Film: Vidya Seasonal Kitchen | Summer

Posted by Claire Ragozzino

Summer Solstice Blessings dear friends! I couldn’t be more thrilled to share with you my newest collaboration video with Choate House.  This is our third video together, and perhaps my faorite, as I got to ride vintage cruisers with boyfriend and lounge in a bohemian-inspired tent in my backyard for the filming of this video! When I moved to Oklahoma, never in a million years did I dream of connecting with such a talented team of creatives to help me brand my business. And never did I think these creatives (Kathleen//Braid Creative, Greer // Greer Inez Photography, Kara & Jeremy // Choate House)  would become some of my dearest friends. I’m always amazed at how perfectly life comes together when you surrender to flow and open your heart to endless possibilities.

Working with the Choate’s has been an absolute dream come to true for me, like clairvoyant magician’s they can see into my mind and bring to life the creative vision I have.  It begins with an aesthetic I want to create, a feeling or experience I hope to convey as I bring together my favorite elements – beautiful food, vintage props, and nature. We’ll have a few inspiring conversations, share images and craft moodboards, then recipe testing…recipe testing…and more recipe testing! In just a matter of a few weeks, it goes from a faint vision in my mind to a clear reality as move towards filming and production.  Once we’re “on set”, it’s all fun and laughter filled with inside jokes (sometimes inappropriate – read: the best kind of jokes) and the most rewarding post-production meal together.

This time around, the video brainstorm started with a song.  Devendra Banhart’s “Brindo” to be exact. This song has been on repeat in my life for years now, and surely if I had a soundtrack for my life this would be on the short list.  I was 21 and had just stumbled upon the magic that is Tulum when I first heard Brindo. I was wearing a flowy sundress, riding a beach cruiser barefoot – basket filled with papaya and mangos – and totally in love. This immense love I felt wasn’t between two people, but with life. As I rode that beach cruiser down the oceanside path, salty air breeze blowing through my hair, and the sultry sweet lyrics of Brindo playing in my mind, I was beaming – no radiating – magnetic joy and love. I felt as if I was flirting with the world and the whole world was flirting right back with me. That, to me, is the romance of summer.

We all feel it, a little giddiness as the warm sun starts to shine down on us in late spring.  Our hearts begin to soften, to open, and we start to connect with each other in what feels like a more authentic way. We slow down to savor lazy afternoons in crocheted hammocks, and stay out late under the stars, lingering over that last perfect bite of summer fare. This is the experience I wanted to convey in my “Seasonal Kitchen | Summer” video – that open hearted, sticky sweet love affair with life that we open ourselves up to in summer. And what better way to do that than with something sweet like this Apricot Basil Tart recipe.  I hope you enjoy this video and it inspires you to get in the kitchen, to prepare something with love, and to share it in the most enjoyable way…

APRICOT BASIL TART

Crust
2 cups almonds, soaked
2 cups almond flour
12 pitted dates
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until well combined and forms a loose ball. Pour crust mixture into a 9” tart pan lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to press evenly into the pan. Place into the freezer to set while preparing the filling.

Filling
2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked 2 hours
4 apricots, pitted & chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup raw honey
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp pink salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup basil, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender, blend until smooth.  Pour over top tart crust and spread evenly.  Place in freezer for 4-5 hours before serving to allow filling to become firm.  When ready to serve, layer with the sliced apricot topping.

Topping
10 firm apricots, sliced thin lengthwise
1⁄4 cup raw honey
½ cup fresh orange juice
chopped basil

In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice and honey.  Slices the apricots thinly lengthwise then place into the bowl. Toss lightly to cover and allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes. When ready, carefully arrange the slices in a circular pattern over top the tart, with the skin edges facing up.  Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil before serving.

Makes one 10-inch tart