the author of Everyday Raw (from which this recipe originates). I found his book while perusing through the food section of the library (which I have done on more than one occasion). At the time, I had no idea that it was possible to make a tasty dessert using only foods I could eat. Seeing this recipe I decided to give it a go. I rushed to the store, bought all the ingredients I would need (which was pretty much everything in the recipe) and quickly got to work. However, this pie is not a quick throw-together sort of pie. It takes at least 2 full days to make, but the wait is so worth it.  Once you sink your teeth into this bad boy. Mmm mm.....I had no idea raw could taste this good.... (Eh hem, sorry about that. :)
The next step was to try it on someone else, someone who ate the standard American diet. Someone who's tastes hadn't changed over the course of a year of not eating refined sugar, butter, corn, corn by-products (i.e. over half the things you can buy at the grocery store), or tomatoes. My opportunity came in the form of an allergy-free Thanksgiving.

Though my allergy's take the cake in breadth and scope, there are other people in our families that are allergic to various things. In talking to Rob's mom, we learned that soy and dairy were problems for other family members. After some talking, she and he decided to do an allergy-free Thanksgiving (and may they live long and fruitful lives as a result). The planning alone took--well I don't know how long it took, but it was quite an orchestration, ensuring that no unapproved foods were brought to the family dinner.

Though I knew what was going on, I had to remind myself that I could eat everything there. It was a Christmas miracle (a month early)! Seriously, it was the most amazing experience ever. I was witty, freakin' hilarious, engaged, and completely mentally there. No mental food comas, hangovers. or silently retreating into my shell because I couldn't think straight (all of which have happened too many times to count when I have eaten food I'm allergic to at social gatherings). To top it all off, I made this pumpkin pie. Everyone loved it. EVERYONE LOVED IT!!!!!! Even now, several years later I still have deep feelings of love and appreciation for this pie that allowed me to sit and chat over a familiar (or so they thought....wha ha ha!) dessert.

I did end up spilling the beans (I was never one for keeping an awesome discovery bottled up), after everyone had enjoyed and raved about the pie. Just for those cynics out there, I have made this pie for other social gatherings that weren't made up of family members and they loved it too.

[Side note: As is the case with most recipes, the better the quality of ingredients, the better the recipe is going to be. Not everything needs to be organic, but because of the amount of pesticides in herbs, at least try to buy the fresh thyme organic. It's not the end of the world if you don't, but it does make a difference.]

With no further ado, here it is:

PUMPKIN PIE WITH THYME (an epic gastronomic orgy!)

Crust 2 ½ C. pecans, soaked overnight & dehydrated @ 118° for 24 hours 2 Tbsp. Maple syrup 1 Tbsp. coconut oil 1 Tbsp. date paste (I substitute strawberry jam, b/c I have no idea where to find date paste) 1 pinch of salt Filling ½ C. cashews, soaked 4-6 hours          ½ Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme ½ C. maple syrup ¼ C. Agave ½ C. coconut oil ½ C. + 2 Tbsp. carrot juice ½ tsp. vanilla extract ¼ tsp. salt ¼ vanilla bean, scraped* 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon 1 ½ tsp. nutmeg  *Having never scrapped a vanilla bean in my life, I had to look into how this was done. By taking a sharp knife, slitting the 1/4 bean from top to bottom, you can pull it open and scrap out the inside of the bean. Easy peesy, beany squeezy (yeah, I don't know. Enjoy!)

Crust Place prepared pecans in food processor. Pulse, or chop, into small crumbs. Mix pecans & other ingredients well by hand. Press into 9-inch tart pan to desired thickness. Dehydrate 48 hours (instead of dehydrating, I leave the oven on warm overnight and it seems to work just fine). Chill crust in freezer for 15-30 minutes before filling. If not using crust mixture, store extra in container in the freezer. Filling Bend all ingredients except thyme until very smooth. Stir in thyme. Fill candied tart crust & chill in freezer overnight. Remove pie from tart pan, cut into slices & wrap in plastic wrap.