Turmeric Lemon Bars

One of the perks of living in such an agriculturally diverse area like South Georgia is that when the rest of the North American farming world goes dormant in winter, our land comes alive with citrus trees that dot the landscape with fruits ready for harvest.  Almost everyone I know has at least one kind of citrus tree in their yard to sustain them through the winter months.  It may be chilly out, but breaking into the easy-to-peel rind of a candy-sweet Satsuma orange or adding a generous squeeze of Meyer lemon to your tea makes winter here something to look forward to.

When I came upon this recipe from the minds behind the esteemed nutrition and meal service, Sakara, from their latest book Eat Clean Play Dirty that calls for blending the sweetness of our local Meyer lemons with our turmeric, it seemed like a match made in heaven.  Using their recipe as inspiration, I made a few tweaks to better highlight American Turmeric Company’s Georgia Gold™ turmeric powder and our beloved Meyer lemons.   I love the blending of our turmeric powder with the richness of coconut milk; the fat of the coconut milk aids in the absorption of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric that provides all of the anti-inflammatory benefits it is sought out for.  I hope you give this recipe a try, and enjoy a little taste of South Georgia in wintertime.
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Georgia Gold™ Turmeric + Meyer Lemon Bars
Recipe inspiration courtesy of Sakara cookbook, Eat Clean Play Dirty

For the crust
1 ¾ cups almond meal
½ cup gluten-free flour of choice (I prefer the King Arthur 1-to-1 All Purpose Gluten-free flour)
¼ cup of hemp seeds
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup, or to taste

For the filling
2/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice 
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups full fat coconut milk
2/3 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 ½ teaspoon Georgia Gold™ turmeric powder (fermented or non)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
Hemp seeds for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.   Grease and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. To make the crust, combine the almond meal, gluten-free flour, and hemp seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt until well combined.  Stir in the coconut oil and maple syrup.  Press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and bake for 18 minutes, or until the edges appear slightly brown.
3. To make the filling, pour the lemon juice into a medium pot and whisk in the cornstarch until all lumps are dissolved.  Stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.  
4. Bring the mixture in the pot to a low boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until the filling thickens, approximately 5-8 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Pour the filling over the crust and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until the mixture has cooled and set.
6. To serve, lift the out of the pan using the parchment paper, and cut into desired size.  Top with a sprinkling of hemp seeds, and enjoy!  

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