THE SADDEST NUT (ALMOND)

A historic tree that still shapes our world today, the almond (Prunus amygdalus) is a curious member of our culinary pantheon. Once so inedible that it would kill you, now it's one of the most popular and widely grown trees in the world. But with that popularity comes a cost...

Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson

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Cover art by Jillian Barthold
Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals
Episode cover photo by David Bena
Find Shannon Feltus on instagram @urbanfarmfoods or urbanfarmfoods.co

Recipe for Almond Tart by Shannon Feltus:

Ingredients:

Pie crust ( premade from the freezer section is totally fine)

1/2 cup Sliced almonds

2 tablespoons Butter

1/2 cup sugar

4 oz of marzipan paste

8 oz of cream cheese

Instructions:

Melt butter in the microwave and then add sliced almonds and 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix to coat all the almonds. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer cream together the marzipan and cream cheese with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Roll out pie crust and add cream cheese marzipan mixture in the center and smooth out all the way to about two inches from the edge. Pack almond topping onto the center of the tart and flatten on top of filling. Go around and fold in the edges onto the filling slightly, crimping as you go.

Bake at 375 for about 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Additional Reading:

The sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus)
Stop Vilifying Almonds
Bloomberg on Almonds
Colony Collapse Disorder
Mysterious Mexican mangrove forest is 'trapped in time' hundreds of miles from the coast