Food as Grown Recipes

			Food as Grown
			by Benton Health Promotions

Almond Milk

1 C. raw almonds, soaked*
3 T. raw pecans (Optional, but adds a very creamy touch!)
2 Medjool dates, pitted
1 inch vanilla bean
1 small pinch salt (optional)
3 C. cold water
Blend in Vita-Mix until very smooth, until even small pieces are blended. (Feel the sides of the pitcher and stop blending if the liquid starts to get warm.)

Strain through a thin cloth, or a fine strainer, or a nylon bag (or anything you have that will strain out the fibrous little pieces). We have had this milk even unstrained and enjoyed it. The Vita-Mix does a good job of blending, so it was just fine. Then we tried straining it, and found the flavor of the milk was even better!

Note: Another option is to blend just the nuts first, and strain. Then add the dates, vanilla, and salt, and blend again. This takes a couple extra minutes, but then you have all the dates and vanilla still in the milk with none strained out.

*Measure the amount after soaking. We tend to soak the almonds for several hours (5 to 8 hours, or overnight) then drain them and put them in the freezer. This way we have soaked almonds ready for any recipe. If you don't have soaked almonds, just use almonds that haven't been soaked, and just use a slightly smaller amount of nuts (they expand during soaking).