Vegan Pistachio Strawberry Cheesecake

Summer is here and its time to cool off. It's the time of the year where "you-pick" farms blossom with fresh berries, and there's no better way to use your fruits from nature than in a vegan cheesecake. 

Cultures and tribes have marveled strawberries for centuries. According to the indigenous tribes, the wild strawberry represents the "sacred purifier." Though spring is the season of rebirth, we enjoy these fruits during late spring and summer.  

To me, this juicy fruit also symbolizes life blood. Not only do we need more liquids, and water-based fruits, during the warm, summer months to cool our metabolism, but spiritually we need to purify our life blood in the summer. It's the time to feel alive and to live our lives. 

Sometimes living too much, or going too hard can deplete us, and that is where the strawberry comes in. The nutrients and vitality restores our energy and life blood that we deplete through everything we LOVE to do in the summer - swimming, hiking, staying out later etc. 

It's no wonder why the semi heart-shaped fruit grows during this time of the year. It's the season where school is out for summer and children live their life doing fun things. 

The strawberry is also a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its shape and color. And during my recent trip to Europe, I tasted the very pureness of the strawberries in France and Spain. When in Europe, eat the strawberries. 

The European Union has strict food laws regarding pesticide and GMO use. Now, this may change as things politically are shifting worldwide, but every time I eat strawberries in Europe I am reminded that this is "the first time" I've tasted real strawberries. 

But strawberries are also seen in ancient texts and paintings in Europe. Nature is deeply intertwined to our energetic beings more than we realize because too many people are blinded by mass consumerism and materialism.  

In Strasbourg, France I picked up several antique Goethe and Hugo books at a sale in the local Norte Dame church. I got five books and spent 2.50 euros. What great supply and demand! 

I'll end this blog with one popular quote from Goethe to express the deliciousness of European strawberries. 

"One must ask children and  birds how cherries and strawberries taste."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Vegan Pistachio Strawberry Cheesecake
​Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooling Time: Several Hours
Equipment: one 6-inch spring foam 

Crust Ingredients:
2/3 cup pistachios (or other nut | use up to 1 cup for a stronger pistachio flavor)
4 dates

Cheesecake Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup cashews, soaked
1 16 ounce package strawberries
1 8-oz. package vegan cream cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp agave nectar

Directions:
Blend the crust ingredients together in a food processor. Pack the crust firmly into the six-inch spring foam pan. Next, blend the cheesecake ingredients together until smooth. Pour the filling on top of the crust ingredients. Cover and freeze for several hours. Once hard, let the cake thaw slightly, cut then serve chilled. 

Yum

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