A Change in the Wind & A Lemon Cilantro Crema

Do you ever notice how a change in the wind tends to cause other changes as well?  With the first cold winds of fall and winter comes the stockpiling of firewood and wool socks, along with the welcoming of grey days and snow.  When the winds start to warm and switch directions in the spring, we prepare for sunny days and warmth on our skin.  I guess you could say I've been feeling a change around here lately, too.  One that has left me thinking a lot about what I want this space to be and where I want it to go.

When I first started this blog, my focus was to share healthier and more wholesome baked goods, as well as other desserts and sweets.  As time has passed, I've been feeling a bit restricted in terms of what I should share on here.  I find myself worrying that I may not have shared enough baked goods or sweets to go along with the overall theme of the blog.  This has been a particular problem lately because I've been doing a lot of testing and baking for the farmer's market.  If I'm surrounded by piles of baked goods, the last thing I want to do is add another one to the mix.  I think the blog has reached a point where it needs to evolve and change to fit where I am at this point in time.  It needs to be something I feel passionate about instead of being a chore.  So, with that said, I feel the time has come to share a wider variety of foods with you and I hope that it won't negatively affect the way you see this blog.  When the farmer's market starts back up, I hope to share more with you about seasonal produce and the importance of trying to buy local.  As everything evolves over time, so has this space.  I'll still share baked goods and sweets of course, but there will be more things on the savory end of the spectrum making appearances, starting with this lemon cilantro crema.

I actually made this crema to go along with one of my meals last week, but I wanted to share it by itself as it is pretty versatile.  You can eat it with some sweet potato chips as a snack or side, or spread it on a sandwich.  If you thin it out a bit, it makes a great sauce for enchiladas, tacos, or pasta.  If you are not a fan of cilantro, you can swap in your favorite herb and still get awesome results.  I'll be sharing later in the week how I used this crema in one of my dinners so be sure to check back :)  

Lemon Cilantro Crema
This recipe does take a bit of planning because the almonds have to be soaked, but other than that it is quite simple.  Though I called it a crema, the consistency is somewhat closer to a hummus.    

1 cup almonds, soaked for 2 to 4 hours
1/2 cup of water (or more depending on how thin you want it)
1/4 cup coconut milk (from the carton)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 tsp ground coriander (optional)
sea salt to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender (or powerful food processor) and blend until thick or smooth.  You may need to add more water depending on how long the almonds soaked and how thin you want the crema.  Makes about 2 cups.  Covered, leftovers will keep in the fridge for several days.