Autumn Harvest Raw Apple Pie with Almond-Date Crust

It's time once again for the two-hour-long drive away from the beach, to Oak Glen, Calif.'s fertile, rolling hills and valleys where apple orchards line the roadside like sentries, keeping watch over citified pickers of ideal candidates for the perfect apple pie---Fujis, Jonagolds, Macintosh, and Granny Smiths. If we're lucky, mysterious low-lying fog will swirl and obscure our view, offering a spine-tingling welcome to the Halloween season.

I'll post two absolutely wonderful apple pie recipes which have absolutely nothing in common--other than apples, of course! This first rendition is raw--yes, unbaked--and it rivals the most luscious and delectable of cooked varieties. It is dense, rich, sweet and aromatic with cinnamon, and suitable for low-carb, gluten-free, low-glycemic and vegan diets. I usually use 2 or 3 types of apples for this pie; your choice of apple variety is your signature. There is also room to play with the crust. While almonds and dates combine beautifully, you are invited to try walnuts or pecans, or substitute dates for raisins. (If you aren't a raw foodie, and you are no stranger to butter and sugar, check back soon for my baked version!)

Basic Almond Date Crust
1 3/4 cup almonds, soaked 8-12 hours
1 1/2 cup date pieces or chopped dates or raisins
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of cinnamon

In a medium-size bowl, soak almonds 8-12 hours in enough water to cover the nuts. After soaking, dry nuts briefly (30 minutes) in the sun or or a dehydrator (30-60 minutes). In a food processor, process nuts until evenly ground. Then, add dates and process until finely ground, adding water, vanilla, and cinnamon while processing. The crust will appear slightly damp and will hold together. Immediately press into pie plate.

Filling
10-12 apples (peeled and cored), cut in chunks
2 cups dates, pitted (medjool are recommended)
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons flax meal (or substitute psyllium husk powder)

Pulse apples, dates and raisins in a food processor or put through a juicer. (Depending on the size of apples used, this should yield at least 6 cups of mixture. If it doesn't, add more apples.) Add cinnamon, then gradually sprinkle in flax meal or psyllium and process until thoroughly mixed. Immediately pour into pie shell. Cover and refrigerate.

Food fact! Raw food (like many things that are worth waiting for) takes time. Certainly, this dish is somewhat time-consuming, so I suggest you make a weekend of it! Spend Saturday scouring the orchards for apples; It's fun, great exercise and often there are seasonal festivals with music, period costumes and demonstrations. Soak the nuts over night, then on Sunday morning, rinse and dry the nuts. Prepare the pie, and chill for the afternoon, finally serving your masterpiece at dinner! Still seems like a lot of work? Get the kids to help, and use the time together for a short history lesson about how food was gathered and prepared when Grandmother (or Great-Grandmother) was young.