iEat Green - Anna Francese Gass

Anna Francese Gass grew up in a small town on the Rhode Island shore before moving to New York City for university and an exciting new life.  After a stint in the corporate world, she decided, in order to be truly happy, she needed to spend her time in the kitchen, instead of an office cubicle. 

 

She quit her fast-paced sales job and enrolled in Culinary Arts at the French Culinary Institute in Lower Manhattan to follow her dream of professional cooking.  Soon thereafter, she found her niche in test kitchens, and has worked for Whole Foods, Mad Hungry, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Food52. She has also assisted on numerous, successful cookbooks and worked on a number of cooking television shows. 

 

Cooking with Grandmothers around the country has become her passion.  Her hope is that by transcribing these cherished recipes, they will continue to be shared and loved for generations to come.

 

Vegan Peach Torte

Preheat oven to 350 °

Ingredients

¾ cup organic sugar

½ cup coconut oil

1 cup organic unbleached flour (sifted)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

Pinch salt

2 Tbs ground Flax seeds

2 Tbs. water

2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 t. vanilla

10 small peaches, blanched, pitted and sliced

Brown Sugar, juice from ½ lemon, and cinnamon

 

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the peaches and let boil for 3 minutes, then remove from water and transfer to ice bath. This will make peeling the peaches easier. Then slice them and put in separate bowl.

 

In electric mixer, cream sugar and coconut oil, until fluffy.  Mix the flax seeds with the apple cider vinegar and water, and let sit for 3 minutes. Then add flax seed mixture to coconut oil and sugar. Add in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add dry ingredients to mixer and beat well.

 

Spoon batter into 10 or 12” tart pan. Place cut peaches all around tart pan, on top of batter.  Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.  

Bake for one hour.  Remove and cool to lukewarm before removing from pan.

Garnish with powdered sugar.